Swedish symphonic power metallers Dragonland will enter Hansen Studios in Ribe, Denmark on May 31 to begin recording their fifth album for an August release via Germany's AFM Records. Several different studios will be used to track this utterly ambitious album, with Jacob Hansen set to add his magic touch to the mix. Twelve songs will be recorded during the sessions, and the music itself is based on a deep and emotional story, picking up where the band's second album, Holy War, left off nine years ago.

Commented Dragonland guitarist Olof Mörck: "After five years of doing concepts, writing lyrics and composing, we are seeing the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel!

"After Astronomy, we knew we needed to explore our music further not to risk becoming a band that releases music every year cast in the same mold, so the idea from the beginning was: what would it be like with a metal album based in fantasy that respects the literary genre, that actually tries to be mature and that enriches said fantasy world with inspiration from millenias of human mythology?

"To make a neoclassical album filled with overly bombastic clichés of steel clad warriors was out of the question -- instead we explored the themes and sounds around various fantasy movies, new and old, and also countless computer RPG soundtracks to infuse the musical aspect with a genuine fantasy feel, and as previously stated, heaps and stacks of tomes on every mythological tale from Gilgamesh to the Aeneid provided a genuine and credible backdrop to the story.

"The album is genuinely a concept album in every aspect, and we will collaborate with some truly gifted artists who are experts in this genre to bring our world to life visually -- more on that soon.

"Prepare yourself to be engulfed in a world of enchanting phantasy and songs of swirling magic later this year!"

Songtitles set to appear on the new album incude "The Tempest," "A Stranger I Know," "The Shadow Of The Mithril Mountains" and "A Thousand Towers White."

Dragonland's fourth album, Astronomy, was released in November 2006 via Century Media Records. The follow-up to 2004's Starfall was recorded at Studio Fredman (In Flames, HammerFall, Dimmu Borgir) in Gothenburg with producer Fredrik Nordström. The cover artwork for the CD was created by art wizard Niklas Sundin, who had previously worked with Arch Enemy, In Flames, and Dark Tranquillity, among others.

[Source: Blabbermouth.net]