Review Summary: A satisfying slab of brawny meat and potatoes heavy metal
If their bitchin’ name is anything to go by (seriously, how was that not already taken?), Dragon Skull is the sort of band seemingly determined to be the manliest goddamn thing you’ve ever heard. The Greeks’ heavy metal approach is rooted in Manowar with helpings of groups like Grave Digger and Brainstorm, dispensing tales of metal brotherhood with power speeds and the occasional eye toward thrashy aggression. There’s also a degree of accessibility at play in the polished production and hooky structures, though never to the gimmicky degree of your average Sabaton clone.
This premise is reinforced by Chaos Fire Vengeance boasting some beefy as hell musicianship across the board. The guitars come with a molten crunch that serves a darker mood while playing well with the booming rhythms, occasionally giving the bass some highlighted spots alongside the double kicks. The vocals also provide a strong character, delivered in a gravelly baritone that is barbaric without losing sight of the melodies and articulate without losing strength. The bottom-heavy range could be seen as admittedly limited but it always comes with the sense that they know exactly what they’re capable of.
The songwriting similarly exudes confidence, having enough variety between tracks and tight structures that suggest more than no-nonsense battering. Part of me feels like “Skull Crusher” and “War Drums” could’ve had their titles switched as the former is the one with the standout drum rolls while the latter puts in the especially crushing stride, but I can’t be too bothered when they’re both pretty killer songs. The choral layers on the opening “Brethren” and “Nampat” also do a good job of establishing rousing moods, the latter setting up an especially combative flurry.
Overall, Dragon Skull serves up some satisfyingly brawny heavy metal with Chaos Fire Vengeance. It’s the sort of meat and potatoes presentation that could’ve gotten too one-note in the wrong hands, but the band’s gruffness has the right amount of character to not feel played out and enough dexterity to hint at more underlying skills. The production can admittedly be a little too compressed at times and the back half doesn’t hit quite as hard as the front, but the power is persistent. This is heavy metal meant for the gym and the best sorts of battle montages.
