DRAGONY

“The challenge lies in condensing storylines that can take over 100 hours to play into a few minutes of music.”

“Not everything always has to be black and white – there are shades of grey, even in power metal.”

“The music always comes first. The story is just context if you want to look for it.”

“A balance between power metal, heavier elements, and orchestral parts is what makes us stand out.”

“We form a bridge between Ensiferum’s heaviness and Freedom Call’s joyful power metal.”

“Whenever I listen to music, I automatically see images. Translating that into artwork feels natural.”

“We never really tried to avoid nostalgia – we grew up with that sound, and we embrace it.”

“Perseverance defines us. We’ve made it this far against all odds.”

“If you can connect things into a bigger picture in hindsight – why not?”

With their new single ‘Shadow and Flame‘, Austrian power metal veterans Dragony close a conceptual trilogy inspired by the dark fantasy worlds of FromSoftware.
What began as a fascination with ‘Dark Souls‘ and ‘Bloodborne‘ now reaches its conclusion in ‘Elden Ring‘ territory – not as a rigid concept exercise, but as a natural extension of the band’s musical instincts.
Rather than chasing trends or reinventing themselves for the sake of novelty, Dragony continue to refine a sound rooted in late-’90s and early-2000s power metal, expanded through cinematic production, visual storytelling, and a steadily evolving lineup.
As the band approach their 20th anniversary, perseverance – both thematic and real-world – has become a defining trait.
We spoke with the ‘Dragonslayer‘ Siegfried Samer about translating sprawling game universes into songs, embracing ambiguity in power metal, and why longevity sometimes matters more than grand plans.
‘Shadow and Flame‘ completes a trilogy of FromSoftware-inspired songs.
Looking back, what did this journey teach you about translating interactive worlds into linear music?
“I think the interesting part and challenge lies in condensing sometimes very long storylines in games that can take over 100 hours to play into a few minutes’ long song. But since I’m a huge fan of these games, I found that always very enjoyable.”
Power metal often leans toward clear heroes and villains.
How do you approach moral ambiguity when drawing inspiration from darker fantasy universes like ‘Elden Ring‘?
“I think that’s intriguing about these games, that most of the villains have sad backstories, so defeating them is always a bit bittersweet. I think that works well in a musical context, even in Power Metal – that not everything always has to be black and white, but that there are shades of grey.”
This single feels both epic and restrained.
How important is contrast – between light and shadow, melody and heaviness – in Dragony’s songwriting today?
“I believe we have evolved our songwriting considerably over the years, which has much to do with the changes in our lineup on the one hand side and with including our producer Frank Pitters more and more into the whole songwriting and production process. Everyone brings different elements to the table, and our sound today is basically the amalgamation of all these elements. A balance between the Power Metal, heavier aspects and the more flamboyant orchestral parts is what makes us stand out in the genre, I think.”
You’ve worked extensively with layered narratives in recent years.
Do you see yourselves primarily as storytellers, or as musicians who use stories as texture?
“Definitely the latter. The music comes first, and whatever I use as inspiration or background for the lyrics, is really just that – a bit of context for the music to add some additional meaning if you are looking for it.”
With an expanded vocal spectrum now at your disposal, how has your perception of what a ‘Dragony song‘ can be changed or challenged?
“This we will see more clearly in the future when we write more songs with Maria in mind as an additional vocalist. ‘Shadow and Flame’ was a first effort in that direction, but originally not planned with so many vocalists in mind – that just sort of happened. In future songs, I guess we will explore those options more deeply.”
Your music often sits at the crossroads of classic power metal and modern cinematic production.
How do you avoid nostalgia becoming limitation?
“We never tried to avoid that, haha. From the start, we’ve always said that we wanted to make music reminiscent of the Power Metal of the late 90s and early 2000s, which I grew up with. Over the years the songwriting has of course changed a bit and adopted other influences which naturally happens when you listen to a lot of different contemporary stuff… but at the end of the day we don’t really think too much about that, but just want to write music that we enjoy playing and that our listeners hopefully like as well.”
From artwork to orchestration, Dragony place strong emphasis on visual imagination.
At what point does an image become a song – or a song become an image?
“It works quite naturally for me, as whenever I’m listening to a song (not just Dragony), I automatically get visual images in my mind. So I guess when I’m the one creating the song as well, I have those images and those can then be translated into artworks or background stories for the respective songs quite well.”
Front-loaded concepts can sometimes overshadow emotional connection.
How do you ensure that listeners still feel something personal beneath the epic layers?
“I think this happens through the stories that we tell in our songs, as that’s the essential purpose of storytelling as it has been throughout mankind’s history – you tell stories so that the listeners might learn something from them and apply it to their own lives. I think it works much the same with music – it leaves a lot of room for interpretation, and people can take from it whatever element or idea works for them.”
The FromSoftware worlds are defined by struggle, decay, and perseverance.
Which of those themes resonates most strongly with Dragony as a band right now?
“Definitely perseverance. In 2027, the band will turn 20 years old – and I guess we’ve made it this far pretty much against all odds. We started out as a band of humble younglings who didn’t have much grasp of songwriting, music production or live performances, but gradually grew as musicians and performers, and even through difficult times like the Covid19-pandemic managed to keep the band going, even though it was always only as a passion project and never on a ‘full-time job’ level. So I think this perseverance against all odds is what defines us.”
Touring with bands like Ensiferum and Freedom Call brings very different shades of metal together.
What do you think Dragony represent within that broader power-metal ecosystem?
“I think we form the bridge between the epic but heavier and more Melodeath- and Folk Metal inspired music of Ensiferum and the super-happy Power Metal of Freedom Call, as we incorporate elements of all these styles into our songs at one point or another, especially now with Maria who is also contributing some extreme vocals now to several songs. It’s an interesting mix to be sure, but should be quite a unique experience for the live crowd!”
Do you consciously think in ‘chapters‘ and ‘arcs’ when releasing music – or does that structure only become clear in hindsight?
“Not really. We just do what we feel up to, and if in retrospective you can tie it to a common whole… then why not? Haha!”
If ‘Shadow and Flame‘ were stripped of its references and imagery, what core idea or emotion would still define it?
“I mean the music would stay the same, so it would still be an epic, melodic Power Metal song – but whatever alternative lyrics would be then included would I suppose recontextualize the song, don’t you think?”
Now that this trilogy is complete:
does Dragony feel more inclined to build new worlds – or to break away from worlds entirely and write from a different place?
“We’ve actually not thought about that too much yet, we’ll see what the future brings after our big European tour with Ensiferum and Freedom Call!”
As ‘Shadow and Flame’ brings Dragony’s FromSoftware-inspired chapter to a close, the band appear less concerned with what comes next than with staying true to what brought them here.
Their approach remains instinctive rather than calculated – rooted in a love for classic power metal, shaped by collaboration, and carried forward by persistence rather than pressure.
With a major European tour ahead and two decades of band history on the horizon, Dragony continue to prove that longevity in metal isn’t about chasing reinvention, but about knowing when to evolve – and when to simply keep going.
by Fok ‘bs’

