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Monday, March 30, 2009

Review: KeyDragon - Dragon Mythos


KeyDragon – Dragon Mythos
2008, KeyDragon Studios


Heavy metal, programming and dragons are the three pillars of KeyDragon, the California band led by singer/screamer/synth player/programmer Ron Langford. Dealing exclusively in songs about Dragons, KeyDragon thrives in a gothic metal style with elements of Thrash, Darkwave and Prog. Langford is joined by Tamara Venus Star on vocals, Bobby “Bob-O” Blackmon on electric and bass guitars, Dan Marshall (DJ/Programmer), Holly Rains (drums) and Andrew Grant (guitar/bass). KeyDragon’s latest, Dragon Mythos, continues down the path of musical dragon lore.

For those of you not familiar with KeyDragon, the California band writes and performs only songs dealing with dragons. Some songs focus on folklore surrounding dragons while others take on original story lines based loosely on dragon myths and stories. The music is a subdued Darkwave Metal sound that is instantly recognizable particularly if you were ever a fan of bands like King Diamond, Type O Negative or mid-to-late Metallica. This is, of course, a niche record, playing to a very limited market of fans. That being said, it’s a decent album. Tamara Venus Star is always pleasant to listen to, and the juxtaposition of her voice with that of lead screamer Ron Langford is entertaining. The primary problem with Dragon Mythos is the uniformity of sound. The songs don’t sound all the same, but there is little enough sonic variation to bog down less than dedicated listeners.

Heart Of A Dragon is the high point of the album, and the midnight undertones of Jawzhar are sure to please metal fans. The Promise is the one true break in style here, slowing things down a bit in a sonic rest before the stretch run. In the end, there’s not enough here to hold the attention of anyone aside from diehard Dragon Metal fans. But those folks will be very happy.

Rating: 2.5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about KeyDragon at www.myspace.com/keydragon or http://www.keydragon.com/. You can purchase a copy of Dragon Mythos at www.cdbaby.com/cd/keydragon10.

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