Review of Various Artists - Louder Than The Dragon

Reviewing a sampler album is never a clear cut task. The quality of material offered is usually pretty inconsistent, and it is often difficult to discern on which merits one can truly recommend an album full of assorted tracks that the majority of readers may already be acquainted with. The difficulty of this task is magnified when the sampler consists of 28 tracks of some of the most dyed in the wool, unabashedly formulaic power metal one could possibly imagine. And that, my friends, is exactly what Louder Than the Dragon is. A two disc set brought to you by LMP (formerly Limb) records of power/epic/progressive metal busting at the leotard with galloping progressions, glass shattering vocals, and majestic guitar fondling. If this sounds like your goblet of ale, then read on. Everyone else would be well advised to turn back now, as the journey we embark on offers many a pitfall, which only those with hearts of pure metal can safely maneuver. So join me metal warriors on our perennial quest to discover if we truly are Louder than the Dragon!

Ahem, seriously though. There’s not really much I can say about this album. We all know what power metal sounds like. Rhythm guitars plod along at a medium pace while some thirty-something with a serious Michael Kiske fetish belts his guts out with varying degrees of success. Throw in some unbridled guitar shredding and the occasional keyboard interlude, and you’ll pretty much get the picture. When done well this kind of music can make for a head bangin’ good time, and can often serve as a gratifying trip down memory lane. However, when done poorly, it evokes images of overweight Dungeons and Dragons enthusiasts locked in a perpetual time warp, forever forced to dwell in the unseemly depths of their parent’s basement. So how’s the fare on Louder than Dragon? I’d say a good 75% percent of the material is of the latter persuasion. Tracks by Dungeon, Godiva, Gun Barrel, Black Majesty, and even the heralded Cryonic Temple are probably the most obvious examples of what happens when power metal just doesn’t work. The Cryonic Temple track starts off with uninspired duel guitars galloping along in an all too familiar fashion. The vocals are serviceable, but lifeless. It’s not “bad’, but it’s terribly boring and lacks any immediate sense of urgency. Definitely not what you want from your metal. Unfortunately, far too many tracks on this album fail just as badly.

However, the other 25 percent does make a strong showing for LMP. Burning Point’s brand of Finnish speed metal certainly keeps things interesting. This band is tight as hell and has a keen sense of melody. It’s a little overblown, but in a fun “pull out the air guitar” kind of way. Fans of female fronted power metal acts like Nightwish may also want to look into Oratory. Lead singer Ana Lara has a beautiful voice, and the backing instrumentation is more than proficient. However, their keyboards suffer from the dreaded Casio syndrome; they’ll have to look into that. Rising Faith is probably the most promising act featured on this compilation. Memorable guitar riffs, fierce guitar tone, and a singer who fits the music like a glove. Anybody who fancies themselves a power metal fan would do a favor by checking these bands out. Finally, what power metal compilation would be complete without a Rhapsody track. “Emerald Sword” is pretty standard stuff for Luca and company. However, when stacked up against the majority of material on this disc, it comes off as pure gold.

In many ways this album is like a microcosm for the entire power metal genre. Mostly forgettable, and severely outdated, but certainly capable of some rocking moments when all the pieces fall into place. If you’re a power metal fan, then go ahead and check this out. You’ll more than likely get off on half the stuff that fell flat to my ears. However, I cannot in good faith recommend this to anyone who moved on from this style of music back when Slayer and Venom rendered it obsolete for most metal fans back in the early eighties. It’s just too much of what you’ve more than likely been trying to forget for the last 20 years.

Release Details

Various Artists

Louder Than The Dragon

Comments

Related