Dungeon * Resurrection

A Comparision between Original and Recording

When looking over the Sydney metal scene over the years, few bands had the power, the variety or the sheer staying power of the mighty Dungeon. Rising from humble beginnings in Rural NSW in the late 80's to become one of the most recognisable and respected bands in the scene. Their at times eclectic mix of styles, which ran the full gammut from power metal to AOR, right up to blistering speed metal and moments of brutal thrash, saw them sharing the stage with a variety of international acts ranging from Nightwish, Megadeth, Yngwie Malmsteen and Edguy right through to heavier acts like Destruction and Mayhem.

Looking over the band's initial releases, one would likely notice a band in a state of transition, still trying to find their trademark sound. Those lucky enough to have heard the "Changing Moods" EP were treated to 5 very solid tracks made mostly up of melodic heavy metal and arena rock, with the blistering instrumental title track being the only leaning towards a heavier sound represented here. The next year's "Demolition" compilation added a few new tracks to the fold which showed the band incorporating more speed and thrash metal influence than anything the band had released prior, topped off with the ripping track "I Am Death". It was in this heavier, faster direction the band would take their sound, as they spent the next few years getting their power/thrash metal style down to a tee

By the time the band's debut full length "Resurrection" was released in 1999 on cult Sydney label Warhead Records (the final Warhead release, in fact), it painted the picture of a band that was young, hungry, and ready to take on the world. The band lineup at this point was absolutely Dungeon's strongest to date, with long term members Lord Tim (guitar/vocals, now with Lord) and Dale Corney (guitars) joined by new members Justin "Juz" Sayers (bass), and journeyman drummer Steve "Stevo" Moore (ex-Addictive, Enticer, Redeemer, Dark Order, Ilium).

Of course though, a talented lineup and all the enthusiasm in the world won't help a bit if the songwriting's not up to par. Fortunately the tracklist here is incredibly strong top-to-bottom, probably the best of any Dungeon album for this reviewer. The album is filled with frenzied guitar and drum work, an assortment of sometimes heavy, sometimes extremely melodic, but always catchy riffs, and 11 great tracks filled with solid hooks. Highlights include the blazing title track, a heavier, ripping rendition of "I Am Death", and the epic "Legend Of Huma". In an interesting move, bass player Juz performs lead vocal duties on two tracks, namely "Wake Up" and "Let It Go". While his vocals are no match for Lord Tim's soaring performance, they are certainly interesting to hear none the less. Dungeon have always been famous for their revolving door lineup. Unfortunately by the time a follow up was recorded, both Corney and Sayers were gone from the band.

While the debut was a very strong record overall, band leader Lord Tim had always been unhappy with the final product. So in 2005, during the recording sessions for their "One Step Beyond" album, Dungeon's then label had expressed interest in reissuing the original resurrection album. After careful deliberation the decision was made to completely rerecord "Resurrection" from scratch. Being recorded at the same time as "One Step Beyond", the lineup for these sessions was identical, with new guitarist Stu Marshall joining drummer Stevo Moore and Lord Tim, who was now handling bass guitar duties in addition to guitars, vocals and producing the album.

While these rerecorded albums have been more miss than hit through the years, Lord Tim and the new Dungeon Lineup, comprising  hit the mark in fine form with their efforts. While a lot of the youthful energy present in the original recordings is lacking from these new recordings, the band's preformance is supremely confident, the performances from all members are much tighter. This recording was obviously a labour of love for Lord Tim, every aspect of this record being addressed with a high degree of care and attention, as if to give the world the record he'd always hoped to deliver.

But how do the two recordings differ? Most obviously the production has taken a big jump in the new recordings. While the original album was very raw and rough around the edges, sounding almost like a well recorded demo, the production on the new recordings are much cleaner, lending the album a very professional sound that almost stands up to some major label recordings of the time. While the original recordings were well performed for the most part, the playing was certainly sloppy in parts, the drums in particular. On the new recordings everything is much tighter, with an almost machine like accuracy. It must be said though, that the 2005 recordings feature triggered drums and amp modelled guitar tracks. While not too distracting, they do tend to sound a bit artificial at times. Overall, while some will definitely prefer the looser and more organic sound and feel of the original recordings, I feel the production on 2005 version really lends itself to the album to make for a vastly superior product overall. 

Also of note, in the new recordings, the track "Let It Go" was omitted entirely, being replaced with the power ballad "Severed Ties". While not a bad track, it's definitely among my least favourite of the album. That being said, I also though "Let It Go" was one of the weaker tracks on the original, so they even out for me. Lord Tim performed vocals on the new version of "Wake Up", and I feel his powerful vocal helps raise this track far above it's original incarnation. Some versions of the 2005 release also feature covers of Little River Band's "Playing To Win" and Thin Lizzy's "Waiting For An Alibi". The Lizzy cover doesn't stray too far from the original. Nothing to go out of your way for, but it is well performed (with vocals being done here by Stu). The LRB cover, on the other hand, is outstanding, with some ripping guitar work and one of my favourite vocal performances from Lord Tim.

The original Warhead release is getting very hard to find these days, and can go in the region of $50+ when it does turn up, but it's a truely great album, and given it's unlikely to ever see a reissue in this format, one that's well worth the effort to pick up. The 2005 release, on either Modern Invasion Music in Australia or Limb music worldwide, is still readily available for a decent price. While my personal preferences give the edge to the outstanding 2005 rerelease, no matter which version you can get your hands on, Dungeon's full length debut is an incredible slab of heavy, fast and sometimes dark power metal that's well worth getting your hands on. My highest recommendation.

-- Matt