EP Review: Dragoncorpse – The Fall of House Abbarath (Shattered Earth Records)

International deathcore/power metal dynamos, Dragoncorpse, are back and armed with a vibrant new EP, ‘The Fall of House Abbarath’. It is set for a November 1st release on Shattered Earth Records.

The follow-up to their excellent ‘The Drakketh Saga’ EP, Dragoncorpse have learned so much already and build on the impressive combination of deathcore and power metal that makes up their unique sound. What we have here is a much more refined effort.

With a hefty dollop of atmosphere and big story-telling chops, Dragoncorpse start this EP off with a hearty bang as the tyrant Drakketh falls. This is An Introduction to [HEROISM] and it’s clear that one major aspect of Dragoncorpse that has evolved here is their use of melody and atmosphere to enhance their sound. This is them leaning into the power parts of their power metal makeup, and that continues into Welcome Home.

Fear not though, Dragoncorpse haven’t lost their heavy edge and as this track goes on, their ferocious deathcore side rises up to crush skulls and break necks. It’s just a much more balanced and refined pairing that keeps the listener on their toes. Especially as this grows and grows in stature with the beastly I Live… AGAIN!, and the hugely anthemic A Quest for Truth. The former is Dragoncorpse at their most savage sounding, both instrumentally and vocally. Whereas the latter is one of the grander sounding efforts, even if it has got plenty of brutality to it also.

So, what’s giving them an extra edge? It’s the keys and orchestration and how well layered they are in each track. Not just enhancing the atmosphere, but controlling it in some cases.

The melodrama is at its highest with Whisper on the Wind as Dragoncorpse widen their melodic palette and showcase the strength in the clean vocals. Before upping the intensity with one last brash and explosive deathcore focused effort called Fear and Hunger. A track that just so happens to have a chorus that soars.

The evolution of Dragoncorpse is exciting. Especially as The Fall of House Abbarath is clearly an advancement on The Drakketh Saga’. They’re getting better at this, which is saying something as they were already delivering memorable music before!

Dragoncorpse – The Fall of House Abbarath Track Listing:

1. An Introduction to [HEROISM]
2. Welcome Home
3. I Live… AGAIN!
4. A Quest for Truth
5. Whisper On the Wind
6. Fear And Hunger

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