Metal is a mountain built through ages of murdering all preconceptions and pushing relentlessly against the grain. From the days of old with majestic composers and occult symphonies of the last Eastern world onto this awful century and its only savior, Heaviathan. A formula has emerged time and time again and only the elite compellingly twist it about and blindly invent their own version. Dream Evil is not those elite. Instead, they seem to have chosen the onslaught of persistence and called on the Metallions to follow beyond the horizon into the blood red sky. From the doomed ice caps of this mountain, a snowballing of overindulgence heavy metal elements seems to have slipped away and near the bottom evolved into a mighty head banging obsessed army of Dream Evil nose diving into the masses wielding their weapon of choice, Into The Night.

The chosen axe of Dream Evil is a precursor, a stretching of a simple idea over too long a period. The flag bearers for the army behind. Not the soldiers, but the cheerleaders. The battles fought are difficult and bloody, but it isn’t the sound of Into The Night that fuels the warriors. They are given life and love of what they do by the soul that is in songs such as Kill, Burn, Be Evil and In The Night. Both ripped from the throat of some shiny armored stead gloriously charging into certain death screaming “METAL FOREVER! WE RISE TO THE FLAMES!” Crunchy thrash riffs overlaid with leads of hooves snapping the necks of desirable guitars and undesirable weakness. Not so much driven to war, but the sounds of warming up for what is come. The only two tracks above mediocre to be found.

The Gods, and most importantly, the one that truly matters all turn their heads and look away when songs such as the appropriately named The Ballad, a piano driven high pitched jam laced with the utmost cheesy lyrics since Manowar’s request to be played on MTV. Lines about loving booze and wine, traveling to distant planets, and too many humorous cracks at rock stardom to be taken seriously… The sentiment is there, however. The ridiculous gets even heavier with the tracks Immortal, Electric, and Bang Your Head. Every piece has its points of supreme groove and heaviness, but is essentially difficult to decipher from the jams before and after it. Leather and chains and such, a thousand times over.

Into The Night is monster of attempts at greatness, yet the more I poured on the anticipation, the less I was satisfied. I banged my head and drank the red wine. I represented the heavy wallet chain and skull rings. I even pressed hard in my death battle with gravity while lifting God sized weights. Try and try again I did to understand and even groove, but was let down every time. Dream Evil is metal and their souls are engraved with what they seem to comprehend as just that, yet very little I can find on Into The Night is any representation of a serious “Get The Fuck Outta’ Face!” sinister growl and sword swing at the masses. Given the chance to rage into battle, Dream Evil would expire in a glorious and respectful death, taking many with them, but rest assured that they would perish. Into The Night has earned a strong two guns, but not for a lack of effort.

If you subscribe to the Dream Evil ideology, check out some Firewind, Nocturnal Rites, new Dragonforce, and Hammerfall.