Track By Tracks: Siege Perilous - Becoming The Dragon (2026)

About the album as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):

“Becoming the Dragon” is a cinematic journey following the Child of Prophecy as he follows his path, then denies his destiny, and then slowly comes to realize that only by embracing it can he truly overcome it. This story takes twists and turns from the mysterious to the tragic, and we really wanted to reflect that musically with a wide variety of tones, emotions, and musical approaches. Each song is its own unique entity, but together they form something that we believe audiences will really find magical.

Track by Track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY)

1. Overture:

We wanted to welcome people into the story and album with an overture that featured interestingly arranged snippets from the other songs. Since Ryan joined after the bulk of the core songwriting process, we wanted him to arrange this piece, and he did an amazing job. It really throws in a lot of flavors from the rest of the album while also keeping a unique identity, and it is a great way to ease audiences into the immersive world of “Becoming the Dragon”.

2. Ancient Rite:

This song starts with a somber and mildly ominous intro as we take the audience into the world of the prophecy that engulfs our protagonist. It’s airy in a lot of parts with a strong driving verse, which helps to set the stage for the rest of the story.

3. As the Dragon Falls (feat. Fabio Lione):

This song is a dream come true for long-time Rhapsody and Fabio fan Shaughnessy. Musically, this song also attempts to combine Siege’s unique style with the power metal sound of classic Rhapsody. Fabio plays the dragon that the protagonist is sworn to slay, and while this starts off as a classic fantasy tale, it takes a dark twist as Fabio’s dragon warns Shaughnessy’s knight that slaying him won’t free our protagonist but rather will keep him a prisoner of his own destiny. Starts off as an optimistic heroic tale that turns quite dark by the end.

4. Child of Prophecy:

A very Iron Maiden-esque melody and guitar combination tells the story of the protagonist questioning whether his destiny will ever free him or anyone else, or if it’s simply a cage. A philosophical track about fate, freedom, and prophecy.

5. Shattered Mirage:

Delving into a dark and heavy sound, this track shows our hero leaving the world he has known behind. His caravan is ambushed in a desert where the sands are constantly being struck by lightning, forming dunes of glass and encapsulating the bodies of the slain. Does the hero see his future? His past? Or simply the inevitability of death? Musically, this song features some interesting use of double-layered vocals that give off echoes of Hansi Kursch while still retaining Shaughnessy’s unique vocal quality.

6. Chieftain:

Having survived the Crystalline dunes, our hero finds his way to the Infinite Steppe, a vast wasteland where warring tribes vie for control. There, he follows a mighty Chieftain to victory. When the Chieftain perishes, our hero seizes control and cuts a bloody swath through his enemies. This song’s fast driving rhythm, complex arrangement, and chanty chorus give it a unique spirit and one that we hope will get the audience’s blood pumping.

7. Cut Down:

This is one of the most old-school and traditional heavy metal-sounding songs we may have ever done. Combining vibes from Judas Priest, Dio, and a hefty dose of Manowar, Cut Down is a high-octane track that finds our hero continuing his bloody campaign of conquest. Eventually, he realizes that all he’s become is a villain who can’t contribute anything to the world other than blood and death, and gives up his title of Chieftain to return home.

8. Echoes of Home (feat. Kristin Starkey):

This song musically is a nod to Jim Steinman/Meatloaf and also to Tobias Sammet and his work in Avantasia. This has some great 70s and 80s power ballad vibes, driven by piano and strong orchestration supporting killer vocals from Starkey and soaring leads from the guitar. This power ballad forms the “all is lost” moment of the album, where the protagonist returns home to find that his enemies have found it and put it to the torch and its people to the sword. Here, he encounters the Mystic (Twilight Force and Temperance vocalist Kristin Starkey), who reprimands our hero for leaving, but together they decide on a plan for our hero to seize his destiny, become the dragon, and fight the cosmic forces of destiny.

9. Becoming the Dragon:

Having chosen to embrace his destiny to fight the one who made it, our hero summons magical forces to transform himself into the titular dragon. This song features thunderous drums, shredding solos, and a really killer bass interlude that builds the song towards its high-impact climax.

10. Eschaton:

This sweeping narrative features a lot of different musical movements within as the hero battles the forces of destiny, shattering the universe in order to rebuild it as one free of fate. Inspired by songs like “And Then There Was Silence” by Blind Guardian, “The Scarecrow” by Avantasia, and “Fear of the Dark” by Iron Maiden, this song is an epic with a lot of pieces that flow seamlessly between each other, telling the story of the end of one cosmos and the dawn of a better one.

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