Dragonhammer Biography

The beginnings and the first demo: Age Of Glory (1999-2000)

The band was formed in 1999 by Max Aguzzi (vocals, keyboards and guitar) and Gae Amodio (bass) developing a melodic and evocative power-metal style. The first songs combined Max’s tenor vocal melodies and keyboard atmospheres with his own guitar playing and Gae’s electric bass. At the end of 1999, they released a demo called “Age Of Glory” .

In early 2000, the demo was sent to Elevate Records, which offered them a contract with their division “Legend Music”.

The first album: The Blood Of The Dragon (2001-2002)

In 2000, Max Aguzzi decided to concentrate on singing and guitar, leaving the role of keyboard player to Alex Valdambrini. The line-up was also completed with the entry of Milko Morelli on drums. Throughout 2000, the band worked on the composition of its first album, The Blood Of The Dragon, which was recorded at the Legend Studio in Rome and released in March 2001. The album was very successful, immediately getting good reviews and outlining the band in the power metal scene of the early 2000s. The Blood Of The Dragon is an epic and fantasy power metal album that fits right in with the power metal wave that swept through Italy during those years, with bands like Rhapsody, Labyrinth, and Domine.

The album was initially printed with a circulation of 5000 copies for Europe that were sold out in a few months. The label therefore decided to make a further reissue, which was also sold in the USA and Japan.

New label for Time for Expiation (2003-2004)

Thanks to the excellent feedback from the first album, the band signed a new contract with Scarlet Records.

The second album “Time for Expiation” was published in 2004, preceded by the single “Eternal Sinner”, with licences for Europe, the USA, Japan, Russia, and Argentina.

With this album, the band deviates slightly from the themes of pure epic fantasy to embrace even more introspective and social themes.

Line-up changes (2005-2010)

Between 2005 and 2007, the band planned many concerts for the promotion of their album Time For Expiation, including participations in Italian festivals and playing as opening-act to Trick Or Treat and Ektomorf.

Between 2007 and 2010, the band experienced internal problems among the members, and they were not able to maintain a stable line-up. Max and Gae (the founders of the band) had to hire temporary musicians for the drums, keyboards and second guitar in order to allow the band to complete the scheduled live concerts.

However, the band closed 2010 playing as opening act to Primal Fear for their dates in Italy.

The X Experiment (2011-2012)

In 2011, Max and Gae decided it was the right time to find a keyboardist, drummer, and second guitarist as permanent members of Dragonhammer.

At the end of the auditions, Andrea Gianangeli (drums) and Giulio Cattivera (keyboards) joined the band in 2011, followed in 2012 by Giuseppe De Paolo (guitar), thus defining the new formation.

The band began working on the composition of the third album during 2012, in this year they also signed a new contract with My Kingdom Music.

The return to the scene (2013-2016)

In December 2013, the third album “The X Experiment” was released with My Kingdom Music, preceded by the single “The End Of The Word.” It is a concept album characterised by a power-progressive metal style with futuristic themes, which consolidates the introspection undertaken in Time for Expiation.

The X Experiment marked the band’s return to the scene with a new stable line-up and a modern and renewed sound. The good success of the album allowed the band to embark on a long European tour as the opening-act to  Freedom Call.

In 2015, following numerous requests, Dragonhammer released reissues of their first album The Blood Of The Dragon and their second album Time For Expiation, adding new live tracks recorded during the recent tour.

At the end of 2015, the guitarist Giuseppe De Paolo left the band and Flavio Cicconi took his place. Dragonhammer concluded 2015 playing as the opening act to “Rhapsody of Fire” in Rome in 2015.

In 2016, the band performed a headlining tour in Italy and Spain and participated as a co-headlining band at the City of Power festival in Poland.

Obscurity (2017-2020)

In December 2017, the band released its fourth studio album, “Obscurity”, preceded in November by the single “The Eye Of The Storm.” The album represents the continuation of the concept started with “The X Experiment” and, with powerful melodies and a more modern approach to power and fantasy, marks a decisive consolidation of the band in the power-metal scene.

In 2018, the band started a European tour, playing in Italy, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Poland. But singer and guitarist Max Aguzzi was unable to participate due to personal problems.  Luca Micioni on vocals and Alessandro Mancini on guitar were hired to allow the band to touring.

During 2018, Dragonhammer declared in an official statement that Max Aguzzi, one of the historic founders of the band, had left the band together with Andrea Gianangeli (drums).

The pandemic and Second life (2020-present)

In 2020, Gae, Giulio, and Flavio, the stable members of the band at that time, decide not to break up the band but to reorganize. Similar to what happened in 2011, Dragonhammer faced a reform of their line-up for the second time.

The drummer Marco Berrettoni and the guitarist Alessandro Mancini accepted the offer to join the band on a permanent basis.

In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the band worked on the composition of the new album. At the beginning of 2022, the auditions for the new singer were completed, and Mattia Fagiolo was chosen. Dragonhammer thus entered the Kick Recording Studio in Rome, Italy in February 2022. The fifth studio album, Second Life, was published in November 2022, confirming the collaboration with My Kingdom Music.

Dragonhammer’s actual second life is represented by this album, where the band has reorganised their formation and way of making music. Dragonhammer moves towards symphonic power metal with the introduction of new vocal styles and orchestrations.

The release of the album is preceded by the two singles “Kingdom Of The Ghosts” and “Sickness Divine,” respectively in September and October 2022.

Current Broadcast Release

The current broadcast release is “Second Life”, the new album by Dragonhammer published on November 4^th 2022 via My Kingdom Music.

This album sees the official studio debuts of Mattia Fagiolo on vocals, Marco Berrettoni on drums, and Alessandro Mancini on guitar. “Second Life” is the first album without Max Aguzzi, one of the two historic founders of the band in 1999, who was also crucial for the artistic side of the band. Therefore, this album also represents a new way of making music for the band, which has found a way to regroup and continue on its path.

It is an album that incorporates all the stylistic characteristics of Dragonhammer but evolves them with a fresher sound and a more advanced songwriting. It is a power-metal album that, compared to the past, has a strong symphonic character and new vocal styles. The production was entrusted to the Kick Recording Studio in Rome (Italy).

About the lyrics, “Second Life” tells a timeless story, where the thoughts and feelings of the men of yesterday flow to the present day. A story that, song by song, tells the evolution of a character from the past, delivering to the listener a set of experiences and considerations. The key message is the one of our “Second Life”: a moment in which we are granted a second chance and become aware of what is really important