Quest for Glory

I’ve been meaning to pick up the first couple of Drakkar albums for about twenty years now, but held off after hearing mixed things. I remember Alex Staropoli telling me that Rhapsody’s initial international success was a mixed blessing, as suddenly there were Italian power metal bands forming in every town trying to rip them off, but Drakkar actually formed around the same time and had a bit of a different sound anyway, so they were never Rhapsody or Labyrinth clones to begin with. 1998’s ‘Quest For Glory’ is a more muscular, barbaric take on second-wave power metal that strikes a balance between traditional 80s metal and loftier epic aspirations, not a million miles away from what countrymen Domine were up to around the same time. They also had a Viking thing going on, too, and those combined elements make ‘Quest For Glory’ stand proud.

And it’s not bad for what it is, but the obvious trappings of a young band finding their feet on their debut album are evident here for sure. The guitar work is the most accomplished component, blending a lot of Maiden gallops with a bit of German speed metal in pure Scanner mode, while the drumming has a punky quality that is certainly fast, but doesn’t abuse the double bass as much as you’d expect from an Italian power metal band. It’s sort of how Rebellion went about things on their Viking trilogy a bit later on. You still get some superb glory-era choruses here like the one on opener ‘Coming From The Past’. They just don’t make melodies like those anymore. ‘Follow The Prophet’ is one of the better cuts where everything comes together without a hitch, but surprisingly, it’s fourteen-minute epic ‘The Walls Of Olathoe’ that is the highlight here. Strange that a band as green as Drakkar could pull off a song with so many parts like that and make it work, but there’s some really cool sections in there and tons of evocative synths that sound cheap but have a lot of heart in them. Vocalist Luca Cappellari has a reedy wail, but hey, he’s better than the guy from Skylark, you gotta give him that.

There’s a ton of charm to this and a couple of unforgettable moments but you’ve got to remember what Drakkar were up against in 1998. ‘Symphony Of Enchanted Lands’, ‘Return To Heaven Denied’, ‘Vain Glory Opera’, ‘Legacy Of Kings’, ‘Knights Of The Cross’, ‘Better Than Raw’; I mean, the classics list is endless, but this is a fun late 90s power metal album that sounds different enough to hold your interest if you fancy a bit of nostalgic time travel.

Though occasionally dismissed as the metal equivalent of pop/rock in some circles, the second wave of European power metal that flooded the eastern side of the Atlantic was wholly a grassroots movement that arose from the underground. Though spearheaded by a number of holdovers from the late 80s such as Kai Hansen's breakaway band Gamma Ray, the speed metal-infused grandeur of the ascendant veterans Blind Guardian, and the keyboard-drenched fanfare of Stratovarius, it was largely the output of younger bands that sprang up in the early to mid-90s out of the ashes of the thrash metal scene, as well as the emerging melodic death metal and progressive metal crazes that turned a rag-tag group of dissenters into a full blown force of nature. Among the more prolific hubs in Europe was the Italian peninsula, which became a bit notorious for fielding a number of sugary, keyboard-steeped, symphonic-tinged bands after the mold of Skylark such as Thy Majestie and Dark Horizon flowing like a river out of newly birthed independent labels such as Scarlet Records and Underground Symphony.

A smaller fringe player was also making some notable waves in the case of Dragonheart Records, fielding a smaller roster that included such potent acts as Slough Feg, Domine and even recent Underground Symphony ex-pats Doomsword for most of their subsequent career. Enter a somewhat curious player in the case of their late-90s acquisition in Drakkar, a Milan based power metal act with a uniquely gritty take on a style that was becoming increasingly common as the turn of the millennium loomed. Their sound can be best understood as a hybrid of the same symphonic, operatic and grandiose sound displayed on early Rhapsody Of Fire and Holy Knights with a more traditional and rugged sound comparable to Manowar, Hammerfall and Sacred Steel. Occasional flourishes of the more pounding and heavy character of Bathory's Viking metal era, and even hinting at folksy stylings of where the likes of Falconer and Elvenking would take things in the early 2000s. It goes without say that circa 1998 when this band emerged with their debut LP Quest For Glory with a mighty dragon boat on the cover that they stood out from the pack, in fact, apart from having a fairly stereotypical singer with an airy and high-pitched voice, this is anything but a typical outing for the sub-genre.

The somewhat atypical character of this band is not immediately apparent upon first glance, as the album's use of an obligatory instrumental overture, though free of any narration or ambient sounds, tends towards the typical bombast of a Rhapsody (Of Fire) intro that also channels the seafarer feel of a Viking-themed affair. But once the mood has been fully set and "Welcome On Board" concludes, a blaring chord ringing out and a free time display out of the drums along the lines of the one that kicked off Metallica's "Hit The Lights" throws things for a bit of a loop, and is immediately chased by a heavy galloping riff that sounds closer to something heard out of a mid-80s German metal act rather than a late 90s Italian one. In essence, the playful melodic character and Michael Kiske-inspired mannerisms of lead vocalist Luca Cappellari and the occasional chime-ins of the keyboards, "Coming From The Past" is a bit closer to what Helloween was doing in 1985 barring the chorus segment, and it's alone in treading this more guitar-oriented path. The next offering "Dragonheart" actually kicks off on a riff set that's closer to a faster selection off Maiden's Powerslave until hitting the fanfare of the chorus segment, with guest keyboardist Emanuele "Orchestra-Hit" Rastelli living up to his nickname with a bombastic horn section that sort of predicts what Freedom Call would bring to the scene just a year later.

