Album Review – Dragoncorpse / The Fall of House Abbarath EP (2024)

This international Powercore army is back into the battlefield armed with a brand new EP, taking their already innovative, energetic sound to a whole new level.

Back into the battlefield and armed with a brand new EP entitled The Fall of House Abbarath, International Symphonic Deathcore/Power Metal dynamos Dragoncorpse took their already innovative, energetic sound, plus all feedback gathered from the release of their 2023 debut EP, The Drakketh Saga, to heart and used it to refine their approach in their new release. Produced by the band itself alongside Matt Schmidt, who was also responsible for all mixing and mastering, and displaying a killer artwork by Avellustration, the new EP by Mardy Leith on vocals, Kris Chayer on the guitars, Noah Nikolas Laidlaw on bass, Justin Gogan on drums, and Mark Marin on all orchestrations takes place in the space between “Sunlover” and “Blood And Stones” (both songs from The Drakketh Saga), offering a heavy yet very melodic sound perfect for admirers of the music by Dragonforce, 3 Inches of Blood, Nekrogoblikon, Lorna Shore and Brand of Sacrifice, among others.

An Introduction To [HEROISM] is a wicked spoken track that introduces the listener to Dragoncorpse’s realm of dragons, warriors and battles, exploding into the heavy and epic Welcome Home, where Mardy delivers his Deathcore-infused vocals supported by the riffs by Kris and the whimsical orchestrations by Mark, followed by I Live… AGAIN!, even more infuriated and heavier than the previous song, with the pulverizing beats by Justin inviting us all to head into the battlefield together with the band, showcasing a great balance between harsh screams and Power Metal clean vocals. A Quest For Truth starts in a weird dancing way, almost sounding pop, but quickly morphing into another Power Metal attack by Dragoncorpse with all background keys and visceral gnarling enhancing its punch. Then featuring guest vocals by Lauren Coleman we have Whisper on the Wind, a dark and enfolding ballad (if we can call it this way) that soothes our souls before their last metal aria titled Fear and Hunger, showcasing a venomous riff and bass attack by Kris and Noah while Justin keeps hammering his drums in the name of heavy music (and dragons).

“For new fans, I believe we’ve added more elements of deathcore and power metal while adding more excitement into the music for an authentic listening experience like no other band,” Noah explains. “We put a lot of emphasis on the atmosphere of the music,” adds Justin. “Throughout the entire EP there is a medieval theming that resonates in the music that keeps the tracks feeling refreshing and fun. With the addition of Mark on keys/orchestration, he brought with him a completely different approach to songwriting that I am sure fans are going to appreciate!” Hence, if you want to experience all that sonic madness brought into being by this multinational entity from Australia, Canada and the United States, you can purchase The Fall of House Abbarath from their own BandCamp, from the Shattered Earth Records webstore as a CD or as a vinyl, as well as by clicking HERE. Also, don’t forget to start following the band on Facebook and on Instagram, and to stream more of their music on Spotify, letting their Powercore invade your ears as you prepare to march into battle to fight dragons and, of course, to raise your horns to one of the most unique bands of the current scene.

Best moments of the album: I Live… AGAIN! and Fear and Hunger.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2024 Shattered Earth Records

Track listing
1. An Introduction To [HEROISM] 3:22
2. Welcome Home 3:15
3. I Live… AGAIN! 3:55
4. A Quest For Truth 4:38
5. Whisper on the Wind 3:49
6. Fear and Hunger 3:59

Band members
Mardy Leith – vocals
Kris Chayer – guitars
Noah Nikolas Laidlaw – bass
Justin Gogan – drums
Mark Marin – orchestration

Guest musicians
Nick Miller – guitars on “I Live… AGAIN!”
Lauren Coleman – vocals on “Whisper on the Wind”