History & Biography The white metal band was formed in Columbus, Ohio in 1994 and was knighted Iron Angel at first. The band’s first known recording is a 1996 demo. After an independent release (re-issued in 2001), the band was signed to Metal Blade following a bidding war with other labels and an appearance on a Rock Hard magazine unsigned bands’ compilation. Jon Noble and Gary Holtzman left in 2001 only to soon return. The latter would resume his post as a drummer. Chaz Bond was drafted in during October of 2003 (an interim singer would die in a car accident) leading to the release of a new album, Drama Of The Ages, after a four-year wait.
Jacob's Dream was working on an independent new CD, called Dominion Of Darkness in late 2007, but vocalist Chaz Bond, Legacy guitarist Darin Moore and Legacy’s drummer Andy Hall were also working on Human Paradox. The band was recording a full-length album called Beneath The Shadows in 2009. It was a concept album about a person dealing with drug addiction. The group signed with Retroactive Records. The band released its next full-length album, Beneath The Shadows, on November 10th 2009 through the Christian label, Retroactive Records. It was a concept album centring on the choices of the main character, Carmen. The Demo Years compilation of 2013 was the 1996 demo. Kevin Wright became the singer in 2014, left in 2016 and returned in 2018. David Taylor had returned during his absence. Sea Of Destiny was a 2017 demo. Post pandemic the band was practicing with Kevin and David sharing vocals.
Reviews JACOBS DREAM - DRAMA OF THE AGES - METAL BLADE
Jacobs Dream is one of America's favourite white metal bands, but the band has not had the growth everyone expected when the group signed with Metal Blade Records approximately five years ago. On the new album the band has recruited a new singer, named Chaz Bond, and gone about its business as if nothing has changed. The quintet's new album continues the band's melodic US metal sound unabated which is good, but is also responsible for making the songs on this album slightly uniform in feel. In fact, from album to album, the songs do not seem to stand out. Again, this can be a good thing for a band that plays heavy metal, but can be overdone as well if the dynamics are missing.
On Drama Of The Ages, the boys emphasize the mid-paced songs, but somewhere in the second half of the album realize some things have to vary and introduce a more stirring song in Deceiver Of The Nations, a different and grittier guitar tone on Cutting Words and a more galloping approach on At The Gates. The new singer is in the same league as Warrel Dane of Nevermore and does a competent job of the phrasing throughout. On the flip side, Jacobs Dream needs to ditch the background keyboards by learning the art of rhythm guitars, avoid cliches like the useless 'hidden' track and, at the risk of being repetitious, throw caution to the wind on occasion. A few faster songs would go a long way on the next album for instance. - Ali "The Metallian"
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