Dream Evil - Metal Gods

Angry Metal Guy 60

If you’re not a fan of straightforward heavy/power metal, there’s a good chance you’re not familiar with Dream Evil’s legendary output. But if you’re a fan of metal at all, odds are you’ve heard the work of the band’s founder, Fredrick Nordström. Best known for his work in the production booth, Nordström has left his mark on many classic albums; pick your favorite record from At the Gates, In Flames, Dark Tranquillity, or just about any famous Swedish melo-death band—and this guy probably had a hand in producing it. The aptly named Dream Evil is Nordström’s love letter to Ronnie James Dio and everything that the diminutive giant represented: guitar-driven heavy rock/metal imbued with the spirit of heroism. Starting with the amazing Dragonslayer, Dream Evil has released six full-lengths, and while I can’t speak to the quality of sixth album Six (on account of I had no idea it existed until I started writing this), the discography is remarkably strong. They say that seven is a holy number, so let’s see if Metal Gods can’t make Heavy Metal Jesus smile.

Will you take a look at that glorious early-2000s artwork? It pairs perfectly with the early-2000s heavy metal that accompanies it. If you’ve heard any of Dream Evil’s classic albums, you know exactly what Metal Gods sounds like. Much like their countrymates Sabaton, Dream Evil offers mightily produced heavy metal anthems. Opening single and title track “Metal Gods” starts things off with a militantly beefy crunch as singer Nikolas Isfeldt recounts the classic metal albums that influenced his musical journey. Dream Evil are well known for delivering massive amounts of cheese amongst their goods, and “Metal Gods” shows right away that the lactose intolerant might want to steer well clear. But if this is your jam, read on, because Dream Evil is about to dump a vat of molten Velveeta down your ear holes.

Metal Gods (24-bit HD audio) by Dream Evil

Metal Gods may not live up to Dream Evil’s greatest highs, but it can stand confidently as yet another solid page in the book of heavy metal. Tunes like the aforementioned title track, “Night Stalker,” “The Tyrant Dies at Dawn,” and “Lightning Strikes” would automatically qualify for a Dream Evil best-of compilation, and most of the rest of the tunes are just plain good heavy metal tracks. As per the band’s usual, the guitars sound huge, and while Isfeldt’s voice shows a slight touch of age, he’s just as compelling as he was over two decades ago.

With a more consistent overall quality, Metal Gods could have scored more highly, but the back half is weaker than the front. “Born in Hell” is the only track I’d even consider calling outright filler, but the fact that it’s sandwiched between a pair of the album’s lesser-but-still-good numbers causes a noticeable lull in momentum. Closer “Y.A.N.A.” is a decent semi-ballad, but probably would have worked better towards the middle of the album for maximum impact. But minor quibbles aside, the songwriting, performances, and production come together to make an easily repeatable 41 minutes of righteous heavy metal.

The name “Dream Evil” conjures sounds of fist-pumping anthems, meaty guitars, and gloriously ESL lyrics, and Metal Gods carries on that tradition admirably. It’s great to see these veterans still chasing draygons at this stage of the game. On the seventh album, heavy metal is reborn!

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Century Media Records
Websites: facebook.com/dreamevilofficial
Releases Worldwide: July 26th, 2024

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