As far back as 2022 when Final Advent was released, Dynazty were already working on another album and their relentless work rate paid off with the arrival of Game of Faces. For the next 42 minutes, it’s time to hit the dance floor and party like it’s Saturday Night Fever all over again.
Certain types of music pass the test of time and although disco (1970s mainstream pop) didn’t, it hasn’t gone extinct and Dynazty along with other electronic power metal bands such as Beast in Black, Metalite, Battle Beast and Amaranthe have made the most of what the metal genre can do to express an endangered style. The end result is a wonderful mix of raw vocals, brutal guitars and pounding drums that add aggression but most importantly, don’t destroy its essence.
‘Call of the Night’ gives no breathing space as we jump straight into an action-packed frenzy. Should Satans Hollow ever host a disco event, this one is a must for the playlist as it’s got all the vibes appropriate for a nightclub where one can imagine themselves shaking their hips under a lit-up globe. Georg Egg’s four to the floor patterns on drums along with skip beats by synths make the song easy to absorb while Mikael Láver and Love Magnussen work as a team in unleashing one of the craziest shred assaults you might hear. Nils Molin’s vicious vocal chords never seem to tire and every new record sounds fresh. His belted technique comes across smoothly and there’s not one hint of strain. It flows naturally and he doesn’t have to puff his chest out to execute high notes.
Lyrics touch upon how different times of day can play with our subconscious and nights seem to be the most dangerous. According to Nils, “When light shifts so does the mind of man” which is true as a lot of foolish behaviour in entertainment venues that for instance, don’t tend to happen in broad daylight. “Now raw emotion is in power” is an indicator that when night falls, impulsive thinking takes over common sense and that your brain gets easily carried away “We surrender to the call of the night” to the point where there’s no turning back. However, recklessness brings its consequences and once a new day dawns, you’ll regret your actions with a sane mind “When the smoke is gone the devastation’s clear as daylight view”.
The title track ‘Game of Faces’ keeps the party going with Dynazty determined to keep headphones glued to your head. Georg’s impeccable sense of timing is as precise as a DJ cross-fading songs on their turntable with neat fills and tempos that can get one shuffling their feet. The addition of orchestral backing tracks gives an exciting touch of suspense which goes well with Nils’ emphatic style of singing and themes discussed in this song. Love and Michael’s energy levels on guitars keep increasing by the minute as the shred fest continues to the point where you’d start fearing for them having any feeling left in their fingers by the end of the album.
While ‘Game of Faces’ doesn’t manifest the lyrical message in a serious manner, its meaning certainly is. It’s about the risks that come with ambition and setting unrealistic expectations, not to mention the aftermath “Lie with morality, And you’ll soon be corrupted”. In an era where social media prevails in human interactions, we already play a ‘Game of Faces’ with ourselves and no one really knows what’s true “Under the mask is another face”. That’s well-reflected by the cover featuring someone peeling a mask off, representing the idea of disguises people put on to cope with life.
‘Devilry of Ecstasy’ is the sort of song where after a few drinks in, you’re in cruise control and mumbling your way through gibberish conversations as the clock stretches past midnight. It’s about how looks can be deceiving in which something that appears charming is nothing but a trap “Never trust the gold that glimmers so beautifully”. However, temptation often wins and disastrous results await “Beware the kiss of death before your fate is set”. Nils cleverly adds a touch of romanticism to his voice with a seductive tone to bring the song’s message to life and mess with our imagination. Having a skill like this where you can play around with styles and textures to suit each tune is not easy at all and very few can pull it off.
Georg’s ability to remain consistent for long periods is clear as day with an inner metronome ticking at full speed. There’s not the slightest bit of fatigue seeping through his playing and composure is at an all-time high. Although the beat is simple, maintaining a pattern of that type is no easy thing and can often be harder than trying the opposite with something mega difficult. Guitarists Mikael and Love are up to their old tricks again with a relentless barrage of solos that leave the likes of Yngwie Malmsteen and Chris Impellitteri clutching at straws. If their instruments could speak, they’d be begging for mercy by this point.
After three energising tracks, Dynazty step off the throttle with an arm-waving ballad ‘Die to Survive’ to refresh yourself for what comes next. 16th note hits with cheeky harmonies that set the tone for an exciting experience and it comes at the right time because listeners could start switching off had the tempo been the exact same. Nils is given more space to roam as other instruments take a step back while he goes centre stage. This time, there’s extra power and charisma, proving how versatile he can be when required. The song also has a traditional power metal trait such as key changes in outros and there’s no better pick than Nils due to how well he can adapt to every transition. Love and Mikael couldn’t care less about how fast a tune is as they’ll shred at even 1 bpm by pulling off the mother of all licks, arpeggios and tricks while Georg happily takes responsibility in keeping everyone in time with relaxing fills and trickery worthy of an applause similar to an end of a classical encore.
‘Fire to Fight’ brings Game of Faces back to its energetic pace as Dynazty refuse to let the hype drop. Topics of resilience and facing one’s fears head on are highlighted and the use of major scales during the choruses helps propel feelings of not giving up. Unsurprisingly, Nils’ chameleon-like skills in switching voices for any situation come into play, adopting a spirited approach like a captain trying to get their team morale back while the Mikael/Love solo machine is firing on all cylinders accompanied by Georg’s pinpoint coordination.
As Game of Faces reaches its halfway mark, the afterburners are on and any sympathy for listeners getting rest is non-existent with the band moving away from their ‘disco’ influences in exchange for some old-school power metal to shake things up a bit. Georg hammers away at the double kick pedal as if he’s just had a lightning bolt shoved in his legs while maintaining superb composure of a skydiver jumping off the Burj Khalifa. Nils reveals his warrior side and sings in an adventurous way not heard before, belting out melodic battle cries like typical dragon-slaying knights with the backing of epic guitar harmonies reinforcing an image of a grandiose fairytale bound to have a dramatic finale.
While Game of Faces is a fun experience overall, it does have some challenges regarding structure and fans’ attention might start to wane after track 7. ‘Dream of Spring’ and ‘Mystery’ also feel somewhat out of place as the sudden jump in styles don’t marry well which takes some of the spark off what in general is a solid album. Perhaps, saving them for another record would’ve been a better idea.
Game of Faces was released on February 14 2025 via Nuclear Blast Records.
