• New Music Reviews
• |
• Archives
• |
• News
• |
• Submissions
• |
• About
• |
• 
• |
• 

February 2025

• Craig Brooks: Desolation Freeway
• Mantric Momentum: Alienized
• Pattern-Seeking Animals: Friend Of All Creatures
• Crazy Lixx: Thrill Of The Bite
• Ginger Evil: The Way It Burns
• Dream Theater: Parasomnia
• Tyran: Tyran's Oath
• Saber: Lost In Flames

January 2025

• Wildness: Avenger
• The Ferrymen: Iron Will
• Labyrinth: In The Vanishing Echoes Of Goodbye
• Bonfire: Higher Ground
• The Big Deal: Electrified
• Landfall: Wide Open Sky

December 2024

• After Lapse: Pathways
• Illusion Force: Halfana
• Powell-Payne: Voilá

November 2024

• Sunstorm: Restless Fight
• Storace: Crossfire
• Voodoo Circle: Hail To The King
• Lionville: Supernatural
• Starchaser: Into The Great Unkown
• Empires Of Eden: Guardians Of Time
• Lonerider: Down In The Dust
• Seventh Crystal: Entity
• Neal Morse & The Resonance: No Hill For A Climber
• Beardfish: Songs For Beating Hearts
• Impellitteri: War Machine
• Brothers Of Metal: Fimbulvinter

October 2024

• Casandra's Crossing: Garden Of Earthly Delights
• DGM: Endless
• Daytona: Garder la Flamme
• Fate: Reconnect 'N Ignite
• Frost*: Life In The Wires
• Aries Descendant: From The Ashes Of Deceit
• Fans Of The Dark: Video
• Radioactive: Reset
• House Of Lords: Full Tilt Overdrive
• Cleanbreak: We Are The Fire

[ More Music Reviews ]

Dragonland: Under the Grey Banner

Epic (Fantasy) Power Metal

4.5/5.0

AFM Records/King Records
Website Facebook Twitter MySpace
by Craig Hartranft,  12.12.2011

Fans of epic fantasy power metal finally have their wet dreams fulfilled. Sweden's Dragonland returns, after a five year hiatus, to complete the Dragonland Chronicles trilogy with Under the Grey Banner. Booming and nearing film score character, Dragonland rivals Rhapsody, and channels Blind Guardian and Kamelot at the same time. From the breathless bombastic opening of Ilmarion and Shadow of the Mithril Mountains to the theatre fantastique of the title track, Dragonland is epic and majestic, holding nothing back as they sweep you away in their adventure. Add a few moments of exposition of the tale, spoken or sung, and a dose of female vocal leads, and the tapestry becomes even more glorious.

Frankly, there's not much else to say here. It's all good. If you want a more in depth examination of the songs, I'm sure it can be found in another review elsewhere on the Internet. Certainly, there's some fantasy power metal nerd slobbering over his iPod with this one.

Conclusion: Dragonland is certainly not reinventing the 'fantasy' metal genre; perfecting, pushing it forward and keeping it alive is more likely. With Under the Grey Banner, Dragonland is at most epic and entertaining best. Recommended.

Dragonland is certainly not reinventing the 'fantasy' metal genre; perfecting, pushing it forward and keeping it alive is more likely. With Under the Grey Banner, Dragonland is at most epic and entertaining best.

Alphabetical Index

By now it's old news. Everybody in the prog universe knows: Dream Theater got the band back together. Drummer and founding member Mike Portnoy returned to his Dream Theater family to celebrate their 40th ... [ Read More ]