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Album Reviews : Dream Tröll – The Knight of Rebellion

By on September 10, 2017

Dream Tröll is a traditional, melodic metal band hailing from Leeds, UK. Their debut album The Knight of Rebellion was released back in May this year. After spending the last few months wading through a plethora of other new releases I’ve found the time to give it a spin.

Dream Tröll rose to notoriety in the UK after they were accused of being Neo-Nazis earlier this year.  Longtime friend of the band and UK shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon contributed spoken word on The Knight of Rebellion, leading to some corners of the UK press using the opertunity to strike up some parliamentary controversy. Putting the Neo-Nazi accusations aside (which were clearly unfounded), any press is good press, and more so when you’re a new band looking for exposure.

After a few spins of the bands debut release it’s pretty clear that the bands material speaks for itself though.

Taking one glance at the album artwork for The Knight of Rebellion it becomes abundantly clear that Dream Troll are influenced by traditional metal bands in the vein of Manowar (…or perhaps they just really enjoyed He-Man, and/or playing Golden Axe on the Sega Mega Drive as kids?!). Either way the artwork is a good choice because it complements the music particularly well. After a couple of listens its obvious that Dream Troll are heavily influenced by New Wave of British Heavy Metal; The bands sound has got that ‘classic flavour’ to it, but the melodies and themes are also reminiscent of German power metal (albeit the pace of the music is much more restrained than you’d find on a Helloween or Blind Guardian album).

Let’s be honest, if it doesn’t sound just a little bit like Iron Maiden it’s not traditional metal, but whilst these guys have clearly grown up on a diet of Maiden and Judas Priest they manage to find a relatively unique sound.  One of the aspects that gives a point of difference is the vocals – Unlike the approach taken by many bands in the genre the vocals aren’t delivered with a great deal of power or in a super high register. Dream Tröll are nothing like Ghost at all, but I get a bit of a Papa Emeritus vibe from the sort of restrained crooning style in which the vocalist delivers some of his lines. This isn’t a criticism, just an observation;  I enjoy the vocals on this release.

The epic “Time for Vengeance” is the perfect choice as an opener.  I really like this track and it sets the tone for the release as it touches on a range of moods and themes throughout it’s 8+ minute run time. The rest of the album is an enjoyable listen with plenty of quality tracks to keep you entertained. The guitar melodies are great and the vocal lines are clear and memorable throughout. My favourite tracks include the “Time for Vengeance”, “Mons Ominosus”, and “(The) Earthbound Betrayal”.

All in all The Knight of Rebellion is a well put together album and an impressive debut release. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to fans of NWOBHM, melodic power metal, He-Man and Golden Axe.

Band: Dream Troll
Album: The Knight of Rebellion
Year: 2017
Genre: Power Metal / NWOBHM
Label:  Independent
Origin: United Kingdom

About

Chris is a long time metal enthusiast and advocate for Australian heavy music scene. Chris grew up in Perth, Western Australia and is a past member of modern melodeath act Let's Kill Uncle. Currently residing in London, UK.