Astronomy (Dragonland album)

Infobox Album |
Name = Astronomy
Type = studio
Artist = Dragonland


Released = November 13, 2006
Recorded = at Studio Fredman, Gothenburg, Sweden
Genre = Power metal
Length = 1:00:42
Label = Century Media "(Europe, North America)", King Records "(Japan)"
Producer = Patrik J., Olof Mörck, Henrik Udd
Reviews =
*Chronicles of Chaos rating-10|8 [http://www.chroniclesofchaos.com/reviews/albums/2-4450_dragonland_astronomy.aspx# link]
Last album = "Starfall" (2004)
This album = "Astronomy" (2006)
Next album =

"Astronomy" is the fourth studio album by Swedish power metal band Dragonland, released in Europe on November 13, 2006 and in North America on November 28, 2006. While their third album "Starfall" focused heavily on keyboards and had a more upbeat lyrical tone, according to guitarist Olof Mörck, "Astronomy" is "gloomier, more stygian and packed with crunching guitars; both furiously fast and bone-grindingly heavy."cite web |url=http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=59875 |title=DRAGONLAND: 'Astronomy' Details Revealed - Oct. 6, 2006 |author=Blabbermouth.net |language=English |accessdate=2007-10-28]

Track listing

"All music written by Dragonland unless otherwise noted"
# "Supernova" – 5:09
# "Cassiopeia" – 4:06
# "Contact" – 4:25
# "Astronomy" – 3:20
# "Antimatter" – 3:00
# "The Book of Shadows Part IV: The Scrolls of Geometria Divina" – 4:04
# "Beethoven's Nightmare" – 6:11
# "Too Late for Sorrow" – 3:36
# "Direction: Perfection" – 4:29
# "The Old House on the Hill Chapter I: A Death in the Family" – 4:30
# "The Old House on the Hill Chapter II: The Thing in the Cellar" – 3:08
# "The Old House on the Hill Chapter III: The Ring of Edward Waldon" – 6:18
*"Japanese Bonus Tracks:":13. "Intuition" "(TNT Cover)" – 4:15:14. "The Last Word" – 4:12

Lyrical References

In a February 2007 interviewcite web |url=http://www.metalreviews.com/interviews/interviews.php?id=100 |title=Interview with Dragonland |author=Metal Reviews |language=English |accessdate=2007-10-26] with [http://www.metalreviews.com/ Metal Reviews] , guitarist Olof Mörck went into details about some of musical and lyrical influences in "Astronomy":
*Olof and Elias Holmlid were inspired to write the "The Old House on the Hill" trilogy by listening to film scores, and they attributed this trilogy to Danny Elfman, probably most famously known for his Tim Burton's "Batman" theme and the "The Simpsons" theme. Unlike the "The Book of Shadows" trilogy from the Starfall album which had the story written after the music was composed, the "The Old House on the Hill" trilogy's story was written by Olof, and it took about six months to get the song fully fleshed out and recorded,
*"Too Late for Sorrow" is a tribute to Harold Faltermeyer, known for his 1986 "Top Gun" movie score and the "Axel F" electronic theme for "Beverly Hills Cop".

As suggested with the album title, many of the songs on the album are based around space subjects:
*"Supernova" sings about the beauty of an exploding star (supernova).
*The song "Cassiopeia" tells the tale of Queen Cassiopeia, wife of King Cepheus of the mythological Phoenician realm of Ethiopia, who claimed that both her and her daughter Andromeda were more beautiful than all the Nereids, the nymph-daughters of the sea god Nereus. To avoid the God's wrath, she sacrificed her daughter Andromeda by chaining her to a rock near the water's edge, but the Greek hero Perseus saved Andromeda, soon becoming her husband. Poseidon decided that Cassiopeia didn't deserve to escape punishment for her vainness, so he put her in the heavens as a constellation for all eternity.
*"Contact" is about first contact with aliens who turn out to be conquerors instead of saviors and destroy mankind.
*The title track "Astronomy" deals with the power of astronomy.

Another point of interest is the song "Beethoven's Nightmare" which intertwines heavy guitar riffs and classical piano melodies to tell the story of Beethoven writing a symphony about a tragedy that is consuming his life, while he laments about being deaf and wishing he could hear a sound "that could open my mind."

Personnel

* Jonas Heidgert - vocals
* Olof Mörck - guitars
* Nicklas Magnusson - guitars
* Christer Pedersen - bass
* Elias Holmlid - keyboards, synthesizers
* Jesse Lindskog - drums

Guest Musicians

*Elise Ryd - female vocals
*Jimmie Strimmell, formerly of Nightrage - growl vocals on "Antimatter" and "Direction: Perfection"
*Marios Illiopolous of Nightrage - guitar solo on "Cassiopeia"

Credits

* Mixed by: Fredrik Nordström, Patrik J.
* Engineered by: Patrik J., Henrik Udd
* Mastered by: Peter In de Betou at Tailor Maid Production
* Cover Art by: Niklas Sundin of Dark Tranquillity
* Band Photos by: [http://www.ollecarlsson.se/ Olle Carlsson]

References