DYNAZTY – Firesign [Japan Edition +1] (2018)

One of the best, innovative current rock acts are without a doubt Sweden’s modern, melodic metal / hard rock outfit DYNAZTY. Their new album “Firesign” is perhaps the band’s most creative, dynamic and inspired record yet. This Japanese edition includes as exclusive bonus track the non album song ‘Prestige’, a really worth listen.

Back in 2009 when Dynazty released their first album ‘Bring the Thunder’ and followed it up two years later with ‘Knock You Down’ you could have been forgiven for thinking that they were a band that revered the magical ’80s renaissance of hard rock above all else.

Now that may have been true at the time and those two albums as well as 2012’s ‘Sultans of Sin’ are great additions to any collection but by 4th album ‘Renatus’ (which means ‘rebirth’ in Latin) in 2014 things had started to change, and interestingly this coincided with Dynazty starting to produce themselves.
Three self-produced albums later ‘Firesign’ could just be their crowning glory.

It all begins with a sonic boom of a song and some fast-paced searing melodic rock from the Swedish masters. If you like this kind of fast past uplifting melodic rock with keyboards that flourish and guitars that crash and a sound that at times moves towards the border of progressive without quite taking you there, along with a pace that is frantic metal then you’ll love ‘Breathe with Me’ that opens things here.
‘The Grey’ that follows is lighter but with an even grander construction, and is driven towards a huge melodic chorus and memorable progressive-tinged refrain.

It gets even better with the wonderfully heavy and uplifting ‘In the Arms of a Devil’ which could well be the perfect distillation of what the band does so well – produce highly-polished, modern melodic hard rock with a definite metal-edge.
And the truth is the deeper you get here the more you feel that Dynazty have found their ‘sound.’ This album takes them to a special place that isn’t quite modern melodic rock but has all kind of elements at play without any of them becoming overbearing or commonplace.

Just to prove the point ‘My Darkest Hour’ slows the pace a little and take away the searing guitar solo and the rock vocal and it might be called a ‘pop song’ its certainly constructed in that particular way.
Right up against it you have ‘Aversion’ which is almost the antithesis – at one moment acoustic and free and at others dark and brooding and very lavishly orchestrated.
Both are great songs and that’s largely the point here – you’ve got a band with such richness in their sound that you really feel they can turn their hands to anything and still sound like themselves.

‘Firesign’ the title track flicks you back immediately to modern day with synths that might be a step to far for traditionalists but it shows that they can do radio-friendly Euro AOR out a huge chorus that both rockers and fans of ’80s rock&pop might enjoy equally.

And it’s in those first six songs that you really have the choice cuts here. It’s not that the second half of the album loses anything it’s just that you find yourself wishing they’d push even more rather than merely consolidate, though I suspect that is exactly what most fans might want from the band.

‘Closing Doors’ opens with more of a powerful AOR sound and would make a quality single if they want to try and crossover into another market to expand their audience. The guitar harmonies are warm and welcoming with more classy solos on display.

‘Follow Me’ rides an even deeper groove and is driven higher still by an insistent guitar line and a vocal that just sweeps you up and along for the ride.
Then there’s ‘Let Me Dream Forever’, another different song both musically and structure; think Eclipse / W.E.T meets Meat Loaf. Weird, but truly original – and good.
Closer ‘The Light Inside the Tunnel’ kicks in a cool uplifting melodic rocker that seems to shout that there is so much more to come.

I think that Dynazty’s trip has been an unusual one in that really you can put their albums firmly into two camps – the first three ride the Hard Rock wave and these latest three are something altogether different but equally compelling.
And “Firesign” is the best of all, mature, rocking as hell, melodic… Dynazty has all: awesome musicianship, focused songwriting and top notch production.

This is the kind of albums that makes you think that even bigger things are just around the corner. “Firesign” sets a high benchmark and should bring on board a whole new legion of fans, and make the existing rejoice
KILLERRR / Mandatory Listen

Avalon ／ Marquee ～ 【MICP-11446】
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01 – Breathe With Me
02 – The Grey
03 – In The Arms Of A Devil
04 – My Darkest Hour
05 – Ascension
06 – Firesign
07 – Closing Doors
08 – Follow Me
09 – Let Me Dream Forever
10 – Starfall
11 – The Light Inside The Tunnel
12 – Prestige (Japan Bonus Track)

Nils Molin – Vocals
Rob Love Magnusson – Guitars, Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Mike Lavér – Guitars
Jonathan Olsson – Bass, , Backing Vocals
George Egg – Drums, Backing Vocals

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www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/MICP-11446
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