Having been a fan of Mark Wonder’s music for many years, the anticipation for his upcoming album “Reflections Of The Dragon Slayer” was building. I was honored when asked by the producer to do an album review. With it being the third album in the “Dragon Slayer” series, I was intrigued to see which dragons he was slaying this time. The album uses riddims from previous releases and was produced by Jon Moon and released on the Yutman Records label.
The album opens with “Controlled Hypocrisy” reflecting on the hypocrisy shown by worldwide governments. Mark advises “Don’t get caught up in the spin.” but encourages us to build on the revolutionary foundation set by those who come before us. At first, I wondered why this track was picked as the opener as it is a slow track but then when I listened to the lyrics, I realized it set the “revolutionary” foundation of the album.
“African People” is a tribute to Mark’s African roots and his pride in being African. “I’m from the land of the sunburned skin” is one of my favorite lyrics of the album.
“Urgency”, the first single released from the album is a track urging us to wake up and see the state of the world, of politics, the plight of the poor, and the ecological effect we are having on the earth and to do something before it’s too late.
Governments need to change and listen to the people they represent and not govern to satisfy their egos, is the message in the next track “Power For The People”, “it’s time for a change”, and ”we need more power for the people”.
A beautiful love song “For The Reason” is the last original song on the album, showing the versatility of the dragon slayer Mark Wonder. Opening with a piano and a rising chorus of voices it leads to an upbeat declaration of love. I particularly liked the section of horns in the middle.
The last four tracks on the album consist of an acoustic version of “For The Reason” and dub versions of “Controlled Hypocrisy”, “African People” and “Urgency”. I wouldn’t describe myself as a true lover of dub, but I really like the dub version of “Urgency”, it adds an extra dimension to an already excellent song.
Mark Wonder’s album “Reflections Of The Dragon Slayer” is a powerful and thought-provoking album that addresses important social and political issues. With slower and faster tracks, a love song, and dub versions, it is a must-listen for fans of Roots Reggae and anyone who cares about social justice issues.
What a wonderful culmination of the albums in the Dragon Slayer series.
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