Has it really been 6 years since the last Sumerlands album? It feels like just yesterday that everybody and their mom were losing their shit over the supergroup comprising 3/5 of Eternal Champion, former Hour of Thirteen singer Phil Swanson, and veteran drummer Justin DeTore. Granted, their self titled debut album was a unique listen for the time: An intriguing effort that interspersed doom metal with flavors of 80s traditionalism and Fates Warning derived prog. Many have since hailed it as one of the finest metal albums of the 2010s, and while I understand where these people are coming from, I can’t say I share this opinion.
While I don’t hold Sumerlands in the same “modern day classic” regards as others, I did enjoy it enough to seek out the band’s long awaited follow up release, Dreamkiller. I couldn’t help but wonder how the band has evolved creatively. After all, it’s been 6 years since we last heard from them, and they’re now fronted by the far more dynamic Brendan Radigan of Magic Circle and Pagan Altar fame. This isn’t a knock at Swanson, but his deep, bellowing voice is best suited for doom oriented affairs. Knowing what Radigan was capable of on Magic Circle’s final album, Departed Souls (2019), I was excited what he’d bring to the Sumerlands table.
Well I can unequivocally say that not only has Radigan added a new level of depth to Sumerlands, but the band themselves have grown exponentially as songwriters, arrangers, and performers. Upon first listen of Dreamkiller, I almost found it hard to believe I was listening to the same band. Gone are the doomy backdrops of dread and despair. This band have since reinvented themselves into a lean, mean, early 80s metal machine, channeling that unique, oft-forgotten era when AOR and metal collided head-on (1981-1983), and atmosphere was as pivotal as hooks, melodies, and riffs. In other words, if you find yourself repeatedly spinning Ozzy Osbourne’s Bark at the Moon (1983), Judas Priest’s Point of Entry (1981), Blue Öyster Cult’s Fire of Unknown Origin (1981), and Aldo Nova’s self titled (1982), boy are you in for a treat.
Dreamkiller opens with the brilliantly composed “Twilight Points the Way”: An unrelenting slab of nocturnal nostalgia that sets the tone for the entire release with its soaring vocals, breezy riffage, and atmospheric qualities virtually unheard in metal for nearly 40 years. The haunting melodies continue to reign supreme on the blatantly BÖC inspired “Heavens Above”, although Radigan’s dynamic range lies closer to radio rock titans like Toto’s Bobby Kimball or Jefferson Starship’s Mickey Thomas. The fast and ferocious title track has a slight power metal edge, thanks to its ferocious aggression and triumphant twin guitar attack, while the heavenly “Night Ride” stands tall as a monolith of both AOR and metal.
Unlike most newer traditional metal/hard rock releases that tend to lose steam into their second acts, Dreamkiller is concise enough to keep the listener hooked from beginning to end. The rip roaring, larger than life “Edge of the Knife” would’ve certainly been a hit single 35 years ago; its painstaking attention to detail not going unnoticed during those slick chorus harmonies. Following this is the dramatic headbanging rage of “Force of a Storm”, which is then contrasted by the plodding “The Savior’s Lie”, the latter being the only song reminiscent of Sumerlands’ debut. Closing it all out is one more melodic metal victory lap in “Death to Mercy”.
Sumerlands have raised the traditional metal revival bar to a near untouchable high with Dreamkiller. Your run of the mill Priest and Maiden worship acts just ain’t gonna cut it anymore. Great as those bands are, there was far more to 80s metal than them. Sumerlands knows it, and does a unparalleled job at rearranging these influences into something fresh and invigorating, yet old school and familiar. In the event we don’t get another Sumerlands album until 2028, I’ll have no problem spinning this one on repeat until then.
10 out of 10
Label: Relapse Records
Genre: Heavy Metal
For fans of: Blue Öyster Cult, Judas Priest, Ozzy Osbourne