So you like music: Dragon Guardian

Thus begins a new posting system for music. I figured that it would be easier if I created an overarching group that could be easier for people, in case they are searching for things. The only thing that is changing is the title of the postings, nothing more, so expect quality articles to still come out. For the first "So you like music" is Dragon Guardian, a rather unusual group. Jump the break to find out more.


As you can probably notice by the CD cover, Dragon Guardian takes a note from anime, actually it is quite integral to how the group wants to portray itself. Dragon Guardian was formed in 2006 by Arthur Hero in Kyoto. While the members are in flux, Arthur Hero is the main guitarist and composer to all the songs. Since 2007, Dragon Guardian has released a CD yearly. Unfortunately in 2009, the main vocalist, kick, announced she would no longer be apart of the group.

The main genre of Dragon Guardian is a speed metal/ symphonic metal, although Arthur prefers to call it fantasy metal. While all these names sort of do fit what they do, I probably would call it more of an RPG metal. The reason why I would consider it to be a sort of RPG metal is because of how each song flows. Each CD is about how the group (members) are traveling around a fantasy world and their adventures. Some songs are about just traveling, while others are about some of the battles they have. Of couse songs with battles leave a longer impression because they are more frantic and generally interesting.

While Dragon Guardian isn't the first group to do fantasy metal, they do make it a bit more interesting by having voice actors appear in songs as if it were a real battle. An Island of the Oblivion shows how Dragon Guardian plays with their songs. A few things really stand out for me with An Island of the Oblivion, first the main singer has a strong voice but still plays with the music, also chorus is rather powerful. The second thing is how towards the later half Dragon Guardian uses an 'anime' style. Meaning that they take a few voice actors and have them play a battle out. In addition there is a narrator describing what happens afterwards which makes Dragon Guardian seem like they are creating songs more for games rather than a standalone CD.

Another song that really shows their talent is a Darkness ball. A Darkness ball is very similar to An Island but it does focus more on the guitar and drums, showing off why they are a great speed metal group. Yet this is not what really makes up the song, it is the addition of the classical music which really stands out for me. Being a fan of classical music I really enjoy it when bands try incorporating these elements. Once again, the singer's voice really stands out because of how well it matches the music yet doesn't throw off the balance.

While Dragon Guardian will probably appeal to fans of the metal genre, it isn't to hardcore so more novices can approach them and still appreciate them.