Reviews:

Metal Heart - HOLY DRAGONS - TWILIGHT OF THE GODS (2003)

"Twilight Of The Gods" is already the 6th album of Holy Dragons, a band from Kazakhstan (former USSR). The style that they play is pure 80's guitar oriented true/heavy/speed/power metal. A combination of Teutonic heavy/power metal songs (Rage, Blind Guardian, early Helloween...) and twin guitar solos like Tipton/Downing (from Judas Priest). The vocals of Holger Komaroff are powerful and the lyrics are in Russian, except of the bonus ballad "Living On The Edge", which is sung in English. The music of Holy Dragons is not comparable with the latest keyboard power metal bands, but it's pure 80's inspired & played heavy/power metal.

(Review by: Ronny Elst)


THE METAL OBSERVER - Review - HOLY DRAGONS - Sumerki Bogov (8/10)

The already sixth album of the sacred dragons from Kazakhstan is rotating here with “Sumerki Bogov“ (“Twilight Of The Gods“), I would never have thought that for one there was Power Metal there and for the other that they already have that many full albums! HOLY DRAGONS were founded in 1997 by the two guitarists Jurgen Thunderson and Chris Caine (long live pseudonyms…) and in 1998 followed the first demo “Knights Of Camelot”, followed suit right after by “Dragon Steel”, the first album.

Sound wise the Kazakhs stand ankle deep in the sound of the Eighties, in a mix of German Power Metal, IRON MAIDEN and a shot of Russian steel, not least thanks to the Russian vocals by Holger Komaroff. The guys nicely master the split between tradition and a slightly more modern production, so that they do not sound outdated, despite the strong influences from that time.

The opener “Krov Elfov“ („Elves’ Blood“, EPIDEMIA already had a title of this track, seems to be in somehow…) starts with a few acoustic guitars, before switching into very guitary Power Metal, with the six strings having received a slightly rawer sound, which gives the whole thing a quite interesting and also quite heavy touch. Komaroff’s voice also has a grittier edge, which has character, the song itself is heavy, melodic and catchy, as you would expect from this style.

“Zheleznyi Orel“ (“Steel Eagle“) sets out high paced, with a dominant bass, reminds me a bit of IRON MAIDEN meets ARIA and in this case this is a compliment, the bass in general is on high demand here, which gives the sound some welcome power, while on “Tampliyer“ HOLY DRAGONS show that they also can take out the tempo, at least at the beginning (where the vocal limits of Holger Komaroff unfortunately are showcased as well and also a bit later on in the song he tries to reach too far), after that they step on the pedal again, fully in the style of the Eighties.

As already mentioned, I would not have expected such a mercilessly European sounding and Eighties like album from Kazakhstan and this experience shows. Still, “Sumerki Bogov” has not turned out to be an absolute high flyer, vocally and at times also compository they reach their limits, while the latter is not as bad as it may read now, because the Kazakhs have a good hand for gripping melodies, well smithed guitars and a good drive.

For fans of Russian Metal and Power/Heavy Metal of the Eighties in general a check out of HOLY DRAGONS could reap some harvest.

(Online July 6, 2004)

ETERNAL TERROR (4/6)

Power Metal from Kazakhstan is not often heard here, but a week ago some promos from Metalism Records in Russia showed up. One of the promos was this by the Holy Dragons.

A band which has been around since 1997 and this is actually the band's 6th album. I have never heard of this band before, so they have surely been hidden away in the lost woods of Kazakhstan where they have been chasing dragons and stuff. The reason why I mention dragons is that this simply is about dragons and other fantasy stuff. You might call it fantasy-power and then we are into Gamma Ray's territorium, but it's probably room for more bands than that.

This album's name is really Gotterdammerung and for those who wonder, it's the German version of "Twilight of the Gods". If I'm wrong, someone has done a mistake in the translation in Russia.

The album has 8 songs, but the one I got includes 9. To talk about the
bonus song first, this is a tragic attempt to make a ballad. If you have the album or get it, then you should be happy if this parody of a ballad isn't included. The other 8 songs are pretty good speed/power metal songs with melodious solos on guitar like Gamma Ray. The music is far from creating anything
new.

