Master Splinter, the Portland-based hard rock powerhouse, has unleashed a storming renegade of a track with Dragon’s Blood, which opens the gateway into the realms of arcane fantasy and fiction, a territory where bands like Gwar and Nekrogoblikon have previously ventured, but Master Splinter carves out their own unique path with an anthem of escapism and empowerment.
The powerful and melodic vocals tie the whole ensemble together, creating a sound that is both classic and refreshingly innovative. Songwriters, Mick Arrell and Jason Schauer, have a knack for weaving epic stories, using metaphorical characters and scenarios to express complex emotions and experiences in a way that is both clever and subtle – perfectly exemplified in Dragon’s Blood.
The track itself is a journey through a fantastical landscape, where the tales of prevailing against adversity are enough to psyche up any listener to smite their challenges. It is stoner rock perfection from a band that continues to adorn our radar with riff-charged insanity, and we eagerly anticipate what they will conjure up next.
Dragon’s Blood dripped onto the airwaves on December 15; stream it on Spotify.
Review by Amelia Vandergast