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Dream Evil > The Book of Heavy Metal > Reviews > WishmasterTheDark
Dream Evil - The Book of Heavy Metal

This Book Is Not That Interesting - 60%

WishmasterTheDark, December 11th, 2011

Swedes re-invented the steel in 90's, and saved the whole heavy metal genre. Classic heavy/power metal titans HammerFall were the ones to end the false metal reign. Power metal legions like Sabaton, Bloodbound, Saint Deamon, and the new classic heavy metal bands like Steelwing followed. Dream Evil is one of the followers too, but I wish I could say that they are as great as the bands I mentioned. In fact, they are not. This is not that bad, but it's not great at all. Almost every song, not just from this album, but from their entire discography is full of crappy lyrics, uninteresting ambient, unmemorable riffs, sometimes annoying singer's voice, specially when he sings like a girl. Niklas Isfeldt has really great voice, but if he sang more often like he sang in the song Back From The Dead from United album, that would be some major ass kicking.

Into The Moonlight, Chapter 6, No Way and The Book Of Heavy Metal (March Of The Metallians) are not just highlights of this album, but the highlights of their entire discography. Although they have only few more excellent songs from their other studio albums, this one has them most. These songs show great potential and the talent which band members possesses, but they lack creativity. Neither Gus G could have done anything better in a band where the band members don't work great as a team. Into The Moonlight is a hell of an awesome song which sounds like a battle anthem, with these powerful and blazing riffs, dark and doom symphonic background, epic drum pounding and excellent soaring vocals supported with strong backing chorus. Chapter 6 is darkened by the wicked organ and Gus' evil legato. It's really heavy and mainly fast song, but the tempo slows down a bit in some parts.

Other memorable excellent songs do not have any symphonic arranged parts. No Way is really heavy song, and singer sounds a bit like Ozzy Osbourne, can you imagine that? But Ozzy can only dream of singing like Niklas. Song is fast, it has excellent drum work, and guitar solo rapes. The Book Of Heavy Metal (March Of The Metallians) is the absolute highlight of this album, and first thing you will remember after listening to it. Why? Those monster heavy, unique and blazing riffs, incredible slow and fast tempo combination, insane vocals, specially when singer starts to scream like legendary Ralf Scheepers, are the answer. However, these four songs are not enough to make Dream Evil have special place in any book of heavy metal. The Enemy and Only For The Night are two very good songs which raise the rating of this studio album, but they could have been improved.

The Enemy could have had better lyrics, and singer could have done better job, while the rest of the song (riffs, tempo, ambient, guitar solo) is totally ok. The same thing for the song Only For The Night. The rest of the studio album is not memorable and anything special at all. That is the bitter truth, and that's the same thing with their other studio albums. There are few good riffs here and there, some good parts of the songs, but nothing worth mentioning. Chosen Twice is the only memorable mediocre song. It has strong chorus and great ambient, but tempo doesn't fit well with that, power chords are nothing special, lyrics have some painful parts to read and singer sounds lazy, and annoying when he repeats certain words in the song.

Good sides of this release:
This studio album has few, but monster mind-blowing songs. Band members have great ideas, talent and skills, but they lack creativity. Creativity is one of the most important factors.

Bad sides of this release:
Lots of mediocre songs, and few songs which could have been improved. Unfortunately this is not special classic heavy metal band. Sweden has much better heavy metal bands to offer.

Highlights:
Into The Moonlight, Chapter 6, No Way and The Book Of Heavy Metal (March Of The Metallians).