(Heavy Metal / Power Metal) Dream Evil - In The Night (Japanese Edition) [KICP-1460] - 2010, MP3 (tracks+scans), 320 kbps

Dream Evil were originally formed in 1999 by guitarist/producer Fredrik Nordström and guitarist Gus G. as an outlet for their interest in classic power metal of the Dio/Judas Priest/Accept school. And though Gus G. left in 2004 to concentrate on Firewind (and now his gig as Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist), Nordström has kept the torch aloft, releasing United in 2006 and now this album. In the Night is as goofy and over the top as anything the group's done in the past, up to and including 2004's classic The Book of Heavy Metal. The lyrics to songs like "Bang Your Head," "Kill, Burn, Be Evil," the title track, and the hilarious "The Ballad" are as nonsensical and awesome as anything ever written by Judas Priest or Manowar. Perhaps more importantly, the music is gloriously anthemic, every song driven by a fist-pumping riff with a chorus that virtually demands singing along and a shredtastic guitar solo. Unlike, say, DragonForce, though, the solos in Dream Evil songs always arise naturally out of, and serve, the song as a whole. And the production is superb, displaying the modern high-tech crunch of In Flames or other melodic Swedish outfits while holding to classic songwriting traditions. Dream Evil understand the difference between timeless and retro, and stay on the right side of that line throughout this excellent album.

The waiting is over, the time is right, the beast has returned: Sweden’s very own and very special DREAM EVIL are finally back with a brand-new studio album to continue their unrivalled crusade for pure M.E.T.A.L.!
Having debuted strong with their initial “Dragonslayer” (2002) and “Evilized” (2003) albums as well as touring in Europe and Japan with bands like HammerFall, Masterplan, Kamelot or Blind Guardian, it really wasn’t until 2004 that the monumental “The Book Of Heavy Metal” release catapulted the band into the worldwide spotlight and attention of the complete Metal scene. The concept of this magnum opus was meant to be a tribute to the bands that originally inspired DREAM EVIL but also to glorify the Metal scene as a whole. Never shy of adding musical humour, over-the-top attitude, an extreme visual presentation and very peculiar lyrics into the mix to compliment their undisputed songwriting class, DREAM EVIL wasn’t a band easily understood correctly by everyone along the way, as some people seemed to be in doubt about their nature and purpose. Well, the years and the relentless work for the Metal cause have proved that DREAM EVIL are in it for real and for the long ride too…
After touring Europe with Saxon and going through some restructuring of the band’s core line-up when lead guitarist Gus G. (Firewind, Ozzy Osbourne) and drummer Snowy Shaw (ex King Diamond, Therion) decided to leave the fold to concentrate and to prioritize their own new bands, DREAM EVIL came back strong with 2006’s “United” album (well, the world’s first “1 ½ album” really, if you count in the bonus 3” CD…), introducing new drummer Pat Power as well as lead guitarist Mark U. Black. The same line-up worked on the “Gold Medal In Metal” DVD/2CD release, which was an acclaimed compilation of a live-footage DVD shot by director Patric Ullaeus / www.revolver.se (In Flames, Within Temptation, Europe, etc.), its audio-part as first official DREAM EVIL live-album as well as an additional full disc of rare and unreleased archive studio-material from all the band’s earlier recording sessions.
With the release of “Gold Medal In Metal”, DREAM EVIL also went through a quick period of hibernation with not much of activity on the live-front, but didn’t only manage to use the downtime to look for a new lead guitarist, who they finally found in Dannee Demon, but also worked harder than ever on creating new material that would not only live up to their high own standards but also resurrect the previous anthem-like, full-on-metal and all-killers-no-fillers feel of DREAM EVIL’s past releases, which were always inspired in a healthy way by ingredients from traditional Metal chefs like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Accept, Scorpions, Saxon or Dio but adding a typically Scandinavian spice and most of all a very own pinch of DREAM EVIL flavour to the recipe.
Pragmatically entitled “In The Night” and symbolically packaged in artwork by Gustavo Sazes (Arch Enemy, Old Man’s Child, Firewind, etc.) featuring a phoenix arising from the ashes and the flames, this new DREAM EVIL studio album was once again skillfully recorded at axeman’s Fredrik Nordström own Studio Fredman (Dimmu Borgir, In Flames, HammerFall, etc.) and strikes back with the power of pure steel! 12 immediate and imminent new songs, including soon-to-be sing-along classics like “Bang Your Head” or “See The Light”, the ultra-strong opening-track “Immortal” or the self-explanatory “The Ballad”, that are destined to take no prisoners and to effortlessly demonstrate how vibrant, exciting and enjoyable melodic Metal can still be in and for this newly starting next decade!
Look out to see DREAM EVIL returning to European stages in January – February 2010 supporting Stratovarius! The limited edition of “In The Night” comes as Mediabook-CD with alternate artwork and contains an extended booklet, 2 exclusive bonus tracks and a killer patch for your jacket!