DRAKKAR - "GEMINI" (DRAGONHEART)

 

The melodic thrash metal revival has flooded the market with quite a few bands. Most of them seem to arise from Germany or Italy, for some reason. Some of them are pretty good really, and some of them add nothing interesting whatsoever.

I am afraid Drakkar - from Italy - falls in the latter category. You know the drill: Lyrics about war and glory, a singer who generally sings rather high, and musicians who know how to play a dazzling riff and/or lick here and there. Musically, Drakkar are capable. Compositorally, they don't do anything that you haven't heard before. There's the obligatory 10+ minute opus (this time in the shape of "Until the End", which has musically interesting keyboard and guitar work). It sounds well, but there's just too much of this around for Drakkar to be able to stick out.

Despite songs like "The Climb" and "The Secret", which are quite excellent tracks with good riffs and dedicated singing, Drakkar just doesn't have what it takes. Singer Luca Cappellari's accent is laughable at times (most particularly where "dragonship" comes out as "dragonsheep") and his higher passages fade away when compared to, to name but one direct competitor in the genre, Rhapsody. It takes more than dedication and pretty OK songs to survive. "Gemini" fails to convince.

RK

 

Written March 2000

 

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