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DRAGONSFIRE
Metal X EP

TTH Media (2014)
Rating: 8/10

With their scorching new release comes German metallers Dragonsfire, and as one can imagine, or at least guest from the band moniker, this is a straight up slab of sizzling traditional metal.

Metal X comes armed with six steely tracks that don’t just do exactly what they say on the tin; they take it a step further and chew the tin up and spit it out in one charred lump. Hot on the heels of 2013’s Speed Demon, and four years after 2011’s full-length sophomore outing Metal Service, this driving posse ups the ante once again and with all guns blazing offers up a veritable feast of fiery guitar licks, burning solos, powerhouse percussion and, above all, that masculine vocal croon.

Dragonsfire – in spite of an already impressive career since their inception in 2005 – may not be a power metal name of everyone’s lips but with Metal X the gossips should hopefully get talking because for all out, straight down the line galloping fury one will find it difficult to look past this opus. For instance, one cannot argue with the hasty procession that is ‘Man On A Mission’ that begins with devilish delight fully equipped with armour-plated drums and a devastating guitar fizz that slams, punches and kick starts the heart into uncontrollable throbs. While fusing hard steel with hammering melody, the rhythm section is just as vital as the booming vocals as Dragonsfire dabble with glossy, modern metal art but inject it with the main ingredients that made 80s German metal so potent.

Throughout this affair, Dragonsfire acts as a persistent machine bringing with it an almost thrashy edge to complement the huge bursts of metallic melody and with some truly astounding, flailing leads one can only describe such an expression as pure molten heavy metal.

The opener for this EP is the fantastic ‘Young & Wild’; a glorious epic sounding spout of metal majesty that introduces those razor-sharp riffs. For a real anthemic, tribal pounding then all true metallers need look no further than this rousing stomper which was written about the metal scene in the south of Hesse between 1991 and 1998. Okay, so there’s a naïvety to the lyrics and the track basically rampantly rushes along in a no frills, yet smoother Motörhead-style of clanking, but it’s just so fist-banging and chest-pounding in its muscularity that it’s a force not to be confronted.

With those typically energetic guitar whines and bass player Torsten Thassilo Herbert’s solid vocals, this EP’s quality remains as a testament to Herbert’s talent, because sadly he was to pass away on 8th January, 2015; just 12 days after Dragonsfire celebrated their 10th anniversary with this release.

The fitting ‘Welcome To The Afterlife’ lessens the pace but still manages to chug hard and is built upon a sturdy bass line and Herbert’s menacing growls. Of the six slabs on offer though, it’s ‘Heretic’ with its truly pulverising barrage that hits home, bordering on a thrash juggernaut with its rollicking guitar grind. From here the combo lurches into ‘Steel Eel’ which at times brings to mind fellow German rockers Grave Digger with hints of Iron Maiden musically, while closer ‘Hell’ is a perfect slice of melodic metal to close of a riveting record that will appeal to all disciples of powerful metal.

Neil Arnold

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