Review Summary: A classy heavy metal expansion of anthemic songwriting and extravagant playing
Chasing the Dragon is one of those sophomore albums that expands upon its predecessor in every sense of the word. On top of longer individual songs totaling to a broader runtime, the band itself sees its lineup expand with a change in drummers and a second guitarist brought into the fold. Fortunately, it still manages to feel like a natural extension of the classy heavy metal style that the group presented with 2023’s Treacherous Ways.
The musicianship does well in reflecting its old school influences, reminding me of something between their contemporaries in Idol Throne and Greyhawk in how it channels an exuberant attitude with an onslaught of acrobatic playing. The guitars draw the most attention with blazing gallops reinforced by hard-driving drums and persistent leads that often draw Yngwie comparisons. The vocals also stand out for a hardy baritone ala Satan it Savatage, generally presenting a gruff demeanor that lends itself to singalong melodicism as well as the occasional falsettos.
An hour’s worth of material is admittedly a lot to sort through, especially when so much of it goes at such unrelenting speeds, but there are plenty of excellent tracks. “Black Sefirot” and the title track set the furious pacing quite nicely that “Craze of the Vampire” and “Necessary Evil” inject with a little extra menace. “Cursed” is the catchiest track of the lot, fluctuating the tempo to a steady upbeat trot tailor-made for a workout mortgage complete with a strong chorus while “Seventh Circle” threatens to go into full power-thrash. “Shiva’s Wrath” also proves to be a ballsy closer, ending the album as a seven-minute instrumental whose appropriately eastern tinges play like a climax of all the neoclassical exercises that the band had been putting in throughout.
It can be a bit exhausting to take in Chasing The Dragon’s over the top execution all at once but it ultimately comes through as a powerful effort. It feels like a step up from what was already a strong debut, showcasing Helms Deep’s extravagant playing and anthemic songwriting to great effects. While the first half is a bit more consistent and there are places that could’ve benefitted from a bit of trimming, it never feels like the band is biting off more than they can chew.
