DREAMLORD "ARTIFICIAL IMPRISONMENT" album review

DREAMLORD “ARTIFICIAL IMPRISONMENT” album review

The Greek thrash scene bares its teeth once again with the new full-length from Dreamlord.
Six years after their debut Disciples of War (2019), the band strike back with Artificial Imprisonment, a record that keeps the thrash DNA intact while expanding its horizon into darker, more atmospheric and introspective territory.

While Disciples of War was an ode to old-school thrash tradition, packed with raw energy and pit-inducing anthems like “Out for Blood” and “Humanity Enslaved”, the new record is something else entirely.
From the opening title track, it’s clear Dreamlord have sharpened their focus thematically: no longer fighting external battles, but confronting the invisible prisons of the modern age — digital isolation, artificial dependence, societal decay. Musically, the aggression remains sharp, but the production is heavier, denser, and imbued with emotional depth.

The tracklist unfolds like a narrative between personal struggle and collective downfall:
“Kill the Serpent” – pure, relentless thrash, echoing the explosive spirit of their debut.
“No Room for the Dead” – dark atmospheres and mid-tempo grooves recalling ’90s Testament.
“Against Control” – an anthem of defiance with a throat-grabbing refrain.
“Global Decay” – the most thematically ambitious track, depicting worldwide collapse.
“Evil Twin” – psychological weight, the inner enemy taking shape with shifting moods.
“No Way Out” – a breathless thrash assault embodying the feeling of entrapment.
“This War of Mine” – a dramatic closer, turning inward to personal battles rather than war spectacles.

The result is a record more mature, thoughtful, and undeniably heavier than Disciples of War. If their debut was the merciless explosion that introduced Dreamlord to the world, Artificial Imprisonment is the shadow it left behind — darker, more reflective, yet just as powerful.

With this album, Dreamlord prove they are not content to rest within thrash stereotypes. Staying true to their old-school identity, they evolve into something more personal and urgent, offering not just headbanging fury and adrenaline, but food for thought.
Dreamlord: From Relentless Thrash Attack to the Inner Confinement.

M.W
8,5/10