DRAGONSCLAW - Exclusive Studio Report

Aussie Power Metal masters DRAGONSCLAW are in studio working on there latest album. FORGOTTEN SCROLL did a little invasion in the studio, caught the band in action and shared with them an exclusive listening of some of the album tracks. Although the songs are still in demo / pre-production mode -on the time when those lines are written- we were able to take a clear picture of what is about to follow and share it with our readers. 

Album ID?

You want the name and you got it. Yes the album will be called "Judgment Day" Do not ask me why the band picked once again a name about the end of the world. Perhaps they know something that we don't.

Here is the full tracklist of the album:

1. Watching My Every Move (Featuring DAVID REECE guest vocals)
2. Judgement Day
3. Bullet
4. Fear
5. Fly : Defenders Of The Skies Part II
6. Lucifer's Hammer (Warlord Cover)
7. Battle Cry (A tribute to Mark Reale Featuring special guest JACK STARR)
8. Eternally

Track by track:

What follows is our first opinion after listening to some advanced tracks from the album. Grab a cold beer and read on:

Judgment Day: This a fantastic mid tempo track in the classic vein of Draognsclaw it would turn a little faster on the first bridge chorus just to make you bang your head a little more. It got a fantastic main riff plus a great opening lead theme. Speaking about leads you got to check out the main lead theme which is expanded upon into two main rhythm parts: one faster and blasting and one back in mid tempo, the lead part is evolving to fit on the rhythm parts. The chorus would stick on your memory for sure.

Fear: This is one of the darker songs that the band has composed, it has a mid tempo -or eve slower- main part, enforced by the haunted -ala King Diamond- vocals of Giles, and then the faster part, which leave enough space for some MORE haunted vocals. I could not imagine that DC could write this way. Stick into the lead part and the keyboard part that comes after it, you will enjoy this combination, especially when rhythm guitars start to be combined with the keys and the second lead part is coming. The final breaking will smash your head on the wall before the final chorus! Giles are you demonised or what?

Eternally: Another mid tempo anthem enforced by a great opening lead part that would soon become double-lead and would make you thank Dragonsclaw for those great influences they got. I love the way that this band starts a song with great mid tempo themes only to have some serious blasting on the bridges and the catchy choruses. This scenario is going on here as well. All the magic of the 80s Heavy Metal is hidden in this tune which is one of my favorites. Meanwhile the song the magic touch of Dragonsclaw. This band has managed to slowly build style of their own expression when they bring to front their classic Heavy / Power Metal, a style that would help you identify their music among others. But still they are stuck on the traditional way of Steel. That is why we love em.

Battle Cry: Time to speed up a while as Dragonsclaw are offering us this ANTHEM which is a tribude to the one and only Mark Reale and his mighty RIOT. Faster than a shark with skull crashing riffing, double kick drum attack and fantastic vocals this Power Metal bomber will take you by storm. I would like to focus on the main lead guitar part on this song -that comes on the 3:06 time point of the song-. Why? There is another special guest in this track. who is he? Jack Starr (Jack Starr's Burning Starr/Ex-Virgin Steele) who has done an excellent guitar job in this specific part. This is the force of the mighty Aussie Steel! ps. Check out the lyrics they would sound familiar to you!

About the Jack Starr guest in this song the band stated: "We are extremely happy to announce that the legendary Jack Starr (of Burning Starr / ex Virgin Steele) will be contributing to a track on our upcoming album. If anyone hasn't checked out Jack's new Burning Starr album 'Land of The Dead', please do yourself a favor and pick this one up... this is metal at it's finest! Our thanks also to Rhino (of Manowar/Angels Of Babylon) for tracking Jack's solos at his studio!"

Bullet: I would remain to the fast songs of the album and this one is probably the faster although it got a magnificent mid tempo bridge, but its main part and chorus would make your band head non stop. another dark-haunted part will give enough room for the main lead part that finds Mr Thomas on a great day!. I love it. Ah yes and after the lead some Metal attack again! And then this melodic mid tempo bridge and the blasting chorus! I love the final vocal crescendo and the way they leave the main riff to finish the song.

 Fly - Defenders Of The Skies Part II: One of my favorites from the debut got a sequel! Great! Once again we got a fats, memorable chorus the Dragonsclaw way, some great main vocal parts upon mid tempo guitar themes and some keyboards to fill the song beautifully. For sure one of the tops of the forthcoming album! The big surprise is the melodic part just in the middle of the song. is this a carm before the storm? I do not know but it's beautiful, clean guitars, small lead filling melodies, piano, keyboards and some vocals, before the final storm that comes slowly through a ground breaking riff enforce by a narrative vocal melody, what would follow is a blasting bridge that would drive to the next lead part. Bass and drums are bombing in here, and Mr Thomas is once again in a fantastic day! The chorus would drive the tune into its end. FLY!

Summary:

They say that the last impression is always the most important. Ok if we accept that then we should get ready for a great Heavy / Power Metal album, including a lot of powerful songs. It is more than clear that the secret weapon of this band is their riffing and the way they compose their mid tempo parts. When they would speed up they would still got a lot to offer but I guess their mid tempo parts based on Heavy / Power -mostly the US way- forms are the best pieces of music this band can offer and fortunately we got LOTS of them in the new album. In slower or faster tempos the band is focusing on the classic Heavy Metal forms balancing the traditional Metal and the Power Metal elements on their music. We also got a much more improved Giles Lavery who is the ultimate trademark of the band thanks to his vocal color but ALSO to his characteristic vocal melodies. His -almost- King Diamond inspired approaching on the song "Fear" was a good surprise. The rest of the band seems to be in excellent form, those demos have managed to take me by storm so I am already thinking about the final result and I smile. :)

Extras?

The band is also recording a cover to the classic Lucifer's Hammer (originally by Warlord), which will be also included in the album.

More Guests?

Last but not least I should point that David Reece (ex-Accept, Bangalore Choir) will do some guest vocals in the album. He will be featured on the song "Watching My every Move": Let's point on what  Dragonsclaw vocalist Giles Lavery remarked “this track starts the new album with a heavy, intense metal assault. It’s one of my favorites from our new songs and David’s voice suits it perfectly. Reece commented on his contribution saying “ Dragonsclaw are a great band with an exceptional singer and I’m truly honored to have been asked to participate”.

Chris P.