DRAGON GUARDIAN — Ragnarok ～神々の黄昏～ (review)

DRAGON GUARDIAN — Ragnarok ～神々の黄昏～ album cover

EP · 2016 · Power Metal

4/5 · 2018-04-12
Sisslith

With an extensive discography under their belt, Dragon Guardian self-released an eighth EP titled "Ragnarok ～神々の黄昏～" in 2016. This time, Arthur Brave, the founder and leader of the project, counted on the collaboration of guitarist Kouta and vocalist Manami, both members of the group Dragon Eyes, in which Brave also participates. Additionally, Leo Figaro lent again his fabulous voice to most of the songs.

First of all, the sound production of this album has been greatly enhanced and now is top-notch. Compared to previous works, Ragnarok ～神々の黄昏～ sounds extremely polished and all the different instruments are distinguishable and perfectly audible. This is thanks to Ryosuke Yamada, who had already collaborated with Dragon Guardian, and to Takahiro Hashimoto -widely demanded by established artists, such as Kelly Simonz's Blind Faith or Gunbridge.

Despite the recurring, fantastical and cheesy lyrical themes in Dragon Guardian's songs, the content of the ones included in this record revolve around deeper subjects, like self-improvement, a sense of bleakness and hopelessness..., yet without leaving a fantasy setting. It is especially noteworthy how countless Japanese lyricists use similar metaphors in their words, and Brave is no exception.

The level of musicianship displayed here is obvious. The whole line-up comprises professional and veteran musicians who clearly know what they are doing. Leo Figaro seems to be very comfortable with the vocal phrases of every song; he does not exert himself, but still delivers. Likewise, Manami manages to show her powerful vocal range, although she only sings in the closing track. Moreover, Brave and Kouta do a damn fine job. For instance, listen to the masterful guitar solo in '時空の旅', or the stunning guitar licks in the following piece towards the end, after an elegant neoclassical counterpoint. In short, the guitar work is simply first-rate. Conversely, the bass lines and (programmed) drumming are pretty standard: typical power metal structures which serve for rhythmic purposes, but never stand out. The keyboards and orchestral arrangements, however, are effectively used throughout the record and, at times, are even cinematic.

Interestingly enough, Ragnarok ～神々の黄昏～ seems to be quite influenced by Galneryus in a couple of songs. For example, the second track, 時空の旅, could have been featured in memorable albums like "Resurrection" and, above all, Leo Figaro sounds somewhat similar to Sho. On top of that, in ‘血塗られた聖職者’, there are several guitar parts that are reminiscent of Syu's wizardry too. Nevertheless, Dragon Guardian's own sound can be seen in the rest of the EP, e.g. the slightly progressive ‘鬼祟り’ or the appealing ‘古城への扉’.

Brave and his bandmates can be proud of this record. Even though it has some minor flaws and the formula has been used before, Ragnarok ～神々の黄昏～ is filled with high-quality symphonic power metal compositions as well as impressive performances.