### Dream Evil: In the night

#### 23/02/10 || HailandKill

Judging by the mighty opener of this latest effort from that retarded power metal band of renown, Dream Evil, these cheese crusaders haven’t grown stale yet. Its members now sporting appropriate stage names, most hilarious being axeman Fredrick Nordstrom’s nome de plume ‘Richie Rainbow’, you should go see his pic on the band’s MySpace, the moment “In The Night” cranks open sheer corniness rains from the heavens, slaughtering the un-tr00 and leaving the faithful much rewarded with unabashedly g-h-e-y muzack.

Ahem!

First song “Immortal” is your by-the-numbers warrior anthem that’s long been peddled by Saxon and Manowar, only in Dream Evil’s hands the usual clichés are given a new lease on life plus a healthy injection of rawk pahwuh. It’s great power metal, no doubt. For further icing on the cake there’s the title track that arrives in a tsunami of rumbling drums and chugga-chugga riffs. Our asinine pleasure is further gratified on the next few songs, but the excitement nosedives on “Frostbite” and the grimace inducing “Electric.”

The guys also do a hideous ballad followed by passable tunes until the chest beating sing along “Kill, Burn, Be Evil” brings their inner-Gandalf back on board to work the musical magic that erupts in brilliant fireworks. Too bad the curtains fall on this kindergarten metal opus with the irrelevant “The Unchosen Ones”, a sequel to the worst tune from their definitive “Dragonslayer” album. Like a quality porno DVD, once you’ve had your pleasure with this album it’s time “In The Night” is introduced to an unlighted corner of your bedroom lest it’s discovered by suspicious parents/sibling/boyfriends.

Scrutinizing the details, production-wise Fredrik Nordström/Richie Rainbow has worked the knobs to perfection, giving each song the right varnish so that they sparkle, no matter how d-u-m-b. Singer Nick Night’s (aka Niklas Isfeldt) vocals are a lordly affair and he’s rightfully stands tall among the best in the genre. The man brings a lot to the table throughout “In the Night” and deserved heaps-a praise. As for the rest of the dudes, the expected speed, riffs, solos, hooks, and gallops are there, sounding like your favorite Dio, Priest, and U.D.O. And the cover? A flaming pentagram roasting an eagle. It’s like giving Primal Fear the finger.

Bottom line: If you enjoyed “The Book of Heavy Metal” and “Dragonslayer” then “In The Night” is gonna make you feel like its New Year’s all over again.

- Information
- Released: 2010
- Label: Century Media
- Website: www.dreamevil.se
- Band
- Nick Night: vocals
- Richie Rainbow: guitars
- Danee Demon: guitars
- Pete Pain: bass
- Pat Power: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Immortal
- 02. In the Night
- 03. Bang Your Head
- 04. See The Light
- 05. Electric
- 06. Frostbite
- 07. On the Wind
- 08. The Ballad
- 09. In The Fires of the Sun
- 10. Mean Machine
- 11. Kill, Burn, Be Evil
- 12. The Unchosen Ones