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Dreamland - Eye For An Eye

Published Jan. 28 2007


*
=Staff's pick

Eye For An Eye
Carousel Of Pain*
Reverse Deny
Secret Signs*
Chosen Ones
Spread Your Wings
Shadows Of The Night
Heavenly Designed*
Children Of Tomorrow
Forever And Ever
Revolution In Paradise*


Genre Heavy/Power Metal
Joacim Lundberg
Vocals
Tracks 11
Johan Eriksson
Guitar
Runningtime 43 Min.
Johan Rauti
Guitar
Label Dockyard 1
Mats Rendlert
Bass
Release 26 Jan. 2007
Jesse Lindskog
Drums
Country Sweden
-
Keyboard
Similar artists Hammerfall, Supreme Majesty, Dream Evil

Dreamland from Gothenburg carry the tradition of Swedish power and heavy metal based in the eighties forward. You could say that they are trailing behind Dream Evil and especially Hammerfall but they are definitely in a top position among the followers. Eye For An Eye is their second album and once again, Joacim Cans (Hammerfall) has been involved in the production taking care of the vocal parts as Andy LaRoque has taken care of the rest. In addition, since the 2005 debut with Future's Calling a change in the line-up has taken place with drummer Jesse Lindskog (Dragonland) being new in the band.

Apart from the line-up change, not much have changed within the Dreamland camp. Musically the changes are few, and maybe you could say that Eye For An Eye is a little darker and has a heavier edge, but for the rest they carry on in the same good manor they started out with. The album starts with an up-tempo and fairly standard power/heavy metal track, it is close to becoming cliché but they successfully avoids it and the Hammerfall sounding anthem makes a good opener for the album. Carousel Of Pain is the first sign of the fact that Dreamland have matured a little since the debut. It is a well-composed classic power metal track which again sounds of Hammerfall but more of Helloween and this is a song that is hard to resist. Speedy, catchy and well performed.

What I lack on Eye For An Eye is a bit of speed, most songs go in the mid-tempo range and having an anthem-like chorus is nothing rarely seen here and Dreamland do it well, they are not breaking new boundaries, but the songs hold a somewhat high level. More of the mature side is shown in Spread Your Wings and vocalist Joacim Lundberg shows that he does not only sound very close to Joacim Cans but that he can also sing as Tobias Sammet (Edguy) when he put some aggression behind his voice. Secret Signs is one of the songs the fill my need for faster music, this up-tempo and catchy song is a good definition of power metal and these are the songs that Dreamland do best, it was the same with their debut Future's Calling if my memory is not failing me here. I am letting them get away with the fact that the guitars sometimes sound very reminiscent of Bark At The Moon (Ozzy) on Shadows Of The Night, since the guitars generally on the album come out very well. The aforementioned song has some great guitar parts in it, and there are more good playing in the other songs as well, and they keep a good balance in the guitar playing with lead, harmonies and solos and never let it get over the top.

Although the semi-ballad Reverse Deny could have perhaps been better off left out, this album holds a high and even level, even if there are one or two tracks that feel like fillers. Nevertheless, they have had the exquisite taste to save the very best for last, Revolution In Paradise. The song shows the biggest change with the band, that up until now has been small, but with Revolution In Paradise they are taking wider turns with their music. Just like most of the songs, it follows in mid-tempo but is more varied and feels to be inspired by Kamelot's song March Of Mephisto with the marching rhythm and the aggressive guest vocals, although it is Andy from Within Y that screams here instead of Shagrath from Dimmu Borgir as with Kamelot.

Things are in some cases better, and in some cases less good compared with their debut album and if they with their third album add more speed and further explore the side they show with the last song it can be great. But as for now this is refreshing but nothing overly exiting, however it is has something that makes me want to let the album have another spin in my CD-player.

See also review of: Future's Calling

Performance
Originality
Production
Vocals
Songwriting

7

3

8

7

6,5

 
Summary



7,5 chalices of 10 - Thomas


Related links:

www.dream-land.nu
www.myspace.com/dreamlandmetal