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Dragonland > Starfall > Reviews
Dragonland - Starfall

Starfall eyes. - 100%

Empyreal, June 19th, 2008

Come and sit 'round the fire, now, I'm gonna tell you kids a story. Progression can be a wide pitfall that many bands fail to leap, but sometimes there are...exceptional stories. I once knew a feisty young Power Metal band whose creative energy and instrumental talent seemed to know no bounds, roaming their fantastical plains of dragons and dwarves and devils with a steely sword in hand and a shield in the other, mounted on white horses with their heads to the clouds, which were opening up in a grandiose display of heavenly light. Basking in this orangey white glow, the young Power Metallers seemed to know their true calling, breaking free of their fledgling skin and into a new beast, a celestial creature with wings that could touch the cosmos, and eyes that held the very power of the stars themselves...

As you might already be able to guess, the band's name was Dragonland, and it took them only three albums to achieve such a glorious transformation. Where there was once catchy, entertaining Power Metal trappings that encased the music like a fine-lined electric fence, there is now a vast, fruitful arena of musical delights, personified in a dense, acrobatic guitar base, deep, wide-ranging symphonics and keyboard trills, and the soulful, emotive meanderings of Jonas Heidgert's powerful voice - and here, the man gives a performance of a lifetime.

Dragonland's ascent to the celestial bodies above is clearly defined in the stunning, moody opener "As Madness Took Me" - and note the absence of a preliminary intro track, as was used on the band's previous outings - with it's stuttering keyboard trills and heavy riffs, and a chorus that manages to be catchy despite its more complex vocal lines. The title track is next, and it seems to reside on a whole new plane of existence, with a stirring keyboard line setting an ethereal, spacey atmosphere that will warp your mind away to the very end of the world; a white, sandy beach that goes on for all eternity, with a bloody red sunset overhead, casting a strangely beautiful glow over all below - that is what this song evokes. "Calling My Name" and "In Perfect Harmony" are darker, more epic tracks, and people who dismissed the old Dragonland as too generic and flowery won't even recognize them now - the former has a brilliant chorus that builds up like a shooting star, before finally exploding with the titular lines, and the latter boasts an exceptionally well done synergy between guitars and synths, accented by a very catchy chorus. "The Dream Seeker," "The Returning" and "To the End of the World" are all excellent compositions in themselves, and Heidgert's vocal lines are better than ever here. Just listen to the titular lines in the beginning of "To the End of the World," ("We have ARRIIIIIIIIIIVED...") or the "No! I can't just break / I have to keep on going to the EEENNNNDDD!" bit in "The Dream Seeker." Truly amazing stuff.

I could list several more little gems to be found here, such as the electronic slant on "To the End of the World" or the Stratovarius-esque synth melodies that speed by you like flaming asteroids in "The Returning," but the true centerpiece of the album, and the best song Dragonland have ever written, comes in the form of the six minute epic "The Shores of Our Land." The band ventures deep into a catacomb long forgotten by time, and comes out riding a monolithic ship flanked by dragon heads, sailing on into a blinding white abyss as the slow, mysterious intro segues headlong into a majestic, rattling clash of guitars and booming symphonics, with Heidgert sharing vocal duties with Robert Englund of Evergrey fame. There's even a viking choir chant in the middle of it (!), before the ship reaches the shores at last, as the song fades out with a breathtaking horn melody, layered over with delicate female singing and finally ending with the sounds of the seashore. Moving, powerful, unique and epic.

Dragonland know better than to rest on the laurels of that one fantastic song, though, and they have one final blaze of glory to go out in. They open the Book of Shadows with hesitance, but not without flair and class, as here is the deepest buried roots of their newfound progression, and perhaps the most delicious fruits of their labor, as well. The band abandons conventional song structures and digs deep, finding treasures beyond man's understanding. The three "Book of Shadows" songs flow as one, layered with rich classical arrangements and deep, sea-wide trenches of emotion and grandeur, and the album comes to a close with a truly arresting display of talent.

I haven't much more to say about Starfall, other than that it is truly one of the best albums of its kind, and that few bands in our modern day and age manage to create such an innovative and powerful work of art. If you are a fan of Progressive Metal, or just of melodic Metal in general, I see no reason why you wouldn't find some form of enjoyment in this album. Truly essential.

Originally written for http://www.metalcrypt.com

Star Power!!! - 90%

algolauslander, October 2nd, 2007

I don't usually listen to power metal besides DragonForce, but I really liked these guys. I just found them in the store while searching for a good American black metal release (which I never found). I listened to 15 seconds of this CD and I was sold. But, on to the review.

