DRAGONSFIRE – Rebirth of the Beast

Hessian power metal band Dragonsfire, cool name, by the way, formed in 2005, first made a name for themselves in the underground metal scene with their debut EP titled, Burning for Metal (2005). Their first full-length album, Visions of Fire, wasn’t released until 2008. That was the beginning of a trying and tormentous roller coaster ride filled with numerous lineup changes and periods of instability. However, it’s been said a million times that pain makes the individual stronger and the same can be said for guitarist Matthias Bludau, the last remaining member of the original lineup, who continues to keep the band’s legacy alive. Celebrating their 20th anniversary, Dragonsfire are preparing to release a new studio album titled, Rebirth of the Beast (2025), an unapologetic power metal record with more balls and less keyboards. It is the follow-up to their previous studio album, Metal Service (2010), which was released 15 years ago.

Unapologetic, Raw, and Chaotic

Dragonsfire are not one of those orchestral power metal bands with big keyboards and luscious melodies. In fact, their sound is very raw and organic. There is some melody, however, in the vocal harmonies, and “Preacher” is a good example of that. The backing vocals add a dramatic flare to the band’s sound, which is expected of most power metal bands anyways. Most of the tracks aren’t musically that different from one another, except for “A Portal to Escape,” which opens with a gorgeous acoustic guitar melody before turning into a speed metal fest. “W.I.T.G.A.G.O.T.O.S.” is short for “why is the grass always greener on the other side,” and luckily, the music is better than the title sounds. The guitar solo is worth a listen too!

“Charge Ahead” gives off “going into war” vibes. Not like “going into war and being prepared to die” vibes; more on the positive side with a hopeful ending instead. “Don’t Live in Fear” is the epic track on the album, being five minutes and 52 seconds long. Like “Charge Ahead,” it’s got a positive and an anthemic feel with a great piercing riff and nice groove. “Cider Victims,” the bonus track on Rebirth of the Beast, is the most melodic of the bunch and it closes the album on a decent note.

Final Assessment

Part of the album’s charm is the raw and unapologetic production. However, it’s a very unbalanced production because the drums are way too loud. “We Ride” and “Speak of War” are nauseating to listen to because the drums sound like a million machine guns going off at the same time, which is a shame because the guitar solo for the latter is quite good. The vocals are not the greatest either. Frontman Dennis Ohler sounds like an undeveloped mix of Bruce Dickinson and Rob Halford, where he’s trying to hit notes that don’t even exist. It wouldn’t have been a bad idea to use some studio magic to clean up Ohler’s vocals a little bit. As mentioned earlier, the tracks aren’t musically that different from one another, meaning there’s not much variety on the album. Next time, more acoustic instrumentation and less machine gun drumming. It’s all based on the listener’s perspective, though, so if interested, give Dragonsfire’s Rebirth of the Beast a chance!

Album Tracklist

1. We Ride
2. Speak of War
3. Hungry Beast
4. Preacher
5. A Portal to Escape
6. W.I.T.G.A.G.O.T.O.S.
7. 80’s Boys
8. Charge Ahead
9. Don’t Live in Fear
10. Dragons Never Surrender
11. Cider Victims (bonus track)

Band Lineup

Dennis Ohler – lead vocals
Timo Rauscher – guitars
Matthias Bludau – guitars
Peter Schäfer – bass guitar
Elias Bludau – drums

Check out the music video for “Preacher” from Dragonsfire’s Rebirth of the Beast!