adg211288 Legends is the debut full-length album by Austrian symphonic power metal act Dragony. The band originally released the album off their own back in 2011 but after catching the attention of Limb Music the album saw a wider release through the label in 2012. Legends features a few guest appearance including one from Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear, ex-Gamma Ray) during the song Burning Skies.

Dragony belong the symphonic brand of the power metal genre, but their symphonic element isn’t as dominate in their sound as some bands, with much of their music fitting better into the melodic power metal vein. Theirs is not a sound that, as with the majority of power metal albums, is going to particularly stand out from the crowd and if the genre hasn’t ever been your thing then Legends won’t be either. If on the other hand the genre is your thing then you’ll no doubt be as impressed with the uplifting energy displayed on Legends as I am. Symphonic, melodic, fast, epic, all are words that can be used to describe what Dragony does on this album, and a great vocal performance carries it from start to finish with ease.

Legends may not be an album that breaks the mould and it’s pretty evident that it contains the exact elements that power metal’s detractors will use as an argument against the album’s credibility, but it does enough things right that the most important thing is that the crowd this is aimed for should love it. The thing that stands out though is that some of the vocals have a rougher edge to them without really going into growling (which is becoming more and more common in this type of band), which gives the music a bit of extra bite to distract from the so called cheesy elements.

There are also enough great songs on offer, all of which are professionally crafted, that although Legends may seemingly be made by the book Dragony has paid close attention to the details of that book and made a great debut album. There are hints at better to come though such as in album highlights like Wings of the Night, Burning Skies and The Longest Night, an over eight minute track featuring symphonic passages and guest female vocals by Sirens Cry’s Katarina Bilak. There are no bad tracks on the album though, and Legends is definitely a case where the power metal genre is aptly named, as there is never a loss of power throughout. A great album tier rating is deserved.

84/100

(Originally written for Heavy Metal Haven (http://metaltube.freeforums.org))

dtguitarfan In 2007, Daniel Stockinger (guitars), Andreas Poppernitsch (guitars) and Siegfried Samer (vocals), former members of the split-up Austrian Power Metal bands Omega Effect and Eleftheria, formed The Dragonslayer Project. The original intention was to be a studio project with a focus on a conceptual story behind the album with the assistance of great musicians. However, as additional musicians were brought in, they became permanently integrated and the project became a band. The work of recording their debut album, Legends, took until the end of 2011, but this had partly to do with the fact that the band brought in some guest musicians for the recording, such as Tom Tieber of Ecliptica, Katie Joanne of Siren's Cry and Ralf Scheepers of Primal Fear.

Musically speaking, the album stays true to the Power Metal genre it is unmistakably a member of, bearing many of the trademarks and (dare I say) cliché's of the genre. But, while one might complain about a lack of originality, the tunes are well developed, and the band proves they are competent and capable musicians with a professional feel that is lacking in many debut efforts. On the official facebook page, the band lists Helloween, Avantasia, Stratovarius, Gamma Ray, Kamelot, and Sonata Arctica (among others) as interests, and the influence of these acts are evident in their music, and is sure to strike a chord in many power metal fans' hearts. My only complaint would be that I would like to hear the band distinguish themselves a bit from the rest of the bands in their genre. But I must follow up this critique by praising the level of skill and the careful attention to detail that was given in creating this album.

Originally written for www.seaoftranquility.org