Dream Tröll - The Knight of Rebellion

By Bathy Kates. Traditional metal is making a really cool comeback. Classic heavy metal is always underestimated in how complex and how enjoyable it can be. Luckily, it seems that this up and coming generation of metal musicians wants to remind everyone about awesome it can be.

By Bathy Kates.


Traditional metal is making a really cool comeback. Classic heavy metal is always underestimated in how complex and how enjoyable it can be. Luckily, it seems that this up and coming generation of metal musicians wants to remind everyone about awesome it can be. New bands like Ghost, Enforcer, and Midnight have become huge off of old school sounds and old legends like Accept, Hell, and Satan are making the best albums of their careers. Of course, there’s not just one kind of old school heavy metal and there’s always room for more.

Dream Tröll picks up the torch for what I like to call “Conan Metal”, the ultra melodic, fantasy-based cheesefest that bands like Manowar, Virgin Steele, and Manilla Road pioneered. It’s basically proto-power metal. Eternal Champion, Visigoth, and Legendry have all emulated this sound recently in their own way. Dream Tröll, however, adds a stainless steel sleekness to their sound that their peers don’t quite have. They’ve stripped away every ounce of gruff meanness in exchange for a progressive, more European sound. It sounds like Manowar and Iron Maiden had a baby with Tyr, Nightwish, Bathory, and 80s Rush.

If this was still the age of buying every song individually for 99 cents (yes, I’m dating myself), then you would be getting a great value for your money. Five of the seven songs are around seven minutes long and the remaining songs are about five minutes. This is not to say the album is overwritten and repetitive. The songwriting is actually absolutely great. Dream Tröll is simply very deliberate and, much like a good Maiden record, knows how to build their songs into big moments. There’s always new little details emerging to keep you engaged. The production is so clean and crisp, it’s appropriately otherworldly. You could honestly just listen to the beautiful tone and thick (thicccccc) power chords all day. This perfect production is especially impressive for a totally independent band.

The band lives up to most heavy metal clichés believably. “Velvet Drawbridge” has a shout-style killer chorus. “Unwanted by the Gods” has some great guitar work from the opening riff to the developing midsection with its heavenly breakdown. “The Earthbound Betrayal” has some impressive vocals. But this band is not just about copying the greats. There’s a distinct Dream Tröll sonic world. The aforementioned production, march-like tempos, and modern influences create the perfect cocktail of updated classic metal. It’s music that takes you to another, more marvelous world.