Vocals- typical "epic" style common to power metal, but with kind of an 80's power rock flair. I know they're from Sweden, so I was amazed at how American this guy sounds. Also, I tend to see power metal vocals as the most unintelligible clean vocals I've heard, and this guy is very intelligible. Choral/ background vocals are also very good; they add a nice touch although I suppose most symph metal bands have them. The Charles Manson clip on track 3 was a little odd though; that's where a few points were lost. I don't want to be reminded of a man who was so crazy that he thought a Beatles album was a document of the end of the world.

Drums- Dragonland's drummer is definitely very capable and exceedingly competent, but there's nothing really out of the ordinary here, no blastbeats if you're looking for them. Then again, due to its musical roots and general age, I guess power metal is based on more traditional metal style percussion, which, of course, is less technical than say Cryptopsy. Track 7 does have a good D-beat throughout most of it; however, this causes this song to bear a strong resemblance to DragonForce.

Guitar/ Bass- Again, very capable and competent, way beyond that. Of course, most power metal guitarists are of a high virtue in their art. There's not much shredding, but enough thrashiness to please most people and quite a fair degree of complexity. The guitars are very melodic and, coupled with the synths and uplifting vocals, some parts of some songs have a feel reminiscent of arena rock/ 80's hard rock/ glam metal (these guys are much better than that, of course!!!). By the way, if you don't like arena rock/ 80's hard rock/ glam metal, you might not like Dragonland. While the general guitarwork was excellent, the solos seemed kind of sub-par compared to other power metal or even metal in general. Bass was actually audible for me, when the guitars weren't playing. From this I could discern that, while it wasn't the most technical, the bassist is surely just as good as most other bassists.

Synth- Nice touch to the music. Like bass, I don't completely understand the processes of synth or the skill involved, but it sounded very good. Lots of piano, more electronic type sounds. Despite that this is symph metal, I didn't hear a lot that I could call part of a symphony, or much that I could recognize as a physical instrument.

Lyrics- Standard power metal/ heavy metal stuff. If you're reading this article, you probably love power metal and you can imagine what that is. The lyrics on Starfall are a grab bag of a little of everything that power metal bands sing about. There's a little war/ death/ dying, a couple songs I interpret as having something to do with love, etc, etc, etc. A little bit of everything. But while the music itself is uplifting melodically, the lyrics themselves seemed somewhat depressing at times.

So that's Dragonland's Starfall. A very good album indeed, even for someone like me who is used to more extreme, less melodic music. If you have an appreciation for the roots of metal being brought into the modern era of metal, because that's basically what power metal represents, you should enjoy Starfall. Just be wary of their rock (not metal) side.

Recommended tracks: tracks 1, 2, 3, 7

Starfall in Dragonland. - 100%

hells_unicorn, January 11th, 2007

Dragonland has been one of those bands that released solid, yet less than distinctive power metal. Their last release was cut from a similar vain as such acts as Rhapsody, Freedom Call, Fairyland and Dark Moor. By contrast, on this release we see an effort to shake free of the image that defines these bands and move towards something quite a bit more progressive. Drawing heavily from bands such as Labyrinth and Stratovarius, the sounds on this album are quite a departure from past work, but definitely a welcomed change.

Tom Englund’s work on the production of this album is the obvious source of the more progressive sound on here. It is mostly seen in the dimensions of the mixing where the keyboard parts are balanced well with the guitars, without sacrificing the heavy elements. The drums and the bass are fused together to give the bottom end a dark edge, although what is going on in the other parts of the band is about as light as they can get. Although it is not quite as somber sounding, in terms of the mixing, this album can be compared with Evergrey’s “In Search for Truth”.

As far as the music itself goes, this is the kind of material that bands such as Labyrinth and Stratovarius should still be putting out. It’s triumphant, it’s catchy, and the riffs are not sacrificed for the sake of overuse of the keys/vocals. Jonas Heidgert’s vocals remind heavily of Rob Tyrant and Ray Adler, although he doesn’t kick into the extremely high register nearly as often as they used to. The only potential flaw in this album is that the album flows so smoothly that you’ll find yourself needing to listen to the album several times so that you can differentiate between the songs, many of which follow a fairly standard formula. If you like single oriented albums containing filler in between a few classic songs this is not the album for you, although if this is your view of music, your status as a metal fan might be in question.

“As Madness took me”, “In Perfect Harmony” and “The Shores of our Land” are among the more standard formatted songs. The choruses are highly distinctive and powerful, the guitar solos are short and to the point, and the keys are active but not overpowering. The title track is structured the same way, but has a highly memorable chorus that makes it stand out amongst the others. It reminds me a lot of Freedom Call’s well known track “Warriors”.

