The Battle of the Ivory Plains

The Battle of the Ivory Plains is the 2001 debut album by the Swedish symphonic/melodic power metal band DRAGONLAND. The group had been founded in 1999 around guitarist Nicklas Magnusson and Jonas Heidgert in Gothenburg, and recorded its first demo in January 2000. Just before the debut was cut, Daniel Kvist left and was replaced by Olof Mörck. The record was conceived as the first chapter of the band's self-produced fantasy saga, The Dragonland Chronicles, a story that would later carry over into the second album, Holy War, and the fifth, Under the Grey Banner. The symphonic and electronic arrangements written by keyboardist Elias Holmlid are already a defining part of the band's sound here. The album was engineered by Andy LaRocque, better known as the guitarist of KING DIAMOND, and mastered at Athens Mastering House. The performing line-up was Jonas Heidgert (vocals and drums), Nicklas Magnusson and Olof Mörck (guitars), Elias Holmlid (keyboards) and Christer Pedersen (bass); the cover artwork is by Christian Andersson. It was released by the Greek label Black Lotus Records (BLRC025); a Japanese edition followed on Hot Rockin' (HRHM-2001) on 2 July 2002. In December 2014 AFM Records reissued the album with new artwork and a newly recorded bonus track, "A New Dawn".