▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███
░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓
███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░
███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████
███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███
███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███
███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███
▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███
███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███
██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███
░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███
░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀
██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██
░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░
▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓
░ ██ ██ Artist: Helcaraxδ ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Red Dragon █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2012 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2015-02-06 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Death Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Regimental Records ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ Red Dragon is clearly inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien's █
█ The Hobbit, but the story is told with a great █
█ deal of subtlety -- you won't hear the word █
█ "hobbit" here, or even "dwarf". Instead, the █
█ lyrics distill the tale down to its essence, █
█ concentrating on the perilous journey, the battle █
█ with the dragon, and the ensuing tragedy of greed. █
█ The whole album is arranged as an unbroken piece █
█ of music, with each track flowing seamlessly into █
█ the next; if you're anything like me, this may █
█ have you playing it two or three times through █
█ without a break. Fortunately, Red Dragon delivers! █
█ The band's blend of heavy metal melodicism and █
█ death metal rhythm is perfect: the epic lead work █
█ is the first thing most will notice, but Helcaraxδ █
█ backs it up with plenty of crunch. The songs here █
█ are a bit longer than on the last few albums, █
█ which gives the band space to pack in even more █
█ variety, but nothing's the least bit dragged-out, █
█ and the full running length is a comfortable 45 █
█ minutes. Likewise, this album puts more emphasis █
█ on melody than their earlier work, but not so much █
█ that it suffers as a death metal album. There are █
█ plenty of crushingly heavy parts on offer, █
█ including a few which rival the tracks on █
█ Ruination of the Heavenly Communion. The █
█ production is fitting, too: clear yet substantial, █
█ allowing each instrument to make its mark. █
█ "The Thief" opens things up with a quiet, █
█ introspective two-part melody above a wandering █
█ bassline. The introduction of heavy guitar and █
█ harsh vocals shatters the mood, continuing into █
█ the galloping aggression of "Circle of Firelight". █
█ "Orcrist" speeds things up again with a flurry of █
█ headbanging sections and some guitar/bass work █
█ which brings early Amorphis to mind, before "A █
█ Fortune in Riddles" breaks things up with a short █
█ instrumental interlude. "Into the Fire and Sky" is █
█ a perfect example of the band's craft, alternating █
█ between crushing moments and soaring, catchy █
█ solos. Both build together into a crescendo worthy █
█ of old Amon Amarth, until "Skin Changer"'s █
█ vicious, shout-along vocals and jangling guitar █
█ lines bring things back to earth. "The Old Forest █
█ Road" combines twisted, start-and-stop riffing █
█ with snarled vocals to create a dark, oppressive █
█ atmosphere, all the more impressive given how █
█ relentlessly epic its surroundings are. The █
█ thrashing section in the middle is killer! The █
█ varied mood of "Dungeons" goes from somber to █
█ pained to triumphant in the span of just five █
█ minutes, ending in one of the best leads on the █
█ album. "Red Dragon" is simply monolithic -- the █
█ riffing, drum fills, and solos here are beyond █
█ great, skilled yet heavy as hell, and the vocals █
█ are the best on the record. Then the mood changes, █
█ and you realize that the dragon has only begun to █
█ wake...! Afterward, "The Arkenstone" delivers one █
█ last dose of reality, slowing things down in an █
█ epic prelude to the record's closing lament. Along █
█ the way are a thousand twists and turns, but take █
█ heed of Beorn's warning: it's death to leave the █
█ path! █
█ Red Dragon might be Helcaraxδ's masterwork: it's █
█ more unified yet more varied than anything they've █
█ recorded to date, and the result is endlessly █
█ listenable. I can't help but miss the slightly █
█ heavier atmosphere of the last album, but this one █
█ won me over immediately -- Red Dragon should █
█ please old-school death metal heads as well as █
█ those looking for a more melodic touch, and fans █
█ of viking metal ought to sit up and take notice. █
█ Highest recommendations. █
█ █
█ Standout tracks: "Into the Fire and Sky", "Skin █
█ Changer", "Red Dragon" █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. The Thief 2:37 ░
░ 2. Circle of Firelight 3:28 ░
░ 3. Orcrist 3:32 ░
░ 4. A Fortune in Riddles 1:37 ░
░ 5. Into the Fire and the Sky 4:46 ░
░ 6. Skin Changer 3:08 ░
░ 7. The Old Forest Road 3:50 ░
░ 8. Dungeons 6:08 ░
░ 9. Red Dragon 8:35 ░
░ 10. The Arkenstone 4:53 ░
░ 11. Oakenshield Lament 1:38 ░
░ 44:12 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
■ █▄ ░ ██
▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░
▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓
▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■
░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░
▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░
█▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓
█▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█
▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒
░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░
▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓
█▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓
░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒
█░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█
███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░
▓██ ░ ██▓
██░ ░██
█▒ ░ ░█
▀█ █▀
▓ ░
░