An old school musician with a talent for crafting heavy, orchestral rock sounds, Dan Wande has been successfully carving out his musical legacy for almost four decades. An artist who first cut his teeth in bands such as Myopic Void, Grave, Vandee, Unit-X, Stella and SMILE, he’s recently started to indulge in his solo aspiration, breaking away from his life in Sweden to release a series of absolutely massive EP’s. After first capturing our attention with the release of his debut solo EP ‘Wings’ earlier this year, Dan cemented himself as a true musical force with sophomore instalment ‘Way Back’, a rampant metal release that found him at his absolute best.
Now, Dan is back in action with the release of ‘Dragon Force’, a bold three-track EP that perfectly builds on his classic, cinematic sound. Taken from his upcoming full-length album, ‘Dragon Force’ is just as epic and fantastical as its title suggests, arriving with a newfound sense of power and a far more expansive sound.
Opening with the title track, the EP showcases an immediate return to the dynamic, orchestral rock sounds that Dan last left us with, hitting hard with a sense of immediacy that will catch most unaware. It’s loud, impressive, and undeniably exciting, creating a fine maelstrom of high tempo, full octane sounds, brutal hooks, and awe-inspiring vocals. Almost operatic in scale, there is grandeur and excitement in every frantic guitar chord, and when the solo hits, it does so with power, precisions, and enviable dexterity, ensuring that the opening track ticks all the boxes of a classic rock anthem.
Without wasting any time, Dan dives straight into the down-tempo sounds of second cut ‘Searching’, a bold, harmonic piece that takes holds with shadows of Black Sabbath. Fully embracing the ‘arean rock’ aesthetic, ‘Searching’ artfully creates a familiar, but nevertheless powerful sound, one that matches emotive, even sad lyrics with a true melodic, edge, blending old sounds with new energy and laying a strong foundation for closing track, ‘Tommyknockers’. Inspired by Dan’s memory of the Stephen King novel, ‘Tommyknockers’ is far more experimental in form, layering heavy percussion, massive chords and an echoed blend of both harmonica and guitar solos to make it a unique, industrial experience. Bigger, broader, and better than ever, ‘Tommyknockers’ is an unstoppable closer that sees Dan treading new ground and expanding his horizons.
In his own words, Dan explained that he built the new EP around the idea of using the lead guitar with the lead vocals to make it more harmonically impressive, and its worked perfectly. At its core, ‘Dragon Force’ is orchestral, explosive, and impossible to deny, creating an enduring metal sound that reflects Dan’s tales of kings, queens, and dragons. A lavish platform for things to come, ‘Dragon Force’ has set the tone for Dan’s upcoming album, and with the promise of four new songs on the way, the future is looking bright.
You can stream ‘Dragon Force’ now on all major platforms and be sure to follow Dan on his social media pages so you get all the latest updates about the forthcoming album.
Score: 8.5/10
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