As the rest of this album unfolds, the resulting flavor of things is decidedly epic and lofty in character, though still shying away from a total embracement of the Keeper Of The Seven Keys craze that was rising in prominence at the time. The opening balladry of "Follow The Prophet" treads fairly close to a Manowar aesthetic, albeit adorned with some classical guitar detailing and a lighter vocal display courtesy of Cappellari, and then explodes into a full on speed metal extravaganza with massive choral exchanges and keyboards aplenty, getting a bit closer to the aforementioned late 80s Helloween sound in the process. Then again, the heavier tone of the riff work on subsequent anthems like "Under The Armour" and "Quest For Glory (Valhalla)" leans back towards that older school German meets Iron Maiden vibe alluded to earlier. It all comes to a head with the gargantuan, 14 minute epic foray "The Walls Of Olathoe", which channels just about every classic, fantasy-based device that would become cliché in Euro-power circles a few years later, namely a drawn out spoken intro over a lofty orchestral backdrop, a recurring vocal chant meant for audience participation, a slower military drum interlude, and all the other bells and whistles of metal's answer to a book on tape. It has it's fair share of twists and turns, but as with the other songs, it is rooted in more of a traditional metal style, which becomes all but totally blatant during the song's guitar solo segment, which is a basic paraphrase of the one featured on Iron Maiden's "Sign Of The Cross".

By the standards of the Italian metal scene circa 1998, this was a fairly advanced offering that doesn't quite match the pristine production character of Labyrinth's Return To Heaven Denied or the triumphant impact of Symphony Of Enchanted Lands, but it holds a sizable candle to each of them in terms of ambition and enthusiasm. Over the past 22 years it has naturally faded into obscurity when compared to those two albums, owing partially to a more limited promotion and distribution during its initial run, but perhaps more so due to its more rustic sound. It is all but the quintessential example of a cult band in a sub-genre that has since branched out into far more commercially-oriented territory, relegating it to the niche occupied by the most committed of fantasy-obsessed nerds and older school power metal enthusiasts who were more drawn to the style when it wasn't as closely tied with high fidelity production practices. It's not quite as rough around the edges as Seventh Avenue's Southgate, nor is it as deep of a dive into the syrupy symphonic and super-long songwriting world of Skylark's Dragon's Secrets, but those are the two contemporaneous examples of the style that align the closest with this album's character of sound. Not quite the finest moment of the early period of the European power metal revival, but a very strong offering that will play well to those already familiar with the style.

Yet another Italian power metal band born out of the late 1990’s scene explosion and subsequent super-saturation. Before you go running off, however, know that Drakkar are at least a little different from the hundreds of similar bands out there. They do play power metal – that much is true. However, we also see plenty of traditional influences, and even a Viking slant. It’s not Doomsword, but it is still pretty good.

Well, that is until the singer opens his mouth. I don’t know where they found this guy, but he has to be one of the most frustrating singers I’ve ever heard. I say that because, at times, he’s actually very good. When he decides it’s time to take things up a few pitches is when things get bad. Instead of good high-pitched singing we instead are treated to one of the whiniest voices in metal. Listen to the chorus on “Dragonheart” (which is terrible) and then the slower verses on the title track (very good). If he’d have used his deeper, more epic “Viking” voice most of the time then this would easily be an 85+ album.

Beyond the sometimes-wretched vocals there really are few problems to be found. All of the reviewers who complained this thing had a bad production must be listening to a different album than the one I have. Sure, it’s not crystal clear, but for a debut, things surely could have been a LOT worse. Guitars, bass, and drums are all handled well. Nothing mind-blowing, but still quite solid. There’s lots of double-bass, if that’s your thing (and if it isn’t, why are you reading a review of an Italian power metal disc?). Also, the solos are surprisingly well done, not just random wank-fests.

Of special note is track six, “The Walls of Olathoe”. What a song, alone worth about fifty points in this review. It’s quite long at fourteen minutes, but it never drags. Cool lyrics, awesome solos, a very solid middle break section, and even tolerable shrieky vocals from the singer. Seriously, for this one song he seems to be a different person. With this track placed squarely in the middle of the album it really stands out, in the process making the rest (except perhaps the title track) seem rather bland. It would have made a killer closing tune, but as it is we still get one excellent tune, so no big deal. Like just about every other Italian power metal band, Drakkar don’t quite have a full grasp on writing English lyrics, but I’ve seen worse (that’s not saying much since there is some abominable stuff out there).

Of all the Drakkar stuff I’ve heard (all of Gemini and half of Razorblade), this is the best. I guess that’s not really the sentiment if you read Drakkar reviews around the net, but believe me. Their subsequent releases seem to lack the hint of traditional Viking metal that this one has, as Drakkar seemed to slowly become just another power metal outfit. Give it a shot, and if you don’t care for it, at least seek out “The Walls of Olathoe” – it’s that good!