After a seven-year absence from the spotlight, our evil dreams have come true as Swedish powerhouses Dream Evil have emerged from their shadows. However, they’re no longer a heavy metal band. They’re now gods. Yes you read that correctly, roaming the skies as untouchable gods of the genre.
While rhythm guitarist Frederik Norström has admitted that Dream Evil have been “lazy” in recent years and not had many opportunities to gather around and produce material, it seems like the longer the gap, time is their best friend and deadliest weapon for creativity. Such is the case that his words of “We always try to have some variation on the albums” couldn’t be any more true. It’s very easy to recycle old material which many bands fall victim to but the new album Metal Gods has noticeable differences to its predecessor Six. Although they haven’t taken any major risks, you can tell that it has shades of the past but also feels like a continuation of a well-planned sequel.
The opening title track ‘Metal Gods’ dives straight into the music without any subtle intro as we’re met with battle cries shouting “Metal Gods” like Vikings assembling their frontlines before the bloodshed begins. The typical mini solo before a verse kicks in is already exciting enough to give you goosebumps while chest-thumping beats, piercing vocals and stomping riffs at walking pace set the tone for an experience in musical hell. To become a metal god is a mountainous task where one must fight to the death if necessary and the video itself shows the end result of Dream Evil’s bloody ascension to the throne.
On the surface, it may seem comical due to its catchy nature and superhero eye masks but the song itself has a lot of context behind it. If you’re a newbie to the genre and can’t be bothered watching documentaries about its history presented by Sam Dunn, then just tune in and embrace a quick audio lecture. In just under 3.5 minutes, they pay tribute to legends like Saxon, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Manowar as well as covering topics related to metal’s evolution, cultural developments and connection with fans. “I sold my soul to rock n roll/But metal really heed the call” describes their love for metal and the feeling of identifying themselves within such a special subculture.
“Metal Gods, they are made of metal, dressed in chains and leather, forged in devil’s fire” symbolises one of metal’s key characteristics which is dark and rebellious iconography. The album cover is no exception to that with an illustration of a giant, flaming hybrid eagle combining human and dinosaur traits crouched in a defiant position fighting for invincibility.
The references to iconic albums Unleashed in the East and The Number of the Beast comment on Dream Evil’s influences which seeps through their sound if you listen carefully. Niklas Isfeldt on vocals for instance has plenty of Rob Halford vibes with his thin vocals that pierce the air strong enough to shatter the toughest triple-glazed bulletproof glass. The melodic distortion of the guitars is not only a trademark of old school metal but also their similar riff phrasing to the NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) era, arguably the most important one that paved way for metal’s evolution until it broke off into multiple sub/micro-genres.
‘Chosen Force’ is where things get a bit more exciting as Dream Evil turn up the heat with a mid-tempo headbanger and add in a cheeky bit of strings, rolling back the years in homage to their debut album Dragonslayer. Although it resembles ‘The Chosen Ones’, there’s no 2.0 recycling vibes to it. It feels like a smooth sequel in the same way that every new Mission Impossible film keeps its main characteristics while retaining engagement. Niklas’ screeching falsettos, which sound like birds of prey signalling danger in open woodland, have been so well preserved that no matter what, they never rust.
Themes of dragons and metal have been Dream Evil’s main themes for most of their career but this time Frederik said that they wanted to change it up a bit and focus on the subject of fighting “This album has a theme of fighting”. That manifests itself in the lyrics which depict a tragic scenario of a destroyed city probably as a result of war “Nothing is left, all is destroyed” only for an external force “You called our name and we came to stand by your side” to rescue the innocent and fight back against the evil so that justice will be done in the end “We slay every soldier in sight, nobody will be left alive”.
