Dragonhammer
The X Experiment
My Kingdom Music
2013
Dragonhammer are an Italian power metal band that has existed since 1999, but makes a return this year with a third album and a revitalized line up. I would have to be honest, in confessing that I had never been aware of them in the past. They seem to be typical, of the Italian style, of power metal from that past decade, well not without some modernism, after all a good decade and a half has passed... but still they tend to have the sort of treble production, the typical “tenor-y” sounding vocalist, that’s not always great (some of those guys tended to be real good, some not so great) but were over overall not too bad, the songs tend to be a little bombastic and a bit on the epic side… all those things are on good check here, under a futuristic concept about the earth suffering a nuclear war and mankind surviving and trying to go on after it...
The thing with Dragonhammer and this album of theirs is quite simple. The band and the album are quite decent and honest, it’s quite apparent that their heart is into what they do. However it’s also clear that they are not top of the heap, or they would have made it bigger by now... so therein lies a certain difficulty in criticizing them fairly. Having acquired guests as well like guitarist Francesco Fareri (Jeff Loomis, Vitalij Kuprij, Virtual Mind) who lends a solo in “My Destiny”, Robert Tiranti (Labyrinth, A.P.D., Mangala Vallis, Ken Hensley’s Live Fire) who duets with singer/bassist Max Aguzzi, the talented Titta Tani (Ashent, Phoenix Rising, Takayoshi Ohmura, ex Dgm, drummer for Goblin) for another duet and drummer David Folchitto (Stormlord, Screaming Banshee, Prophilax) who recorded the drums for the whole album only manages in places to extrapolate the bands own “lesser” experience on certain areas.
But as I said, it’s not as if they are bad. They are fairly competent and honest it’s just that sometimes they might be going for a little more than they might be bargaining, let’s say they are not on par with the best bands that have come out of Italy, but on the other hand, they are well above the worst ones so it’s fair. Since the album is a concept one and not overtly long, and quite melodic, I will refrain from dissecting it in “this and that song”. Take it all in one sitting. Its story is nicely laid out and to the ones of you with more aptitude towards power metal, especially of the Italian school, this band might hold a more special appeal.
The thing with Dragonhammer and this album of theirs is quite simple. The band and the album are quite decent and honest, it’s quite apparent that their heart is into what they do. However it’s also clear that they are not top of the heap, or they would have made it bigger by now... so therein lies a certain difficulty in criticizing them fairly. Having acquired guests as well like guitarist Francesco Fareri (Jeff Loomis, Vitalij Kuprij, Virtual Mind) who lends a solo in “My Destiny”, Robert Tiranti (Labyrinth, A.P.D., Mangala Vallis, Ken Hensley’s Live Fire) who duets with singer/bassist Max Aguzzi, the talented Titta Tani (Ashent, Phoenix Rising, Takayoshi Ohmura, ex Dgm, drummer for Goblin) for another duet and drummer David Folchitto (Stormlord, Screaming Banshee, Prophilax) who recorded the drums for the whole album only manages in places to extrapolate the bands own “lesser” experience on certain areas.
But as I said, it’s not as if they are bad. They are fairly competent and honest it’s just that sometimes they might be going for a little more than they might be bargaining, let’s say they are not on par with the best bands that have come out of Italy, but on the other hand, they are well above the worst ones so it’s fair. Since the album is a concept one and not overtly long, and quite melodic, I will refrain from dissecting it in “this and that song”. Take it all in one sitting. Its story is nicely laid out and to the ones of you with more aptitude towards power metal, especially of the Italian school, this band might hold a more special appeal.