Review by Felix on December 5, 2019.

I need to say it right now: "Dreamlord" is no name for a thrash metal combo. It makes me think of Dio (R.I.P.), Blind Guardian or even more stereotyped, more or less melodic bands. Either way, the band name is not the crucial factor and – here comes good news – the music is much better than I thought. Dreamlord play a pretty controlled form of thrash and they profit from a clear, well-defined production. The sound engineers made a very good job with the effect that the production offers the necessary degree of edgy riffs. They guarantee a certain liveliness which is no matter of course with respect to the fact that the band started its activities in 1995. Anyway, there seems to burn the fire of thrash in each and every band member and the passion of the dudes shimmers through every note. The in-the-name-of-namedropping written promo babbles about "a variety of influences from Testament and Megadeth to Iced Earth, Kreator and beyond". This is a kind of own goal, because there is absolutely no proximity to the sounds of Mille Petrozza and Dave Mustaine. From my point of view, the Greeks rather try to find an autonomous approach – within the given frame of thrash, of course. At the end, it doesn't matter; we all know that nobody is telling more lies than these "creative" promos (if we neglect the statements of some present government leaders… Germany, Turkey, Russia… want some more?).

Dreamlord do not score with each and every piece. 'Act of God', the longest track here, is an instrumental with some solid parts, but its substance does not justify its lush format. A few other tracks meander between solid midfield and leading group. The closer, for instance, also lacks compactness, just listen to the guitar outro, composed in memory of Alex Skolnick's and Eric Peterson's fatiguing solo excursions on 'The New Order'. Well, the band loves its music that much – the dudes just cannot stop playing. Likeable, but slightly irritating. It is also somewhat strange that the lead vocalist conveys the anger of a punk shouter, but this is nothing that affects the sound in a negative way. This guy does not lack expressiveness or vigour and that's the main thing.

This band with the (did I already say it?) thrash-incompatible name has a profound basic heaviness that comes into full bloom in 'The 11th Hour', a song that prefers the rather non-typical mid-tempo approach. Its jagged and flawless riffing draws the listener into the track, regardless of the degree of velocity. By the way, the protagonists do not really focus on high-speed. 'Humanity Enslaved' is another song that does not appear as an orgy of speed, but its drilling guitar work during the chorus and its clearly defined verses deliver the right flavor. But don't worry, there are enough sections that make the Gods of velocity smile. Energetic songs such as 'Aggressive Denial' prove evidence that the band knows how to create a dynamic overall impression. I don't know why it took that enormous time until they finished this work, but I am happy that they were successful in the end. I can recommend the album with a clear conscience to all thrashers with an affinity for powerful, dominant guitars. The punk vibes of the lead singer mark the only external influence and therefore this is for all who like their daily dose of pure thrash. In other words, those who enjoy the last album of Xentrix will also have fun with Disciples of War. Just avoid thinking about the name of the band.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10