“Calling my name” is a bit more somber sounding and is lyrically a bit more progressive. The addition of the sound clips from Charles Manson, which clearly illustrate the detachment of a mind from reality, fit perfectly with the words of a person seeing and hearing things that aren’t there and acting based upon them. “The Dreamseeker” and “To the End of the World” are cut from the vain of previous albums, both lyrically and musically delving back into the Fantasy genre. The former contains some nice guest female vocals and a male choir, in addition to some medieval tendencies in the music.

“The Book of Shadows” trilogy is another move towards the progressive realm; containing two rather heavily keyboard oriented instrumentals and one very short song in between. It’s not quite as intricate as Fates Warning’s “The Ivory Gate of Dreams”, but that is the direction that it faces towards. However, the true highlight of this album is “The Returning”, which is the only super fast song on here. This is probably the most impressive homage to early Stratovarius that I’ve ever heard, and it also contains a great slow middle section that adds a progressive flavor to the mix. Such great works as “Father Time” and “Legions” come to mind when I listen to it.

Some have pegged this album as Emo influenced, bringing up such names as Atreyu and AFI. To this I have a simple response, “You have no fucking ear for music at all”. As someone who has had to transcribe Atreyu songs for guitar students who paid to learn them, I know Emo when I hear it, and unlike others who make this connection I am required by my job to listen to this lousy substitute for heavy metal. Atreyu’s riffs and solos are stolen from 80s metal, as are other core bands such as Avenged Sevenfold. You don’t rip off a band by carrying similar influences as them, you do it by copying exactly what they do, and there is literally no possible way to connect the well placed lead harmonies on Starfall with the half-assed Deep Purple and Iron Maiden leads that Emo bands put forward. The guitars are down-tuned in many cases both in Emo music and on this album, as was the case with Black Sabbath’s material. I don’t hear anyone calling Sabbath an Emo band, despite the fact that Emo bands borrow from them heavily.

In conclusion, this is a Power/Prog. album that will mostly appeal to fans of Evergrey, Sonata Arctica, Stratovarius, Labyrinth, Vision Divine, and a few others in that category. It is not a full blown progressive work as is the case with Pagan’s Mind and Dream Theater, but it may appeal to some fans of their music as well. It’s not as fast or furious as Dragonforce and Rhapsody, but it is solid and a truly enjoyable listen. I proudly endorse it as one of the best albums of 2004.

DRAGONLAND 'Starfall' - 94%

HarleyAtMetalReview, July 6th, 2005

All but completely shedding the ‘epic’ persona that made them such a sought after young power metal act, Dragonland’s third full-length release shows a more mature and focused side of the band. Whereas a fair majority of the arrangements from Battle Of The Ivory Plains and Holy War were a full shred tour de force, the compositions on Starfall are generally contained within a more mid-paced parameter.

Produced by Tom S. Englund (who’s voice also appears on a handful of songs) of Evergrey fame, there is no question that his influence made its way into the creative process, as much of the music takes on that distinctive progressive vibe that he and his band are known for. With his assistance, the Swedish sextet seems to have truly found a sense of direction towards their own sound. Starfall exhibits the evolution between Dragonland, generic cookie cutter power metal, and Dragonland, the new leaders of the power-prog circuit.

Few tracks tread bombastic waters, instead exploring thick down tuned rhythms in place of sheer speed. With emotion, Dragonland have become better musicians. The songs on Starfall are played with heart and feeling rather than hands and feet alone. Though many of the same elements of the past are still present, such as over the top riffing, dazzling keyboard and lead work, and of course mind-blowing drumming, it is the way they have incorporated new ideas into the fold that makes the music even more memorable this time around.

The nature of this new protocol is quite a different affair from their previous works, and though the disc is certain to command the attention of new fans, it is possible that longtime devotees may feel a bit alienated. Every band eventually faces this fork in the road and must choose which path they believe to be in their best interest; The respect of their followers or artistic integrity? When sampling the material on Starfall, it is as plain as day that Dragonland have chosen the latter, and they were wise in doing so.

Among the best Power releases of 2004 - 95%

KayTeeBee, December 31st, 2004

Ahh yes, Power metal. I haven't heard too many Power releases this year, except from the big ones like Angra, Dragonforce, etc. But this album, Starfall, has to be the best one released this year. It sounds a bit like Angra, but this sounds even better. It's generic of course, but I don't know a lot of bands that have released an "original" power metal release this year, or in the past months.

The vocals are bascially your generic power vocals. They reminded me a bit of Celesty (though not as cheesy). They're powerful and emotional, but they won't impress you or sound different from most power vocals. The female vocals are good, but during the slow-paced accoustic parts, they're FUCKING boring.

The production on here is immacule, and as I already mentionned, it sounds *A BIT* like the latest angra release. The songs aren't too long either, there's no 15 minute-long epic song, it's basically just amazing riffs throughout. The song structure are good too. You never know what's gonna come next, and I admire that (compared to bands like say, Celesty, where you always know what will come next). As for the riffs, they're also fast and melodic. There isn't a whole lotta cheese on this album, and that makes the album a lot more enjoyable.

