DIONYSUS – Fairytales And Reality

Fairytales And Reality is the third studio album since 2002 for Dionysus, coming on the heels of the well-received Anima Mundi from 2004. The best-known member of the band is probably lead singer Olaf Hayer, who has handled vocals for some on Luca Turilli’s solo albums. Other members of Dionysus have spent time with the likes of Sinergy, Stormwind, and Nation.

Dionysus specializes in Power Metal, with the guitar of Johnny Ohlin providing a riff-and-solo-filled background for the strong vocals of Hayer. Keyboards also make their way into some of the 11 songs on Fairytales And Reality. Throw some forceful drums and catchy vocal refrains on top, and all the ingredients are there for an enjoyable album.

If you’re a fan of Power Metal (or just plain ordinary Heavy Metal), you’ll like what Dionysus has come up with on this album: they don’t re-invent the wheel, but they’re not trying to. The album is Metal the way fans like it: strong riffs, wailing solos, solid singing, lots of energy, and generally fast-moving, up-tempo songs that don’t forget the power.

So, Fairytales And Reality isn’t a really original album, but it’s one that’s solid in all aspects, from writing through to playing and production. There are no dull tracks, and the entire album moves along nicely from start to finish. The playing is strong, with some nice solos and punchy riffs from Ohlin, and Hayer is in fine form; he’s always been a very good singer.

Fairytales And Reality comes up with a few winning tracks over its duration, with “Illusion Of Life,” “The Orb,” “Queen Of Madness,” and “The Game” being among the highlights. All of these tracks rock pretty nicely, and have memorable, sing-along choruses and stomping riffs; Ohlin’s playing on “The Game” is quite flashy at times. The best song is probably the inspiring “Spirit,” which has a really big riff and soaring vocal lines that you won’t be able to get out of your head. A couple of songs – “The Game” and “The End” — go on a bit too long, but at least they’re good tunes, so you don’t really mind too much. “The World” is a borderline filler song, but it’s still an okay listen, and is probably the fastest song on the album.

Power Metal fans will like Fairytales And Reality… it delivers the goods in fine style. If you liked either (or both) of Dionysus’ prior albums, then you’ll enjoy this one too.