Three tracks in and Dream Evil have now taken the limiter off the speedometer as ‘The Tyrant Dies at Dawn’ reveals a rare side of the band with the use of major scales. While that’s a common trait in power metal used in choruses or outros, it’s not something they’re known for. Most of the song is in minor but when major is used, it perfectly evokes feelings of the track’s story. Sören Fardvik goes into beast mode on the drums, putting his leg muscles to work at their hardest with vicious double kick patterns and snappy snare hits that increase the temptation to turn your headphone volume up.
‘Fight in the Night’ is where it gets tense with Dream Evil switching on the afterburners and sticking their middle fingers up at speed cameras. Even the Ferrari rollercoaster in Abu Dhabi is too slow for them. After all, if you’re a metal God, you do what you want. The jaw-breaking guitar distortion switching between drop D and standard tuning which has been a signature move by the band throughout the years roars to life in the most satisfying and angry way possible. Key changes during verses, bridges and choruses are cleverly crafted to perfectly tell a story and match imagination to the music. For instance, as this song is about fighting, D minor is no better choice because of how it evokes the feelings of fury and vengeance in which you picture yourself facing off against your worst enemy.
Lyrics describe two forces fighting each other in a battle where stakes are high and trying to find a chink in their plot armour is almost impossible. “I’m immortal, you’re a man, Show your courage if you dare” is where they taunt their rival in the hope of catching them off guard and then they proceed to make threats “Fight me tonight, you won’t survive” to establish their invincibility. After a bloody conflict, the good presumably wins and choosing to bully the wrong force could only have one outcome “You disappear in a flood of tears”.
‘Masters of Arms’ acts as a mini breather where we return to mid-tempo territory and refresh ourselves like catching a connecting flight for the long transatlantic journey. Once the all too familiar semi-clean guitar intro plays, you know that it’s going to be another fun experience and although it’s a more simple and less agitated song in comparison to the faster ones, it’s nevertheless a joy to embrace. Sören lets rip on drums with sucker-punch style beats that travel like sonic booms while Niklas unleashes his sharp vocals, representing the ideal figure of a fearless hero willing to sacrifice themselves to save a population from an apocalypse.
Production-wise, Mark and Fredrik have been blessed with having an incredible producer as the clarity of the distortion doesn’t swallow the other instruments up. Instead, the treble and growly tones give plenty of breathing space while maintaining their authority. When played back on high-quality gear, it sounds like a fresh studio take as if you’d sat in a brand new shiny car accompanied by the smell of polished leather filling your nostrils. While most die-hard Dream Evil fans would want the lightning-fast madness to keep going, the band have cleverly been considerate of critics so by balancing out a fair proportion of slower and quicker songs makes Metal Gods exciting and not repetitive.
‘Born in Hell’ is where the pace picks up again and if anyone hasn’t got a stiff neck by now then consider yourself lucky because most won’t be able to look up by this point without a brace. The combination of E minor and tempos that would make you raise a treadmill speed by tenfold is a match made in heaven and a key change in the pre-solo bridge that smacks harder than a freekick by Roberto Carlos is a damn good clue that soon enough we’re inevitably heading for ‘an evening with Dream Evil’ in the future. ‘Insane’ is concrete proof of that because you can tell just how hard these guys work to go one step further with every new record that they produce. In comparison to other tunes, we get happier vibes in which Niklas softens his vocal texture and the harmonies are irresistibly contagious.
‘Y.A.N.A.’ wraps up what’s been an epic adventure with a ballad raising feelings of exhaustion but at the same time, pride after endless determination where you fought tooth and claw on your path to victory. The outro consisting of clean guitars in a rainstorm could possibly depict the final chapter of this story where the narrator sits atop of their throne as a god and listeners can only wait in excitement for the next album.
Dream Evil may not have reinvented the wheel but the one thing that’s for sure is that they’ve delivered what fans have wanted and once again exceeded expectations. Thanks to there being no fillers, the 41-minute running time absolutely flies by and there isn’t an ounce of fatigue. The longer the wait, these guys just get better so it’s been worth it.
Metal Gods was released on July 26 2024 via Century Media Records.
