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│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
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│ P R E S E N T S │
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│ + Nocturnal Rites - Shadowland (Jap. Ed.) + │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Release Date.Dec-28-2014 Encoder......L3.97 -V2 --vbr-new ║ │
│║ Genre........Heavy Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year.........2002 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........11 ║ │
│║ Covers.......Yes Url... www.nocturnalrites.com ║ │
│║ ║ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Nocturnal Rites Rating : You Decide! ║ │
│║ Album : Shadowland (Jap. Ed.) Label : Century Media ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ After a rather surprising reinvention in their ║ │
│║ previous effort ôAfterlifeö, SwedenÆs pioneering ║ │
│║ power metal act returned with a more melodic ║ │
│║ release in ôShadowlandö. The mystical imagery on ║ │
│║ the album underscores that NR has taken the ║ │
│║ course back towards the more melodic side of ║ │
│║ their past, although they have kept the brutal ║ │
│║ and heavy guitar sound that first surfaced on ║ │
│║ the last release. The result is a more powerful ║ │
│║ brand of power metal that stands out amongst the ║ │
│║ crowd of Helloween and Judas Priest influenced ║ │
│║ bands. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Jonny LindkvistÆs vocals have been cleaned up a ║ │
│║ bit on this release, making way for a series of ║ │
│║ highly memorable and riveting choruses. Where on ║ │
│║ songs like ôThe Sinners Crossö and ôWake Up ║ │
│║ Deadö on the Afterlife album he was grunting ║ │
│║ with a quasi-demonic character, on tracks such ║ │
│║ as ôNever Dieö and ôVengeanceö off this album he ║ │
│║ is projecting the upper peak of his range to ║ │
│║ give us a triumphant sound that highlights why ║ │
│║ they call it power metal. In addition, all the ║ │
│║ odd effects on the vocals that were present ║ │
│║ before have been transferred completely to the ║ │
│║ instruments, and even there the amounts are much ║ │
│║ smaller than on Afterlife. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The guitar riffs on here have taken on a very ║ │
│║ different character as well. Although the dark ║ │
│║ and heavy sound of the 7 string guitar is as ║ │
│║ present as is was before, they have been ║ │
│║ utilized very differently here. While songs such ║ │
│║ as ôGenetic Distortion Sequenceö and ôTemple of ║ │
│║ the Deadö had quintessential speed metal riffs ║ │
│║ that are almost impossible to hum, the melodic ║ │
│║ intro riffs of ôThe Watcherö and even the slow ║ │
│║ thudding ôInvincibleö are so catchy that you are ║ │
│║ forced to sing along with them. The chorus ║ │
│║ progressions of the chorus of the title track, ║ │
│║ as well as those of ôRevelationö and ôEyes of ║ │
│║ the Deadö are complex enough that they resemble ║ │
│║ the work on ôTales of Mystery and Imaginationö. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Nils NorbergÆs solos have a character that is a ║ │
│║ bit closer to the pre-Afterlife style, but he is ║ │
│║ still keeping it short in the interests of ║ │
│║ keeping the focus on the powerful choruses that ║ │
│║ are the staples of this album. One exception on ║ │
│║ here is the solo to ôFaceless Godö which does go ║ │
│║ on a bit long and trades off a bit with the ║ │
│║ keyboards. Other solos such as that of the title ║ │
│║ track, ôVengeanceö, and ôInvincibleö are similar ║ │
│║ to those found on Afterlife, but are a bit more ║ │
│║ climactic and loaded with plenty of brilliant ║ │
│║ shred licks. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The drum sound on here deserves special note as ║ │
│║ it is highly different from all the other albums ║ │
│║ this band has ever released. Although I am not ║ │
│║ normally a big fan of a snare tuned high, the ║ │
│║ way it is done here, and how it meshes with the ║ │
│║ deep guitar power chords and the ground-pounding ║ │
│║ bass gives the whole arrangement a strong sense ║ │
│║ of balance. Owe Lingvall is obviously in top ║ │
│║ form on this release, providing us with some ║ │
│║ rather brilliant drum work, particularly on the ║ │
│║ title track and ôUnderworldö. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Picking standout tracks on this album is ║ │
│║ extremely difficult, as every song on here has ║ │
│║ been perfectly tailored to give this album a ║ │
│║ uniform sense of continuity. On the basis of ║ │
│║ lyrics, IÆd give high marks to the title track, ║ │
│║ ôInvincibleö and ôThe Watcherö for having some ║ │
│║ well placed words during their choruses. On ║ │
│║ overall musical strength, IÆm torn between the ║ │
│║ quasi-epic title track and the slow and heavy ║ │
│║ rocker ôFaceless Godö. The former is a brilliant ║ │
│║ set of melodic twists and turns, and contains ║ │
│║ probably the most beautiful synthesizer ║ │
│║ interlude that Mattias Bernhardsson has ever ║ │
│║ performed. The latter is a dark yet highly ║ │
│║ melodic crusher that actually sounds remarkably ║ │
│║ similar to ôThe Signö off the Afterlife album, ║ │
│║ which was my favorite track off that album. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ In conclusion, this album is probably the most ║ │
│║ universally accessible album that NR has ever ║ │
│║ put out. It has the melody and speed that power ║ │
│║ metal fans love, it has the down tempo heavy ║ │
│║ tracks that fans of doom metal can get into, and ║ │
│║ that same thrash/speed metal guitar sound that ║ │
│║ made Afterlife a departure and yet such an ║ │
│║ innovation. It is a highly progressive approach ║ │
│║ to Power Metal, although it doesnÆt contain all ║ │
│║ the long-winded and mixed meter songs that ║ │
│║ define Prog. Metal. In addition to the non- ║ │
│║ compromising lyrical approach of Lost Horizon, ║ │
│║ Sweden is pulling its weight to keep the Power ║ │
│║ Metal genre reputable and viable. This album ║ │
│║ comes highly recommended to fans of both the old ║ │
│║ and the new NR sound. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ 01 - eyes of the dead [04:52] │
│ 02 - shadowland [04:32] │
│ 03 - invincible [04:57] │
│ 04 - revelation [04:44] │
│ 05 - never die [04:24] │
│ 06 - underworld [04:27] │
│ 07 - vengeance [05:19] │
│ 08 - faceless god [05:14] │
│ 09 - birth of chaos [04:16] │
│ 10 - the watcher [04:00] │
│ 11 - the iron force (2002 version) (bonus track [04:08] │
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│ Total Length : [50:53 minn │
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│ ╔═════════════════════╗ │
│ ║ Greetings To: ║ │
│ ╚═════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ Too all people who contributes to make this │
│ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │
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│ │
│ │
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