REVIEW: NOCTURNAL RITES - SHADOWLAND

NOCTURNAL RITES - SHADOWLAND (Century Media, 2002 )

Produced By: Daniel Bergstrand

Tracks: 1- Eyes of the Dead, 2- Shadowland, 3- Invincible, 4- Revelation, 5- Never Die, 6- Underworld, 7- Vengenace, 8- Faceless God, 9- Birth of Chaos, 10- The Watcher

Nocturnal Rites is with no doubt one of the most powerful power metal bands that have ever surfaced. First of all, their riffs are much more powerful than those that one can listen in any of the other bands of the style, they are faster and they don´t abuse the galloping rhythms prefering more interestiong riffs (check the "Shadowland" for example). Then they have a singer who sings putting all his guts in the melodies instead of simply abusing the high pitches melodies, and he has a lot of personality to distinguish his voice from the others of the style. Then this guys have Daniel Bergstrand producing them and that has made the guitars louder and more in your face as is also the keyboard (I like a lot the way this album is mixed because the production have make things tighter but have not taken the power of the band away as sometimes happen). Lovers of power metal will enjoy this one. 

Favorite tracks: "Underworld", "Faceless God" and "Revelation"

Contact: www.centurymedia.com