Tromsø three piece Dreamslain have been active for the best part of 10 years and in that time they have released an EP and a handful of tracks have been earmarked as singles, but it is now in 2021 where the band have committed to their first full length release, an ambitious double album titled “Tales of Knights and Distant Worlds”. This release is predominantly made up of a mixture of 70’s prog and proto-metal stylings given a Nordic finishing by means of the blackened and pagan based influences ripe in the Norwegian metal scene. On paper this reads like a good mix and for a band who have set their sights high with an ambitious high fantasy inspired double album as a debut full length it certainly fits, but the main question is of course – does it work in reality or is this simply music which might fit better on some distant world?
In short, the answer is mixed.
On the one hand, this is classic musical overindulgence. Out of the 9 tracks on this release, the majority of them clock in around 6 minutes at the shortest, some of the tracks actually hit near 15 minutes in length and the one exception to the long track length average is the closing instrumental number. The complex organ sections which dance across the release are executed perfectly, giving that epic feel, boosting the drums and guitar sections atmospherically and increasing their intensity where required and the synergy between the strings and the keys works rather effectively, allowing for some interesting harmonies and some spectacular duelling moments. These mentioned elements help tie in to the fantasy theme and on a musical front, they really shine, but that’s about it for the positives where this release is concerned.
The main drawbacks are twofold – Vocals and Track Length.
Vocally, this album is a mess. The cleans sound out of key compared to the rest of the release, like some dodgy Euro-Power metal prototype and the growls and roars have the right attitude to them but just lack the bite to make them actually fierce. The shrieking which comes later in the release is rather laughable and cringe inducing too! In all, the poor vocals tend to distract from the good musical work going on behind them, and it is a shame as the premise seems to work well from a compositional standpoint. The track length being an issue is that for a casual listener, it is fairly easy to disengage early on into the musical journey. Prog isn’t the most accessible of genres, but even as a prog fan, I found it extremely difficult to keep my attention focused on this release. From the poor vocal work being a distraction, to the needlessly long tracks which could have worked better had a few bars been cut here and there, we are left with a really rough around the edges release which shows plenty of room for refinement.
Other than that, the album certainly is dynamic. The rhythm section is tight and it helps drive the release forwards, augmenting the atmosphere of some tracks or sections within tracks and making you actively want to notice them. The only track I would recommend listening to as a stand alone entity is ‘Cosmonautics’ which is a high intensity track. Its pacing is solid and it has that surging feel which allows the riff chugs to crash down around you and the organ leads and melodies are superbly executed.
In all, whilst it was ambitious, “Tales of Knights and Distant Worlds” over-extends itself, a move which would be fatal in any battle of knights. Shortening some tracks, working on the vocal delivery and sacrificing some of the complexity in the composition for more solid substance would have helped create a more impactful debut.
(5/10 Fraggle)
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