Dragonland - Starfall
Dragonland are a band that are all primed to kick some serious ass in the Power Metal world, and their latest opus, "Starfall" is more than enough proof of that. This Swedish band, consisting of members Niklas Magnusson and Olaf Morck (guitars), Jonas Heidgert (vocals), Elias Holmlid (synthesizers), Christer Pedersen (bass), and Jesse Lindskog (drums), are all very skilled musicians, and don't seem to be holding back at in the usage of their talents. Together they have managed to put out an extensive and amazing album of inspiring Power Metal tunes. Anyone who is into Sonata Arctica will definitely be a fan of Dragonland, as I am reminded of some of the elements of their style throughout "Starfall."

I first heard and got into Dragonland when I downloaded the song "Holly War" and their amazing cover of "The Neverending Story" theme song off of MP3.com over a year ago. When I heard that they had a new album out, I knew I had to get it to review it for RevelationZ. I think "Starfall" is the first Dragonland album you should buy, and if you are as into it as I am, then I would recommend looking into purchasing their back catalogue.

One of the biggest strengths of the album, is the excellent production work of Tom S. Englund of Evergrey fame (also some production work by Arnold Lindberg). Not only did he do a superb job on the knobs, but he also contributed some backup vocals on many of the songs. I happen to be a huge fan of Evergrey, (I've seen them live twice in the last year and a half) and really enjoy hearing Tom's voice on "Starfall". Actually one complaint that I have is that I wish he had sung more. I think that Jonas's voice is incredible and has a lot of range; however Tom's voice is much more soulful and passionate.

The most obvious standout tracks to me are "As Madness Took Me" and "In Perfect Harmony", which is my favorite song on the entire album. I can't get the vocal melodies of that one out of my head, which is a surefire sign of their undeniable catchiness. I really enjoy the keyboard work on this album, so I have to give props to Elias for providing so much atmosphere and melody. He is obviously an outstanding keyboard player. I especially like the keyboard intro to "As Madness Took Me". That being the album opener of course, so as soon as I heard that, I knew I was going to love this. The last three tracks on the album, "The Book of Shadows Trilogy", is this totally awesome and totally unexpected instrumental segment that is a very cool ending/finale to "Starfall". It reminds me a lot of the Gladiator soundtrack, which leads me to wonder if Elias is as much of a Hanz Zimmer fan as myself.

The thing that I feel I must convey to you is that this album is for Power Metal fans only. I can't really see anyone who isn't into Power, in some various shape or form, enjoying this or getting anything out of it. This is not to say that it isn't really good, but there are just too many aspects of "Starfall" that fall into the Power Metal Stereotype. Otherwise, if you claim to be a true lover of Power Metal, then you need to buy this.

Written by Jonah
Sunday, November 21, 2004
Show all reviews by Jonah

Ratings

Jonah: 8/10

Members: No members have rated this album yet.


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RevelationZ Comments


Comment by Ben@metalreviews.com (Anonymous) - Wednesday, November 24, 2004
Yah, this is really some great shit. I'd definitely rank this up there in the better Power Metal releases of the year. Not in the top 10 but to me nowadays, simply buying something and fully enjoying it is a rarity and a treasure when it happens.


Comment by Ben@metalreviews.com (Anonymous) - Wednesday, November 24, 2004
BTW, their first two albums before this, Holy War and BAttle of the Ivory Plains are now OOP. If you enjoy Starfall then go about searching for those two cds posthaste.


Comment by Olof of Dragonland (Anonymous) - Saturday, November 27, 2004
Thanks for the great review!
Anyway, I'll have to point out that me and Elias who wrote the Book of Shadows are somewhat obviously into Hans Zimmer, a true genius. The waking ear can also find inspiration from "The Rock" besides Gladiator, and film score music in general.
There is also a HUGE story that comes along with it (more text than all of our previous albums combined) that should heighten the experience of it alot :D











Review by Jonah
None

Released by
Century Media - 2004

Tracklisting
01. As Madness Took Me
02. Starfall
03. Calling My Name
04. In Perfect Harmony
05. The Dream Seeker
06. The Shores of Our Land
07. The Returning
08. To The End of the World
09. The Book of Shadows Part I: A Story Yet Untold
10. The Book of Shadows Part II: The Curse of Qa'a
11. The Book of Shadows Part III: The Glendora Outbreak


Supplied by Target


Style
Power Metal

Related links
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Dragonland - Official Website

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666 - Unrated

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