This is 80s power with twinguitars, ompa-ompa drums and an OK power metal vocal. Unfortunately, the songs are in Russian and that's far from my best language. But even though it is not understandable for me, this is catchy and quite good. The exceptions are when the vocalist Holger Komaroff does a little too much with his voice, because then he shows that he doesn't have a voice that is strong enough for the higher pitches. But if he stays away from those, he sings OK.

I don't have any favourite song in the album, but it is Twilight of the Gods and No Future which are the strongest ones. I doubt this album is available for purchase in Norway at the moment, and also in the future...

But if you are Gamma Ray fan you will like this record.
But, what a name you have!!! Change it.....


www.metalreviews.com
HOLY DRAGONS - Gotterdammerung
Metalism

True Power Metal

9 songs (53:57)
Release year: 2003


Though I’ve never heard of Holy Dragons before this album, it turns out that this is their sixth release. They are Central Asia’s biggest metal band hailing from Kazakhstan. Their music has roots in the old time Painkiller and Holy Diver style classic metal with power metal influences from old Helloween and Manowar. This really is a throwback style to the late 80’s in terms of sound derivation. Dual guitar harmonies as well as chugging riffs are a mainstay of this band’s sound. While not original in the least, it’s awesome to see a band from a place that metal would seem unknown to be blasting out the essence of true heavy metal.

Vocalist Holger Komaroff emulates an amalgam of metal singers running the gamut from Dio to Dave Mustaine. The interesting vocals wrap the music in a fabric of continuity. He sings in Russian however the song titles are in English so you can get a gist of what is going on. Some songs are very Maiden influenced especially the short but sweet “The Cursed Spirit.” Some great soloing and dual leads combine to make this track a sure fire killing song. The music, as mentioned before, is not too original but the band manages to make the best of it. Their production is quite reminiscent of 80’s metal production in terms of the sound and quality. I don’t know if this was intentional or just that more modern equipment could not be found in Kazakhstan. Regardless, the sound is clean and well edited. Some slips are noticeable such as guitar tracks being lost inside the dense mix. The cymbal sound is somewhat annoying after a while. It is too high pitched and ringy. There is no emphasis behind the massive crash when they are pounded to hell. I really appreciate the massive sound element this can bring to music, especially power metal and it just seems to be missing here. This again is a small problem which can easily be rectified on a future release. Aside from these minor quibbles, the production is good for what it is.

“Steel Eagle” kicks off with some inspired lead soloing and even dips into death metal territory for a second or two before unleashing pure heavy metal. This song is probably my favorite on the album. The guitars soar and are well balanced against the fury coming from the drum kit. The bass line is nothing too spectacular but it supports the music well. For some reason, I think I can hear some Motorhead influence here as well as early Gamma Ray. “Blood of the Elves” is the opener and after the acoustic intro, the pounding of double bass enters. The bass drums are mixed too high in this song and detract from an otherwise remarkable metal track. The one skipper is the bonus track called “Living on the Edge.” It’s not an Aerosmith cover and is just a six-minute attempt to emulate Pink Floyd which fails. I feel sorry for anyone who spends extra money for this is a weak bonus to give a loyal fan. This band has promise and hopefully they’ll expand their horizons and produce a more original next album.

Killing Songs : Steel Eagle, The Cursed Spirit Jay 67 / 100


ANGELFIRE: HOLY DRAGONS ‘GOTTERDAMMERUNG/JUDGMENT DAY’
(METALISM RECORDS)

