Dragonknight – “The Legion of Finnish power metal” release debut album ‘Legions’

Review by Phil M.

This is the first album release by the band, and for those of you that are not into their gaming ‘Dragonknight’ is a class of character that you can choose from the Elder Scrolls Online, the massive multiplayer on-line role-playing game. But I’m betting that if you’ve got this far in the review that you probably knew that…. And with a name like this and emanating from Northern Europe (actually Finland) you can probably also be excused for correctly guessing the type of rock that you’re going to be getting here, and if you thought a mix of Alestorm with Sabaton you’d be right on the mark. Also, in common with several bands the members have chosen to remain anonymous in the same way that Ghost’s Nameless Ghouls have.

The band have already released three singles from the album ahead of its release, but the album kicks off with the impressive instrumental ‘Ascendance – Through Sea and Fire’. The track is orchestral and epic and beautifully produced. The first track proper ‘The Legions of Immortal Dragonlords’ swiftly follows with the band playing at breakneck speed, before pausing while the vocals take over. Then we’re back to full throttle and a memorable chorus straight out of the Sabaton song construction manual. There’s intricate and impressively played guitar licks, soloing and arpeggios over galloping drums.

‘The Imperator’ starts in a majestic fashion at a more moderate pace (and has the nice touch of a sword being unsheathed in it), and you can easily imagine this battle song being sung as the imperator leads troops into battle.

The most recent single ‘Pirates, Bloody Pirates’ follows and starts off with the atmospheric creaking timbers of a sailing vessel. The song progresses at lightning speed straight out of the Alestorm play book and the chorus has some great high-pitched vocals and is nicely accented by the sound of cannon fire. The lead break is folky in nature and fits well.

There’s a nicely animated accompanying lyric video available too:

‘Defender of Dragons’ starts quietly with nice synthesiser sounds before a folky tin whistle sound takes the melody. Maybe the most commercial track off the album the chorus features pleasant harmonies and the track alternates well between moderately paced and a more hectic double bass drum chorus. ‘Storm Bringer’ ups the pace once more with a great pre-chorus with good keyboard work and vocal harmonies, a Sabaton-style key change is thrown in for good measure too. Also worthy of note is the awesome guitar sound.

Astarte was a goddess from the Bronze age (at least so I read) ‘Astarte Rise’ opens with acoustic guitar and more mellow sound and is full of vocal harmonies and memorable melodies, and while I hesitate to use the word ‘epic’ once more, this track really is! ‘Dead Kings in the Grave’ has a pleasant organ intro before we are galloping through the song, and vocals approaching a bit of growling, and all this together with the lyrics and the occasional scream bears comparison with the great Manowar.

The final track ‘Return to Atlantis’ starts in doom-laden fashion leading into a great riff. The vocals, when they come in are supported by a crunching bass sound. The track has a more brooding riff than others showing another side to the band. There’s an interesting piano interlude with supporting orchestration harking back to the opening of the album followed by acoustic and lead guitars and that riff again.

While the band is new, the members are seasoned Finnish metal veterans and the playing and production are absolutely top notch and delivered at times at great speed. Vocal styles are firmly in the Joakim Broden and Ronnie Romero camp, and none the worse for that, and vocal harmonies abound throughout the album.

Though musically this is nothing new, the band do this style very, very well, and if you’re a fan of the genre it must be on your radar for a listen.

Track Listing:

1. Ascendance – Through Sea and Fire

2. The Legions of Immortal Dragonlords

3. The Imperator

4. Pirates, Bloody Pirates

5. Defender of Dragons

6. Storm Bringer

7. Astarte Rise

8. Dead Kings in the Grave

9. Sword of the Northern Lights

10. The Revelation

11. Return to Atlantis

Dragonknight are:

Lord Gryphon

Lord Kharatos

Lord Solarius

Lord Othrakis

Lord Salo Khan

(music by Dragonknight – vocals by Mikael Salo)