Band: Dynazty
Album: The Dark Delight
Release Date: 3rd April 2020
Record Label: AFM Records
I’ve got to admit, until I saw Amaranthe supporting Sabaton at Wembley Arena in February of this year (oh, I miss gigs!), I had heard the name Dynazty in passing, but didn’t know that the clean male vocalist for Amaranthe also fronted this band. I also received the EPK for this album, so it made sense that I check them out and did a little review of the latest Dynazty release.
The album opens up with Presence of Mind, the first single. There’s a pop feel to the intro, but there’s soon heavy, groovy riffs and a catchy vocal melody. The chorus is prime for a singalong, and you can have a good old boogie and headbang to the instrumentals. There’s a spoken word breakdown, still with the groove in there. It’s a strong start to the album, with a big impact and energy.
There’s some synth and strings which bring in Paradise of the Architect, and then we descend into a heavy and fast synth driven instrumental. The vocals are powerful again, and we have yet another catchy chorus which is prime for a singalong. There’s also some crushing instrumental ready for headbanging, a twiddly (technical term) guitar solo, and an obligatory power metal key change at the end.
The Black starts with guitar and synth before heading back into another heavy instrumental which is definitely more for headbanging. The verses have a more stripped back instrumental accompaniment, which is a nice change of pace from the previous two tracks, but the tempo is still prime for dancing and headbanging! From Sound to Silence has a more sinister feel to the instrumental, but the heaviness is still there, and the track gives us some harsher vocal lines for the first time, and it works really well with the overall feel of the track.
A different intro altogether with piano is what greets us when we hear Hologram. This feels like the ballad of the album which is, of course, obligatory in any power metal related album. Although the full band does kick in, it still has that “lighters in the air” feel, and this is the type of “ballad” I like. Some synthy piano and guitar buildup brings us Heartless Madness, it almost has a Nightwish feel to the intro. The chorus is yet another catchy one you can singalong and jump to (if I ever see Dynazty live I’m going to need a week to rest my voice and body afterwards!) Of course, there’s also a twiddly guitar solo, and a breakdown to clap your hands to before the chorus kicks in and you’re jumping again.
The intro and first verse of Waterfall feels like a track you could easily do some workouts to, but also feels like it’s building up to something bigger, which it does for the chorus. I feel like you could easily do some boxercise to this, and of course singalong because every track on this album so far is catchy. Towards the end we have a key change which just tops off this song, I think t his might be my favourite track on the album so far!
Threading the Needle has a heavier synth presence, and stripped down instrumentals in the verses. It feels a little deflated after Waterfall for me, but it’s a great song in its own right, I feel that maybe it’s not the right track to follow the previous track. The Man and the Elements, has a foot tapping, head bopping intro with the guitar riff. I can definitely see myself dancing around in a happy dance pit at a live gig to the instrumental for this one.
Apex has a bit of a tenser intro, and when the drums kick in, it’s a heavier theme altogether. The verses have a completely different feel, however. The chorus is upbeat and another one to jump to. A Western style theme brings us to The Road to Redemption with a more acoustic feel to the intro. The tempo is slower, but still upbeat and catchy.
The title track begins with piano, but kicks in head with drums and guitar to bring a sinister theme. There’s a lot of background choir and synth in this track, which brings a more epic feel as the track continues. We have another key change as well towards the end.
The album has a bonus track called The Shoulder Devil. It starts with strings and has some heavy metal instrumental before stripping down for the verse. The chorus is particularly epic and powerful, and I’d love to hear this one live.
I would definitely LOVE to see Dynazty live. This album is epic, and catchy, and fills me with energy and motivation, which is definitely needed in these troubled times. The album is consistent with its high energy tracks, and a lot of them are going to be on my motivation and dancey playlists! Being completely honest, (as I always try to be on reviews), there are a couple of tracks that I’m not as keen on, but overall it’s a strong release, and I look forward to exploring more of Dynazty’s back catalogue which I’m informed is even better than this album…
Verdict: 9/10
Buy Dynazty music and merch: https://www.dynazty.com/shop/
Listen to Dynazty on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5deRBvKxJssHVa9n6B7tWV
Follow Dynazty on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dynaztyband/
Dynazty website: https://www.dynazty.com/
AFM Records website: https://www.afm-records.de/en/
Ostara Metal 