The Final Chapter

So, after 2005 came and went, and with it the construct that was Dungeon, Lord Tim and drummer Tim Yatras went on to form Lord. However, almost a year prior to releasing the first proper Lord album in Ascendence, they elected to posthumously release one final studio album under the Dungeon banner with their new bandmates. To date, I’m not quite clear whether these songs had already been composed prior to the breakup, or if they were all created afterwards. BUT, that’s not really the point here.

The Final Chapter is a fittingly named staging album for Lord endeavors. It has the clear hallmarks of a Dungeon album, but the sound has begun to mellow and melodicize a bit, and become more accessible for listeners of, say, Euro-metal. “Better Man” is a perfect example, with its defiant “turn the other cheek” chorus and upbeat lyricism, as well as the compact and touching “Don’t Leave Me”. It is also here, as the band transitions from one incarnation to the next, that the song selection begins to diversify.

While nothing on this album quite approaches the label of “filler material”, there are a few songs that I’m less fond of – specifically the too-long power ballad “Life Is a Lie” (though it does eventually pan out nicely) and Lord Tim’s battle-historian track in “Gallipoli”, which feels a bit like an afterthought. All is not lost though, as LT and company continue burning throughout every other song on the album.

The sheer potency of opener “Pariah”, fronted by Lord Tim’s fantastic screams, exemplifies why Dungeon, even postmortem, is absolutely essential power metal, no matter where you’re from. Guitars are superb throughout, whether delivering mounting tension, soft backdrops, or explosive riffing, and Lord Tim himself puts on his finest performance with Dungeon. I would state without reservation that I find this to be the best release of the band’s, despite occurring well after the theoretical dissolution.

Requiring special mention is the sprawling title track, a monster 10+ minute work that may well be the single most impressive piece of music recorded under the Dungeon name. Classic guitar, synths, and percussive backdrops suddenly drop into madness as a burst of distortion and a tumultuous bassline punctuate the proceedings. It’s all uphill from here (“Climbing up the mountain and reaching for the sky!”), as the song winds through several distinct sections and features a slathering of meaty riffs and terrific solos, all culminating in a dramatic operatic section quite befitting the gravity of such an ambitious song.

Weak spots are few, and it’s a high-end performance all over on The Final Chapter. The quality of songwriting is better than ever overall, and the album offers a powerful, professional, and heartfelt sendoff to a project that ran for 16 years. Excellent.

Original review written for Black Wind Metal

The self-styled kings of Australian metal have returned from beyond the grave for this final release under. When the split of Dungeon was announced in 2005, many thought that their storming One Step Beyond album would be the last they would hear of this fantastically under-rated group. They were wrong.

Personally, I find going through an album track-by-track is boring and monotonous, so I’ll give an overall view of the album, while trying to go into as much detail as possible. The Final Chapter isn’t commercially available outside of Australia, so I had to resort to eBay to get my copy. If you can get your hands on the version of the album with the two bonus tracks ‘Don’t Leave Me’ and ‘Changing Moods’ then get it – you won’t regret it.

The Final Chapter is – beyond doubt – my favourite of Dungeon’s releases. Designed to show off the best of Dungeon, the guitar work (mostly recorded by maestro “Lord” Tim) is second to none. From the battering-ram opener ‘Pariah’, right through to the cleverly-written and epic title track, this album is stunning. It has just the right mix of blisteringly fast and melodically slow guitar solos, as well as a variety of catchy – but not overly cheesy – choruses.

My personal highlight of the album is a split choice between the beautifully balanced ballad-come-anthem Life Is A Lie and the utterly head-bangable and catchy Steelheart. The latter is one of those tracks that just screams out to be played at full volume. Life Is A Lie however, is a beautiful blend of slow, melodic guitar work and orchestral riffs.

It’s very hard to find any kind of fault with the entire album. If I had to pick a weak-spot, it would be Gallipoli. Based around the story of the Australia and 8,000 lives lost in New Zealand Army Corps during World War I, it just doesn’t live up to the massively high standard of the rest of the album.

Another highlight of the album is the title track. The lyrics are extremely clever, guiding the listener through the journey of Dungeon through the years. It’s a worthy end to the legacy of Dungeon.

If you like the slightly cheesy power metal with Iron Maiden/Judas Priest influences, buy this album. If you can find it.