If you're looking for the best or one of the best Power releases of the year, check this out.

Mere words? Pah. Buy this album! - 100%

DreamsofInsanity, November 16th, 2004

DRAGONLAND have always been, for me, a fairly average Power Metal band with excellent musicianship, the idea has always been there but they havent been able to execute it properly. So for the 6-8 months leading upto the recording and eventual release of "Starfall", I'm told everytime I talk to guitarist Olof Mörck how good this album is and how much effort has been put in from every member of the band. Well, the fucking effort shows.

By the time the opener "As Madness Took Me" finishes, the typical Power Metal fan will be wondering what just hit them. Hell, even if you're not into Power Metal you'll be wondering the same. Where are the samey chord progressions? Where are the E-standard tuned guitars? Where's the constant double bass in every song? The Power Metal element is still there, but at times the only connection is in the vocals of Jonas Heidgert, who has matured and now really come into his own.

Many times you get a hint as to what kind of music Mörck draws his influences from. There are many riffs that would be at home in a Swedish Death Metal song by the likes of IN FLAMES and DARK TRANQUILLITY. Also Mörck's and keyboarder Holmlid's love of BAL-SAGOTH shine through in
some of the riffs, 1:00 in "Calling My Name" and 1:56 in "To the End of the World" are perfect examples of this.

The song that deserves special mention is "The Shores of Our Land". Epic all the way through, with an amazing Viking style party in the middle that owns anything ever. Just as you thought the song couldnt get any better, an ending reminiscent of "Now We Are Free" from the Gladiator movie soundtrack finishes the song, complete with seawaves in the background. Holy fuck.

This album is the "The Jester Race" of the Power Metal scene. At a point when Power Metal was getting dull and stagnant, along comes this refreshing release. It is compulsory for all Power Metal bands to follow the rules now laid down by the Swedish sextet.

I'm met with a lack of words to describe this album as a whole. Tell everyone you know about this CD. Fuck, buy it for all your friends, do whatever you can to obtain it. Whatever genre of metal you like, you'll find it all here just so long as you can withstand the outstanding vocals.

Speechless. Album of the year.

Emo Power!! - 64%

SnowVixen, October 24th, 2004

Dragonland were always one of those passably generic bands you'd listen to once then shelve, only bringing out their releases to giggle at Neverending Story covers. Never really bad, per se, but definitely not good either. But wait! They've gone for popularity by incorporating some of the more modern elements of current trends! No, not the flowery sound Stratonata Arctwilighting and their spawn have been regurgitating... much much worse.

The guitars specifically, and really the overall vibe of the album, sounds very emo. Seriously, roughly 80% of the leads and solos sound ripped straight from the latest Atreyu release. Sure, some bounce and/or groove is expected in power metal, but this is outright ridiculous. The majority of that remaining 20% is spent on attempting to sound "mature" by trying to bring their obligatory ballads up to the level of various prog bands..

The drum and bass, as is a standard for power metal, vary little. From the near "Jumpdafuckup!" groove during the emocore moments to the standard power metal faux blast to the slowed 4/4 hi-hat dominant tempo during the ballads, there's nothing remotely unexpected from either instrument. Really, neither stands out at any point.

The keys are pretty much following the above trend. During the aforementioned moments of Finch tribute they're used in much the same manner as Dark Tranquillity or In Flames, with random techno bloops and beeps as the standard lead-in, while opting for the standard "epic" sound during their 1-2 moments of power metal or the "progressive" ambient sound during their ballads. Though they are done pretty well during a couple of the ballads, with mature fairly well written piano pieces, their sloppiness and inappropriate changes on the rest of the album make for some noticeably bad moments. Those damn lazor solos rear their ugly head occasionally throughout the album, but not so often that they get too annoying.

The vocals are the only thing that's managed to more or less go unchanged from their prior releases. A decent tenor with little to no range and no wish to even attempt anything outside it makes them consistent at least. Two or three times he mods his voice in that obnoxious industrial manner for a line or two, sings a little deeper, throws in a viking chant or has a skirt sing once or twice to break the monotony. He's got a pretty good voice, and I really have no complaints here.

Essentially, this album marks a band jumping from one trend to the next, and little else. Trading in Generic Sound A for Generic Sound B doesn't exactly make for a lasting album, and taking Atreyu's formula probably wasn't the best plan to begin with. Sure, a fifth of the album is faux prog atmosphere with a solo in the middle, but that doesn't exactly make up for the emocore/mallrock... especially when it's done like this. If you like Atreyu and that whole emocore-derived-from-In Flames sound, you'll probably love this album. If you prefer power metal the way it's supposed to be, steer clear of this.