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Metal/Prog Metal CD Reviews

Dungeon Rocks

Encounter

Review by Gary Hill

The easiest way to describe this would be to compare it to Doro and Warlock. That really fits a big chunk of this album. There are some bits here that seem to stretch beyond that, though. Still, anyone who digs that metal that Doro has done over the years, both under her own name and with the band called “Warlock” will like this. It’s a very close neighbor and a good album.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2013  Volume 3 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Track by Track Review
I Have To Run

Keyboards open this, but as the crunch guitar enters there’s a classic metal sound in place. The vocals bring it very much into a Doro/Warlock type of sound. There is also a bit of a WASP vibe to this cut, to my ears,, anyway.

In the Eye of the Hurricane
They waste no time powering in here. This is another killer rocker that feels a lot like Doro. There are some retro keyboard sounds over the top as flavoring at times. Those keyboards get more intense at times, leaning this one even a little towards progressive rock.
Mutter Erde

The lyrics to this one are in German. The guitar puts in some particularly noteworthy melodic performances.

The Reaper

While this overall a pretty standard old school metal tune, somehow it’s among the best here. The vocal hook is quite accessible and the song just plain rocks.

Unschuldiges Wasser

There are bits of world music in the opening sounds here. And the non-lyrical vocals in that opening have a lot of that vibe, too. As to the song proper, the world music keyboard sounds remain as this continues and the main vocals are in German.

Stand Up

Here is another mid-tempo old school metal number. Again, Doro and Warlock are valid comparisons. There is an unusual section in this that focuses on the rhythm section along with keyboards and spoken vocals.

See You Again

Much more of a melodic rocker, this one borders on AOR with prog implications. There’s a cool melodic guitar solo on this number.

Crazy Day

The opening movement here has some great keyboard elements. It’s a bit like NWOBHM meets Deep Purple as the tune moves forward.

A Day with You

Piano starts this and it’s more of a melodic hard rocker than it is pure metal. Still, the comparisons to Doro fit at times. There are some almost jazzy moments, too, though.

Endless

This is metal, but also rather operatic in some ways. This definitely has a real European metal sound to it.

 
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