The Summary Judgment Reviews:
Title: DragonSlayer
Artist: Dream Evil
Label: Century Media
Release Date: 6/25/02

Rating: 4 Skulls
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    • Reviewed by Solomon (7/10/02):
    Ah, more metal about big, nasty lizards. What with Dio's new stuff, Rhapsody album covers and the new 'Reign of Fire' flick due out this week (I'm there!), you'd think the whole planet was dragon-happy. Dream Evil, a new supergroup made up of talented metal vets like drummer Snowy Shaw (King Diamond, Mercyful Fate, Memento Mori) and guitarist/keyboardist Fredrik Nordstrom (metal producer-god), certainly court traditional metal music and themes with their debut album, DragonSlayer. In fact, the band is like a leather-clad, bullet-belted, Manowar disciple flashback to Eighties metal glory. First, they named their band after a Dio album, then graced their cover with a sword-wielding, demonic warrior, and then put together some of the most cliched song titles I've ever seen on one record: "Save Us" (Helloween), "Kingdom of the Damned" (Children...?), "The Chosen Ones," "Heavy Metal In The Night," "Hail To The King," I mean, puh-leeese! Hey, not that that makes or breaks DragonSlayer as a musical product, and it's about time Freddy got up from his mixer board and did something else, anyway.

    Anyone who is a fan of the current wave of European power metal will find themselves on familiar ground with DragonSlayer. Powerful, riffy guitars, hyper-speedy rhythms ("The Prophecy"), songs about "honor" and "fighting" and "dragons" and shit like that. Yeah, you know the drill. Despite their modern feel, the band forms their own niche by throwing in healthy doses of Eighties power balladry and hard rock groove. Check out the mushy, lighter-worthy "Losing You," the kick-ass festival anthem "Heavy Metal In The Night" and the twangy punch of (I'm not making this up) "Heavy Metal Jesus." Despite Nordstrom's pedigree, there are fewer NWOSDM influences here than you'd expect, "Kingdom of the Damned" providing the only out-right Gothenburg rant on the album. Of course, with Fred behind the wheel, the album sounds great, and the guitar attack of Nordstrom and Gus G (Mystic Prophecy, Firewind) is a force to be reckoned with. Crunchy opener "Chasing The Dragon" provides plenty of heavy, melodic glee, and the infectious, orchestra-tinged "The Chosen Ones" will have you swinging a morning star and belting out "We are the chosen ones/We sacrifice our blood/We kill for honor" in no time.

    If you are going to walk away with something from DragonSlayer, it has to be the exceptional talent of unknown diamond Niklas Isfeldt. This guy has been singing metal for a while now, working in various outfits over the years and contributing to a few Hammerfall records, and it's a shame he hasn't hogged more of the spotlight already. Niklas was born to sing this stuff, coming across as a brighter Johan Langquist (Candlemass, first record). Isfeldt shines through with gusto on tracks like "In Flames You Burn," "The Prophecy," and "The Chosen Ones." Even if Dream Evil haven't completely sold me on their revamped, retro vibe, DragonSlayer is a solid debut from a group of guys who should have hooked up a long time ago. Keep your eye on this one.
    4 out of 5

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