Behind The Artworks: Galladorn - The Dragon Lies Bleeding (2021)

For the artwork used for the single, "The Dragon Lies Bleeding" we enlisted the help of an Indonesian artist who goes by the name of Rushyit. This "Dragon Siege" piece as we ended up calling it, was the first piece of art we had commissioned for the group. With so many power metal songs rooted in fantasy fiction, the dragon has become somewhat iconic for the genre. Whether a band itself uses it in their name or you stumble across one of the countless songs about riding, slaying, or even being a dragon, it doesn't take long to discover this is a fairly recurring theme . So much of Galladorn is not just about putting our own spin on this style of music, but also paying homage to the artists we've been inspired by. It almost felt like a rite of passage to have a piece of dragon-related artwork. When it came time to choose our first song as a cover of Hammerfall's, "The Dragon Lies Bleeding" we actually lucked out because we already had this great piece of art ready to use. It's hard to imagine, but the artwork didn't influence our decision to cover the song, it all just sort of fell into place. All in all, we couldn't be happier with Rushyit's final product. In fact, we have worked with him again since publishing this. He nailed the vibe of a medieval fantasy battle scene on castle ramparts. The red and orange of the dragon fire is a great contrast to the darker palette of both the dragon and the castle. The shadows of the soldiers fighting within the dragon's fire has to be one of the best elements of the cover. So many power metal songs thematically feature characters overcoming overwhelming struggles, so, in a way, these details are almost a microcosm of the genre as a whole.