Swedish band Dragonland released their first album back in 2001 but somehow I just wasn’t interested to check this band out. – Why? To put it simple… I really don’t know! So… a month ago, or so, I ordered “Starfall” (2004), and now I’m sitting here with a promo-CD of their brand new release “Astronomy”.

So, I’m not joking when I say that Dragonland is a fairly new acquaintance to me and I’m not joking when I say that I wasn’t exactly hooked at first listens. I still find, “Starfall” a little disappointing but maybe I have to give it a few more spins? – But let’s get back to their new album “Astronomy”.

Again I was a little disappointed and I was actually ready to throw it in the bin, but after maybe 5 to 6 listens it suddenly opened up to me. Their music is what I would call Melodic Metal or Melodic Power Metal with a progressive edge. There is a very good atmosphere here on “Astronomy” and they shift between the above mentioned genres into what I would explain as “Movie-Metal” and back again.

In my humble opinion it takes a little while before the songs (12 of them) grows on you… so you have to give them a little time, but when you are very familiar with the songs, they are actually quite good.

Their musical abilities are very good as far as I can tell and the production is also splendid. The singer Jonas Heidgert reminds me a tad of Joey Tempest (Europe) and Joacim Cans (Hammerfall). His excellent voice is all over this album but so are the rest of the musicians, who combine beautiful melodic parts with more atmospheric and progressive parts, spiced with catchy choruses.

I hope that you don’t find this review incomplete, and now I will certainly give “Starfall” a little more time and let it grow on me. Do check this album out it you’re into Bombastic, Melodic Metal with a progressive edge and one thing is for sure… I will order “Astronomy” right away. 

Recommended Tracks: “Supernova”, ”Contact”, and ”Beethoven’s Nightmare”.