This band is coming out of Kazachstan, and they are probably the only Metalband from there, and they have released a few CDs. 2 of their albums have now been re-released (with bonustracks) by the label METALISM RECORDS. Musically they play 80s Heavy Metal with some of today’s Power Metal added here and there. Instrumental it sounds great and also the artwork is very professional, but vocally it isn’t that impressive unfortunately. The band has a very raw lead singer, who is not always able to sing the high notes, but like I said before instrumental it all sounds very impressive, and therefore it is still nice to hear some of their songs. Unfortunately they sing in their own language, so it is hard to mention songtitles here, but from their album ‘Judgment day’ some of the best songs are “6”, “7” and the 2 English bonustracks (“Mighty warriors” and “Rainbow’s gold”). And from their other album ‘Gotterdammerung’, which is by far the better album of the 2 releases, and actually on this album lead singer Holger Kovaroff sings better than on the other album, and therefore I can easily recommend this great Melodic Metalrecord, which features some great songs like “1”, “2” (very good fast song with impressive guitarwork), “6” and “8”. So after all this is an interesting band, although their album ‘Gotterdammerung’ much better than their ‘Judgment day’ CD. Both CDs have been released on http://www.metalism.com and you can buy yourself a copy through www.metal-cd.ru

(Points: Gotterdammerung – 8.0, Judgment day – 7,5)


RNA - HOLY DRAGONS
Сумерки богов (Gotterdammerung)
Metalism Records 2003

Yes, This is the third album of the Kazakhstan power metal band. Since I first heard about them, I've been trying to obtain some of their CDs and hear what is it they play in Kazakhstan. As you can see, the title of the album ("Twilight Of The Gods") is in Russian, as well as all the lyrics, except for the closing ballad 'Living On The edge'. As my knowledge of Russian goes, the lyrics are pretty much standard: mythology, horror, HM odes and stuff like that. Let me give you some song titles: 'Железный Орёл' (Iron Eagle), 'Хэви-Метальный Маньяак' (Heavy Metal Maniac), 'Тамплиеры' (Templars), Проклятый Дух' (The Accursed Spirit)… the music itself is quite OK, maybe just a bit under produced, but still heavy enough. Surely you won't find anything epochal new, but just the fact that a Kazakhstan band plays music that is good deserves attention and recognition. Also, the list of the band they thank is cool too: Emerald (Ch), Berserker (It), Teutonic (Ger), Steel Warrior (Bra), and not to mention the influences. Still, this album deserves attention, so at least visit their website and listen to songs feature there.
www.truemetal.org/holydragons, holydragons@front.ru
(7/10)
RNA

http://www.metalcrypt.com...viewsframe.php?revid=1743
METALCRYPT: Holy Dragons - Gotterdammerung
(METALISM RECORDS)
Year released: 2003
Duration: 50:56
Tracks: 8
Produced by: Jurgen Thunderson
Studio: HDR Studio
Label: Metalism
Genre: Speed/Power Metal

Rating: 4/5

Date reviewed: September 4, 2004

Reviewed by: 4th Horseman

Holy Dragons Batman! Looks like we've got another generic European power metal band up to its no good again! Well not quite. First of all, Holy Dragons hail from the former Soviet Republic of Kazakhstan. I never knew metal existed over there, let alone of competent quality.

Holy Dragons are not a generic power metal band either. Their focus is more on speed metal, of the Blind Guardian variety, and play unbelievably tight music. They've been around for quite a while and "Gotterdammerung" is actually their 6th full length album. I can't say that this is the best music I've heard, but it sure beats the hell out of a lot of the other power metal acts out there.

This is great music actually, as most of the songs are memorable. And this is not because of any one particular department, but as a whole. Here is a real band that plays as a band and demands perfection in every note and ends up with flawless musicianship and co-ordination. The solos on here really slay! Fast solo enthusiasts will really dig this stuff. "Heavy Metal Maniac" features an absolutely mind-blowing solo! I don't believe both the guitarists can actually play so tight and in co-ordination at those speeds in a live setting. But who knows…I didn't believe there was metal in Kazakhstan after all! The vocals are also fast and melodic but don't really hit the shrieking, girly levels that power metal is often associated with. He actually sounds like the vocalist from Grave Digger. Imagine him singing really fast, and in Russian. Sounds pretty cool!

And now for my little complaint: The same vocal melody is repeated in a couple of tracks throughout the album. Anyway, this is a very talented band playing some awesome speed metal. Definitely worth the check.

Here you can order any albums of HOLY DRAGONS

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17.10.04