Dangerdog Music Reviews :: © 1999 - 2024 Craig S Hartranft :: All Rights Reserved
No part of this this website, including design and music reviews,
may be reproduced in any form or by any means without
the prior written permission of the publisher.
- New Music Reviews
- |
- Archives
- |
- News
- |
- Submissions
- |
- About
- |
- |
New Music Reviews, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Progressive Rock, Progressive Metal, AOR, Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal
Recent Reviews
November 2024
- 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
September 2024
- Sinner's Blood: Dark Horizons
- Serious Black: Rise Of Akhenaton
- Eclipse: Megalomanium II
- SteelCity: Reverence
- Hydra: ReHydrated
- Heartwind: III
- Gabrielle De Val and the Dragonlords: Tiger
- Find Me: Nightbound
- The Nail: The Nail
- Timeless Fairytale: A Story To Tell
- Stryper: When We Were Kings
- Phil Mogg: Moggs Motel
- Pure Reason Revolution: Coming Up To Consciousness
- Jordan Rudess: Permission To Fly
August 2024
- Siege Perilous: Creation's Call EP
- Paralydium: Universe Calls
- Mike Tramp: Songs Of White Lion Vol. II
- Bite The Bullet: Looking For Paradise
- All For Metal: Gods Of Metal (Year Of The Dragon)
- Hammerfall: Avenge The Fallen
- Jim Peterik & World Stage: Roots & Shoots Vol. 2
Dungeon Wolf: Slavery Or Steel
Dungeon Wolf: Slavery Or Steel
Heavy Metal
3.0/5.0
Facebook
Iron Shield Records
Released: 07.09.2018
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 05.09.2018
With Dungeon Wolf we're reaching into the deepest, darkest corners of the American heavy metal underground. The Cleveland based band is essentially guitarist and vocalist Deryck Heignum. His resume includes a near 14 year stint with traditional metal band Norselaw and then a brief gig as Stormlurker. If you haven't heard of either band, no worries. I didn't either. Featuring the same crew, Heignum has morphed Stormlurker into Dungeon Wolf, which drops an LP worth of tunes, Slavery Or Steel for traditional metal label, Germany's Iron Shield Records.
Dungeon Wolf
I'll try to make this review as quick and painless as possible. As mentioned above, Dungeon Wolf is primarily a vehicle for guitarist and vocalist Deryck Heignum. That's him on the cover as a pseudo Medieval executioner. I put guitarist first in his description simply because he's a talented and exceptional one. His style echoes traditional neoclassical forms, yet provides enough diversity and technicality to please most fret aficionados. As a vocalist, well, I think he needs to pass that torch to someone else. While his guitar licks are impressive, I did not enjoying listening to him sing.
Also, these elements define the character of the songs. It's not that there isn't some variety to Heignum's compositions, but they mostly turn on his guitar execution which means riffs upon riffs, solos upon solos. More than a few songs, like While The Gods Laugh, Lord Of Endless Night, and Dark Child, are simply heavy and steady, nearly doomish, in character, with Heignum's riffs churning and his solos flying. That last song is peppered with solos throughout. Actually, aside from the impressive guitar work, I found the songs to be kind of boring. But that's just me.
That's pretty much everything in a nutshell. To repeat myself, Dungeon Wolf and Slavery Or Steel is primarily a platform for guitarist Deryck Heignum exceptional and skillful fret work, never mind his vocals.
Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.
The Bottom Line
Dungeon Wolf and Slavery Or Steel is primarily a platform for guitarist Deryck Heignum exceptional and skillful fret work, never mind his vocals.
Find A Review
Alphabetical Index
New & Notable
eviewing my archives, I was pleased to find that I have had the privilege to review every Lionville since their self-titled debut in 2011. Formed by Stefano Lionetti, a songwriter, singer and guitarist based in ... [ Read More ]