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Dragonknight - Legions review



Reviewer:
6.8

23 users:
7.22
Band: Dragonknight
Album: Legions
Style: Power metal
Release date: January 17, 2025
A review by: AndyMetalFreak


01. Ascendance - Through Sea And Fire
02. The Legions Of Immortal Dragonlords
03. The Imperator
04. Pirates, Bloody Pirates!
05. Defender Of Dragons
06. Storm Bringer
07. Astarte Rise
08. Dead Kings In The Grave
09. Sword Of The Northern Lights
10. The Revelation
11. Return To Atlantis

How many Dragonknight Legions have there been in euro-power metal now?

There are legions of epic dragon slaying-themed bands out there (DragonForce, Dragonland, Dragonhammer, and Dragony, just to name a few), and now there's another name to add to that ever-growing list in the form of Dragonknight (not to be confused with the US death metal band Dragon Knight), a Finnish power metal band formed in 2022. Three years down the line, the band now release their full-length debut Legions. The band's line-up consists of 5 masked individuals who simply go by the titles Lord Salo Khan, Lord Gryphon, Lord Kharatos, Lord Solarius, and Lord Othrakis. Unlike lead vocalist Mikael Salo (Lord Salo Khan), the rest of the band's roles and identities remain a mystery.

There's nothing unusual about the way the album begins, as "Ascendance - Through Sea And Fire" eases listeners in with a short yet epic symphonic intro. Neither is there anything out of the ordinary with regard to the main opening song, "The Legions Of Immortal Dragonlords". At the basic level, the instrumentation is based on traditionally melodic riffs, high-powered, ultra-shredding solos, and a rapid-paced stylish rhythm. Symphonic orchestrations, including backing choirs, are also layered in the mix. These are accompanied by soaring power vocals that sing out the heroic catchy chorus, helped by various backing vocalists. This style is nothing that hasn't been attempted or heard countless times before, though, and sets the general standard for most of the remaining 9 songs.

So are there any major elements here to suggest why Legions should stand out from the often predictable Euro-power crowd? Well, no, not really. Even their high-quality production, which they seemed to have really nailed, isn't an uncommon feature in this line of work. There are a few moments that shy away from the regular Euro-power approach that's mostly driven by symphonic elements, though. For instance, "Defender Of Dragons" and "Astarte Rise" both exhibit a more folkish side, with the introduction of classic wind instruments and folkish acoustic melodies. Legions doesn't in any way break new ground in the modern power metal scene, and is far from establishing any kind of originality. Its 50-minute runtime could prove too much even for the most well accustomed fan of this light-hearted genre to endure. What Dragonknight offer here is simple; it's super energetic, light-hearted, infectiously melodic power metal, covering themes from Dragons and Pirates, to Atlantis and the Northern Lights.

If you're not a fan of this kind of epic fantasy-themed power metal, then it's very unlikely you'll find anything here to suit you. Perhaps this style is over-the-top for some, but there's no doubt others will find it rather enjoyable. Dragonknight have set the ball rolling with a reasonably solid full-length debut, but the question is, can the masked individuals succeed in making a real name for themselves following this, or will they simply go down the route of mediocrity like countless others have in this widespread genre?


Rating breakdown
Performance: 7
Songwriting: 7
Originality: 4
Production: 8





Written on 24.01.2025 by Feel free to share your views.


Comments

Comments: 1   Visited by: 38 users
24.01.2025 - 21:16
Rating: 6
javierel22
Not my cup of tea but some thing here were ok. But please PLEASE stop naming your bands Dragonsomething, I BEG OF YOU
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