It’s not necessary to be a braniac to look at this album tittle and band name to see it as a Power Metal band. As I always say here, there are especific names and album tittles to each existing Metal subgenre. Of course, some of them might surprise me, but 99% of times I’m sure. Dragony plus “Hic Svnt Dracones” looks a pure to the bone 100% Power Metal band.
I have to say that “Hic Svnt Dracones” won’t disappoint any Power Metal fan from start to finish even though Dragony battle in a very especific area of Power Metal which is the one with some Symphonic and pop features. This is something possible to be viewed from first track “From the New World (1584)” with its prone to emotional vocal lines and the presence of a female singer – name unknown. Interestingly, Dragony explore a thematic not so common among Power Metal bands that is the sea and the great navigations which can be noticed by many elements in the band’s iconography. This CD cover is only one of them. The dragons they talk about are mostly sea dragons. “Dragon of the Sea (Sic Parvis Magna),” for instance, is all about them with no shadow of doubt.
“Hic Svnt Dracones” is an album full of catchy tunes and gluey melodies. Sometimes too gluey, if I’m allowed to say, but things are what things are. Some tracks as the album tittle track “Hic Svnt Dracones (Here Be Dragons),” are full of catchy melodies and features inspired on pop. I’d say it’s the the track the strongest taste of pop. Following track “I’ll Met By Moonlight” has more Power Metal features with a stronge presence of the keyboards and powerful chorus. In “Perfect Storm” the keyboards take the lead from head to toe making it very near of Europe of “The Final Countdown” era. Having some deeper thoughts after hearing all the album, Europe turn into such an obvious inspiration to Dragony. The Symphonic verve I told before comes with the long tittle track “Hic Svnt Dracones (Here Be Dragons),” a track that showcases also an epic verve of the band.
This is an album for a die-hard Power Metal fan who likes bands which delve into some pop symphonic features besides melodic and catchy tunes. To like dragons help a lot as well.
Dragony “Hic Svnt Dracones” will be released on October 11th via Steamhammer / SPV Records.
Track Listing:
- From the New World (1584)
- Dreamchasers
- Silver & Blood
- Dragon of the Sea (Sic Parvis Magna)
- I’ll Met By Moonlight
- Perfect Storm
- Hic Svnt Dracones (Here Be Dragons)
- The World Serpent
- The Einherjar (What Dreams May Come)
- Twilight of the Gods
- Beyond the Rainbow Bridge
- The Untold Story (Albion Online) (bonustrack)
Watch Beyond the Rainbow Bridge official music video here:
I’m just a lucky guy who has chosen metal to live with for a long time. Metal changed my life for good. It made me more confident and stronger. Metalheads are naturally far away from the mass mediocrity and don’t accept impostures from anybody else. Metal is more than music, it’s a life changing oportunity!