Dragony - Shadowplay
Dragony - Shadowplay
Limb Music
2015
Dragony are an Austrian sextet that does perform quite adequately, but their weak flavoured symphonic Europower, is more akin to either Italian (Rhapsody) or Finnish bands (Stratovarius, Sonata Arctica etc.) without them obviously matching the high standards of the golden releases by some of those bands that are somewhat of a benchmark when it comes to that sub-genre.
If you are easily excitable and predictable 4/4 power metal still sounds interesting to you, “Shadowplay” certainly caters to the taste with the numbers truly sounding like Sonata Arctica with a better singer and a more lyrical touch akin to Rhapsody… but this style no longer agrees with me… maybe when I was 15 I would be impressed but now?! Without being terrible, from all the “Dungeons and Dragons” drenched mess, I liked best “Warlock” that doesn’t avoid heading into campy territories – ie Latin chanted choirs etc. the dynamic “Shadowrunners” and maybe the duet with Zak Stevens called “The Silent Sun”, but everything else sounded terribly mediocre to my ears and the “metal” cover of last year’s viral hit “True Survivor” is a pathetic attempt, to latch onto someone else’s success. The fact that I prefer the original should be telling…
The band has potential, but as they could easily progress, it’s equally as easy for them to disappear without really making a mark in today’s highly antagonistic environment.
If you are easily excitable and predictable 4/4 power metal still sounds interesting to you, “Shadowplay” certainly caters to the taste with the numbers truly sounding like Sonata Arctica with a better singer and a more lyrical touch akin to Rhapsody… but this style no longer agrees with me… maybe when I was 15 I would be impressed but now?! Without being terrible, from all the “Dungeons and Dragons” drenched mess, I liked best “Warlock” that doesn’t avoid heading into campy territories – ie Latin chanted choirs etc. the dynamic “Shadowrunners” and maybe the duet with Zak Stevens called “The Silent Sun”, but everything else sounded terribly mediocre to my ears and the “metal” cover of last year’s viral hit “True Survivor” is a pathetic attempt, to latch onto someone else’s success. The fact that I prefer the original should be telling…
The band has potential, but as they could easily progress, it’s equally as easy for them to disappear without really making a mark in today’s highly antagonistic environment.