Review: “The Fall of House Abbarath” by Dragoncorpse
Having astounded with their debut record “The Drakketh Saga“, the departure of orchestration master Dale Urban (Mortem Obscuram, Salem Burning) in 2023 left many wondering what the future may hold for Dragoncorpse. That record had given us a truly unique experience, blending themes of fantasy, death and humour with Deathcore soaked in Power Metal, so his replacement had to be right. They identified Mark Marin (Throne of Exile, ex-Nights of Malice) for the purpose and then turned to Matt Schmidt to co-produce, mix and master “The Fall of House Abbarath“. A sophomore EP formed of a tale which takes place between the stories of “Sunlover” and “Blood and Stones” from that first record…
Our hero Knight battles Dragon tyrant Drakketh to the death in “An Introduction to (Heroism)” and receives a heroes welcome as he returns home but is all as it seems? Intense brutal Deathcore verses with savage unclean vocals are separated by triumphant Power Metal choruses as “Welcome Home” serves as a timely reminder of the sound that Dragoncorpse have chosen to create. Both utterly spellbinding and bone crushingly captivating in equal measure, it still feels like the two extremes shouldn’t live in the same space but what the band to so well is the transitions between the stylings. In truth it’s the flow of the songs with their slick production value that makes them shine, like Nekrogoblikon met Dragonforce down a dark alley with a baseball bat. Drummer Justin Gogan (Phantomaire, Throne of Exile) brings the Death Metal blasting to the brutal introduction to “I Live… Again!“, the lush keys embellishing rather than masking the razor sharp riffs from Kris Chayer (Beyond Deviation, Burnt River). Gang chants of “Rise, Rise!” will no doubt be met by fists in the air should the band take this one into the live arena, vocalist Mardy Leith (Victory, Russian Novel) showing incredible range as he decimates the weak with his one two harsh combinations and soaring melodic moments. The genius of the project is that all the musicians are all at the same ridiculously high level, able to produce the music to match their nightmarish visions.
Epic is probably the only word that accurately describes “A Quest For Truth” as the vibrant orchestration and programming shines over the top of the heavy riffs and majestic clean vocal parts. There is an Arabian Nights vibe to it and some helter skelter moments as things feel a little warped after a huge chugging breakdown but the rumbling bass from Noah Nikolas Laidlaw (Planetkiller, Possess the Asylum, Wither Within) keeps things on track. Believe it or not there are a couple of moments of Carley Rae Jepson inspired pop power in the after some of the darker elements which just adds to the insanity of the record. The whole concept remains the thing that should not be and yet… it works so damn well. Lauren Coleman adds delicate vocals to “Whisper On The Wind“, a fantasy laden love song that paints pictures of a Maiden in a high tower over the mountains awaiting a Knight to save her. Warm and uplifting, it’s not overdone as the band stay true to their Power Metal elements and hold back on the Deathcore to make it work. Naturally the pendulum swings back the other way for the powerhouse “Fear And Hunger” which punches like a beast. 8-bit programming gives it a few moments of nostalgia with pointers towards Golden Axe on from Sega but the brutality of the down turned riffs and blast beats ensure this one will stand the test of time. All in all another sublime collection from a band who make the unbelievable achievable in style [9/10]
Track Listing
1. An Introduction to [ HEROISM ]
2. Welcome Home
3. I Live… AGAIN! (ft. Nick Miller of First Fragment, Obduracy, Unleash The Archers)
4. A Quest For Truth
5. Whisper On The Wind (ft. Lauren Coleman)
6. Fear And Hunger
“The Fall of House Abbarath” by Dragoncorpse is out 1st November 2024 via Shattered Earth Records and is available over at bandcamp.