Debut album from the Austrian power metal band.

Another day, another European power metal album, this time beating its chest from an Austrian direction bearing the odd name Dragony (noun: Like a dragon). It’s a crowded market these days, and it seems to be getting harder and harder to come up with something that stands out. Dragony haven’t been around for too long, but have apparently made quite a name for themselves in their home country, but can they fight the good fight elsewhere?

On the surface, ‘Legends’ has all the right ingredients. We have songs with macho titles like ‘Burning Skies’ and ‘Hero’s Return’, a good, clear production, pitch perfect high register vocals from Siegfried Samer and plenty of neo classical leanings from the well balanced keyboards and guitar. Heck, in ‘Land Of Broken Dreams’ they even rip off a Helloween solo from ‘I’m Alive’. Well, if you’re gonna borrow, borrow from the best. So it’s all present and correct, but I swear after ten plays I’m still not in love with it, even in a brother/sister way. When it’s on I’ll tap my foot, and I appreciate all the talent involved, but the songwriting itself falls short of what’s expected, by me anyway. There’s some good tunes, like ‘Dragonslayer’, but for the most part they go in one ear and out the other without disturbing much on their way through.

I feel that I should like this album more than I do, as it does so many things right, but when push comes to shove Dragony could be one of a dozen bands peddling middle of the road power metal. What they have that others may lack is heaps of potential, and for a first album ‘Legends’ show great promise for the future.

Alan Holloway