Dragonknight – Legions (Melodic Dragon Power Metal)
I am again faced with the power metal conundrum. Namely, what makes the good good? One of the primary issues for the genre is that it relies heavily on classic fantasy tropes that go back to the prehistory of Dungeons & Dragons and earlier literature. To be honest, not much has changed in this regard. The themes have remained relatively the same, and due to this, perhaps by proxy, the music has remained largely unevolved, with only minute changes in production value that provide a better sound, but still the same stuff. Dragonknight thus poses a problem. Namely (for the second time), how in the world does something so stereotypical slay so damn hard?
I actually, seriously, thought long and hard about this. Dragonknight goes entirely by the book, with their melodic approach providing a much stronger, and more vibrant, sound, However, songs with titles such as “The Legions of Immortal Dragonlords” puts everything directly in front of the listener without any shame. The majority of bands in power metal do this, and as such Legions is exemplary. So what’s the answer to the problem? To remind you, it’s how in the living hell does something following the rules so faithfully so clearly slay so damn hard? After years of wondering why certain bands of Dragonknight’s ilk please me and others make me puke, I figured it out. Dragonknight stand entirely, and proudly, within their genre. The sound is expected, the themes, most certainly, but what makes them work better than others to the point of greatness is they don’t play with that tongue-in-cheek approach. They’re totally serious about their dragons, and they’re unabashed about their fantasy. With faefolk flutes, beautifully rendered vocals, harpsichord, and an incredibly precise mix with nothing taking precedence over anything else, Legions is a power metal instruction manual for the goddamn future of the genre. The vocals, in particular, illustrate what I’ve always said about a skilled lead, but combined with the others at certain moments, it elevates the voices beyond the realm of humanity. They truly are, I must say, fucking dragonlords.
Dragonknight Official Facebook
Written by Stanley, Devourer of Souls
Dragonknight – Legions
Scarlet Records
Cover Art: Tommi Aaltonen
4.6 / 5