DRAGONY live 2026:
On Tour with ENSIFERUM and FREEDOM CALL
07.01. Halle 02 Heidelberg/DE
08.01. New Age Treviso/IT
09.01. Meh Suff! Winter Festival Zürich/CH
10.01. La Machine Du Moulin Rouge (no Freedom Call) Paris/FR
11.01. The Dome London/GB
13.01. Rockhal Esch/Alzette/LU
14.01. Patronaat Haarlem/NL
15.01. Live Music Hall Cologne/DE
16.01. Music Hall Geiselwind/DE
17.01. Hellraiser Leipzig/DE
18.01. LKA Longhorn Stuttgart/DE
19.01. Markthalle Hamburg/DE
20.01. Batschkapp Frankfurt/DE
21.01. Festsaal Kreuzberg Berlin/DE
22.01. Proxima Warsaw/PL
23.01. Colloseum Kosice/SK
24.01. Hype Park Krakow/PL
25.01. Barba Negra Budapest/HU
27.01. Backstage Werk Munich/DE
28.01. Sono Brno/CZ
29.01. Rockhouse Salzburg/AT
30.01. Kaminwerk Memmingen/DE
31.01. Doornroosje Nijmegen/NL
01.02. De Casino St. Niklaas/BE
Headline and Festival shows
21.02. Freiraum St. Pölten/AT
14.03. Metal Diver Festival Marsberg/DE
23.-28.03. Full Metal Mayrhofen Mayrhofen/AT
10.-11.04. Epic Fest Roskilde/DK
29.05. Warriors Of Steel Festival Alesund/NO
11.06. Z! Live Zamora/ES

Dragony are:
Herbert Glos – bass
Siegfried ‘The Dragonslayer’ Samer – lead-vocals
Simon Saito – guitars
Manuel Hartleb – keyboards
Mat Plekhanov – guitars
Chris Auckenthaler – drums
Maria Nesh – vocals

After two albums built around fantastical reinterpretations of real-world history, Austrian power metal torchbearers Dragony are turning their gaze back toward pop culture with their new single ‘Shadow and Flame‘.
Written over the summer of 2025, the track draws its inspiration from the critically acclaimed video game ‘Elden Ring‘ and its expansion ‘Shadow of the Erdtree‘, translating FromSoftware’s dark fantasy universe into sweeping, cinematic metal.
To do justice to the scale and atmosphere of the source material, Dragony have expanded on multiple fronts.
The band officially welcomes Maria Nesh as a new second lead singer, enriching their vocal palette, while Brittney Slayes of Unleash The Archers lends her unmistakable voice as a special guest, adding further power and dramatic contrast.
Epic orchestral arrangements once again come courtesy of Lasse Elkjær, while renowned producer Jacob Hansen handled the production, ensuring a massive and polished sound.
Frontman Siegfried Samer describes the song as the final chapter in a trilogy of FromSoftware-inspired tracks.
Following ‘Kiln of the First Flame‘ (Dark Souls) and ‘Lords of the Hunt‘ (Bloodborne), ‘Shadow and Flame‘ completes the arc with Dragony’s take on ‘Elden Ring‘.
“As a long-time fan of FromSoftware games, this felt like a natural step,”
Samer explains.
“With Maria joining the band and Brittney adding her unique touch, the song became something truly special.”
Visually, Dragony continue their collaboration with artist Stan W. Decker, who previously illustrated their album ‘Hic Svnt Dracones‘.
The single’s artwork presents a dark, brooding interpretation of the ‘Scadutree‘ entwined with a fiery serpent – a symbolic nod to Messmer, one of the DLC’s central characters.
Fans will soon have the chance to experience Dragony’s renewed fire on stage.
In January 2026, the band will hit the road alongside Ensiferum and Freedom Call, bringing ‘Shadow and Flame‘ and their epic power metal vision to audiences across Europe.