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Thought I usually try to abolish all stereotypes and preconceived notions about a band when I first listen to their CD for review, it was pretty much impossible to do this with Dragonhammer. When dealing with a band with a name like Dragonhammer, one can usually expect to hear some kind of power metal. In this case, my prediction was spot on. Dragonhammer hail from Italy and play a fairly standard brand of power metal with a bit of a progressive bent. Time for Expiation was released in 2004 and is the band’s second full-length effort. The music is very keyboard centered; in many cases keyboard leads pop up where one would expect a guitar. The musicianship is of a high quality, as evidenced by the album’s complex and imaginative solos. However, the excellence does not extend to the vocals. The vocalist seems to be going for an operatic, Warrel Dane-esque tone but ends up sounding cheesy and over the top. His thick Italian accent and his tendency to drift out of tune on occasion were turnoffs for me. Another weakness with the album is the lack of variety in the songs. With the exception of the introduction and a ballad (The Pages I Never Wrote), everything is pretty much the same hard charging power metal.
As a whole, I came away from the album unimpressed. In a genre as crowded as power metal, a band really has to have exceptional songwriting or some kind of new idea in order to stand out from the pack. Unfortunately Dragonhammer do neither of these things and Time for Expiation is merely a mediocre release. Diehard power metal fans should enjoy this but everyone else is advised to look elsewhere to satisfy their power metal cravings.
| Tracklist |
| 1. Ancient Voice |
| 2. Eternal Sinner |
| 3. Believe |
| 4. Fear Of A Child |
| 5. The Pages I Never Wrote |
| 6. Free Land |
| 7. Blind Justice |
| 8. YMD |
| 9. Time For Expiation |
: 42.37
| Buy other Dragonhammer albums |
