Just when you think you’ve seen most of what there is to be seen in the world of metal, there’s an inexplicable, almost random curveball that no one ever could have predicted. Be it melodic death metal taken to crazy new levels that we’re seeing today or bands like Whispered making their own sound that becomes far more than a mere gimmick, the innovation that’s to be had in the world of metal is still something that can’t be denied when it’s being dealt out by the right hands. It’s been a good long while since I’ve been blindsided by a concoction that sounds like it shouldn’t work in any regard but that didn’t stop people from getting together and not just making it happen, but making it work! Dragoncorpse’s debut could easily be dismissed as a silly piece made by some whacked-out fantasy nerds with tattoos, but I implore you to give this work a chance for all that it dares to be in even just its first track.
When we sit here and think of different styles of metal that can come together in decent capacities a few immediately come to mind: death and black, death and doom, doom and sludge, black and folk, thrash and death – the list goes as far as the imagination. At some point though, it can easily feel like people are throwing darts at a board in order to concoct a sound that is the definition of gimmicky in some pale attempt to stand out from a crowd. That could have easily been the case with Dragoncorpse’s blending of power metal and deathcore a concept that I had a tough time wrapping my mind around before diving into the band’s first effort, “The Drakketh Saga”, and I won’t lie to you… I’m still confused about how this blending works like this. By all accounts, “The Drakketh Saga” feels like something that shouldn’t work like this. The smooth, melodic-laced fantasies of power metal seem naturally at odds with the in-your-face fuck-you-ism of deathcore, but Dragoncorpse manages to make nine tracks, four of which are mere interludes but still add a thick aspect of the high fantasy backdrop to the album, yet it makes for a tremendously dramatic setting in some far-flung world made by passionate fans of novels, games, and media of the genre to make this approach not just a unique one but one that is authentic. Quickly, “The Drakketh Saga” makes itself known as far more than some gimmick by guys thinking they stumbled upon the next biggest sound to take over the world of metal, but, rather, five guys in a band playing music that almost shouldn’t work but does through clear perseverance, an understanding of both styles at play here, an undeniable level of fun that makes the record a real joy to listen to, and the tenacity to bring it to life in such fashion that warrants far more than the mere cock of an eyebrow.
There is plenty of room for improvement here given this is but the first effort from Dragoncorpse, but there is no way for me to ignore the foundations that have been laid forth here. From the flavorful guest appearances to the sheer craziness of what’s at work here, “The Drakketh Saga” gives us a performance that is begging for a cult following full of fans looking for a good time that delivers where many others fail. Given time, I can only hope to put Dragoncorpse alongside the likes of Whispered and Alestorm with their specific sound something that I dream to see of in a tour of samurai pirates in a fantasy realm, but it’s until then that “The Drakketh Saga” has given me more than just a little to look forward to.
“The Drakketh Saga” releases on February 10th via Shattered Earth Records!
LISTEN to Dragoncorpse on Bandcamp here.
LIKE Dragoncorpse on Facebook here.
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