Dreamspirit
将·军 (General Triumphant)

Metal music is now widespread around the world. However, in a country like China, metal is not so popular; according to Encyclopedia Metallum, there are only 300 metal bands in the Middle Kingdom, and only a few of them, such as Tang Dynasty, are known in the West. Nevertheless, in recent years, the scene is growing with the emergence of various interesting bands.

Dreamspirit was formed in 2005 in Tai'an, in the Shandong province, but they released their first album only in 2014, "Mountains and Rivers". Three years later, they released their second work "General Triumphant,” the subject of this review. It is a concept album about an imaginary general dealing with his military and political adventures, very similar to real historical figures like Cao Cao (155–220), a leader from the Three Kingdoms period, or Yue Fei (1103–1142), a national hero of the Song Dynasty.

The characteristic of Dreamspirit is their blend of classic heavy metal (similar to Judas Priest and Accept) with traditional Chinese instruments. What immediately stands out compared to the previous album is a better production (the album was produced in Germany) and a greater emphasis on the guitars compared to the traditional instruments. The instrumental work is excellent, and there is a massive use of Chinese scales enriched by instruments such as the erhu and the dizi. Notable tracks include the solid "Go Out to Battle," whose lyrics are based on poems by two famous poets of the Tang Dynasty: Li Bai and Dai Shulun. With "Of Daggers and Men," it almost transitions to Thrash Metal, and in the background, typical Death Metal growls can be heard. In contrast, "Ancient Poems" has a poetic atmosphere, and the music is partly based on "Pipa Yu" by Li Hai. The longest track is "Morbid Souls," an almost doom-like piece very similar in style to fellow countrymen Fu Xi. Other notable tracks are the two instrumentals "The Expedition" and "Rinsing Armour"; the former is characterized by the sound of the guzheng intertwined with wind instruments, while in the latter, the sound of a stream accompanied by the dizi creates an evocative atmosphere.

In conclusion, we are faced with an interesting album that is well-produced and well-played, recommended for fans of Folk Metal and those interested in discovering new bands from non-English-speaking countries.