EchoSoul’s “Time of the Dragon” is Power Metal with Teeth

“…feels like Pyramaze and Dream Theater got mugged by Lutharö and Anthrax…”

Be honest, every single one of you has envisioned yourself in something like that album cover as a kid after playing one round of Dark Souls. EchoSoul returns from the mystical cornfields of Indiana with their second full-length record, Time of the Dragon—a power/prog metal journey that’s as epic as the name implies and surprisingly heavier than you’d expect.

Formed in 2019 by guitarist and songwriter Guy Hinton, the band unites the vocal power of metal YouTube veteran Rob Lundgren with studio forces Tyler Witte and Randy Walton. The result? A 49-minute prog/power metal album that starts in familiar territory and ends in places you probably didn’t see coming, like thrash metal riffs, MDM breakdowns, and more from the pits of metal hell.

The album opens with the most creatively named intro track in metal history—“Prologue.” And, it’s exactly what you’d expect from a dramatic intro track: narration, story setup, and just enough flair to remind you of a Game of Thrones reboot (if it was directed by Temu and scored by Dark Souls). But it does the job of setting the stage for the album’s title track “Time of the Dragon,” which immediately cranks the intensity. Riffs chug like they’ve got a deadline, Lundgren’s vocals hit with classic heavy metal thunder, and the soloing is so melodic it practically sprouted wings. The band proves that they’re not afraid to bring some weight to their power metal foundation as we move into “Path of the Righteous”, opening with a clean, moody guitar arpeggio before the band kicks the doors down with blast beats and galloping rhythm work. The tempo jerks between slow stomps and frantic fills like someone switched their Spotify from Candlemass to 1349 mid-track.

Things get personal on “Sister Suicide,” a track written in memory of a tragic loss in the band’s circle. It opens with clean guitars and moody distortion—a power metal ballad at heart—but still packs plenty of muscle in the riff department. Vocally, there’s an unexpected but compelling blend of Axl Rose swagger and Lance King melodrama. It never gets too indulgent, instead focusing on delivering one of the most memorable and melodic solos on the record. “Instruments of Chaos” follows with more heavy riffs and dueling guitar leads. The proggy midsection gives the drums room to go ballistic while Lundgren lets loose with soaring clean vocals. And yes, around 4:45 you get what can only be described as a Dream Theater riff cameo as we transition into “Hollowed Ground” (which is also what I’m naming my dedicated moshing room) brings a darker energy to the album. I am liking how much of Pyramaze I’m getting from this; I keep getting reminded of Legend of the Bone Carver with a lot of these songs, especially with Lundgren resembling Lance King a lot of the time. The chorus hits way harder than you'd expect from standard power metal—less gallant knights on horses, more cursed warriors with flaming swords. The riffing here takes a turn toward brooding minor keys, a welcome departure from the usual power metal sunshine.

“Invisible Empire” brings an actual bard into the adventure—seven tracks in, but hey, better late than never. It feels fairly standard for the album so far, with chugging gallops and pounding drum work and ... wait, was that a scream? Yes. Yes, it was. Like, an actual fry scream. Mid-song. Out of nowhere. In a power metal album!? It’s a bold shift in tone on Time of the Dragon, and it works! It breaks up the monotony of the album (if there was any) and brings new intrigue to the album as it continues into “Split,” the album’s lone instrumental. Honestly, it feels more like it was a song that was meant to have lyrics but last minute they forgot to write anything, so the guitarist was like “fuck it, I’ll just shred”

“Die Demon Die” is the surprise knockout punch of the record. Fry screams return, this time channeling the likes of Lutharö, while the verses dive fully into melodeath riffing and rhythmic chaos. And just when you think they’re done throwing curveballs, a death metal breakdown drops out of nowhere to close it out. Again, this is power/prog on paper—but in practice, EchoSoul is out for blood. The album wraps with “A New Conspiracy,” which brings things full circle with massive grooves, soaring vocals, and epic melodic payoff. And in true prog metal fashion, the band drops the curtain with a solemn clean guitar outro, letting the emotional dust settle after all the carnage.

So where does that leave us? Time of the Dragon is a banger. It’s a prog/power adventure that starts in familiar territory but slowly morphs into a multi-headed beast of surprise genre shifts and killer musicianship. The second half is where the magic really kicks in—shaking things up with melodeath, thrash, and a few curveballs that kept me from zoning out or rage-quitting the quest and pissing off the DM.

Overall, Time of the Dragon is a massive step forward for EchoSoul. It feels like Pyramaze and Dream Theater were enjoying a fun, adventurous D&D quest, but then Lutharö and Anthrax mugged them halfway through the campaign. While the first half leaned hard into their progressive power roots, it’s the second half that shakes things up and gives the record its unique flavor—injecting thrash, melodeath, and just enough chaos to keep even the most jaded metalhead on their toes. It’s emotionally resonant, technically proficient, and, most importantly, a hell of a fun ride. If you enjoyed their debut The End of Darkness (which I just heard as I was writing this), then this is going to be up your alley.