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░ ██ ██ Artist: Nocturnal Rites ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Phoenix █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2017 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2017-10-05 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Heavy Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: AFM Records ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ A good decade ago, Swedish melodic power metal █
█ band Nocturnal Rites released the eighth album of █
█ their career, æThe 8th SinÆ. It received generally █
█ very positive reviews and I certainly enjoyed the █
█ content. What I didnÆt realise then was that this █
█ would be the last we heard from the quintet for █
█ ten long years. Then again, IÆm not entirely sure █
█ that the band themselves thought this would be the █
█ case either. In 2008, long-time guitarist Nils █
█ Norberg left to be replaced by Christoffer R÷rland █
█ who in turn later left to join Sabaton. But even █
█ then, we are led to believe that a follow-up album █
█ was to be recorded in 2011. Needless to say, that █
█ this didnÆt happen and so fans have been left █
█ waiting and wondering for what feels like an █
█ eternity. █
█ █
█ All that history is exactly that though: history. █
█ ItÆs in the past and it is time to focus on the █
█ here and now. On that score, things are looking █
█ very rosy indeed because not only have Nocturnal █
█ Rites returned, but they have delivered an album, █
█ the aptly-titled æPhoenixÆ, thatÆs better than I █
█ had ever dared to hope for. █
█ █
█ It is like the band never went away. The core of █
█ vocalist Jonny Lindqvist, guitarist Fredrik █
█ Mannberg, bassist Nils Eriksson and drummer Owe █
█ Lingvall remain in place, recently joined by Scar █
█ Symmetry guitarist extraordinaire Per Nilsson to █
█ round things out. As a huge fan of Scar Symmetry █
█ and the impeccable guitar playing of Nilsson, I █
█ was even more excited about æPhoenixÆ than I would █
█ have otherwise been. And they have put together a █
█ truly brilliant heavy metal album. If youÆre █
█ looking for inspiration on how to create the █
█ perfect blend of melodic metal, power metal and █
█ classic heavy metal, then look no further than █
█ æPhoenixÆ. █
█ █
█ Ok, so æPhoenixÆ might not be perfect, but it is █
█ damn close. For example, IÆm struggling to pick █
█ out any of the songs as being a weak link or a dip █
█ in the quality, such is the consistently high █
█ standard that runs like a golden thread through █
█ this record. █
█ █
█ Everything a died-in-the-wool heavy metal fan █
█ could possibly want is right here. ThereÆs no █
█ wasted time, no wasted notes; the whole album █
█ feels well-honed and well oiled, like a machine. █
█ But donÆt let that fool you into thinking that the █
█ music on æPhoenixÆ is devoid of humanity or █
█ lacking in heart. Quite the opposite in fact. And █
█ if your blood doesnÆt start pumping a little █
█ faster as you listen, you may as well give up on █
█ listening to heavy metal entirely. █
█ █
█ What you get on æPhoenixÆ is wall-to-wall riffs, █
█ gigantic rhythms, huge melodic choruses that █
█ frequently veer into anthemic territory, blazing █
█ solos and powerful vocals that are dripping with █
█ heart and passion. █
█ █
█ That word æpassionÆ is important because, although █
█ I talk about this being a honed, well-oiled album, █
█ the passion with which the material is delivered █
█ is apparent in every department. æPhoenixÆ, as the █
█ name suggests, has the feel and atmosphere of a █
█ band that has been reborn and as a result, are █
█ loving every minute. I can imagine the guys █
█ grinning ear to ear in the rehearsal room and █
█ studio as the music came to life. And quite █
█ justifiably too. █
█ █
█ At this juncture, I feel compelled to return to an █
█ aspect of æPhoenixÆ that I find so wonderful, and █
█ thatÆs the lead guitar solos. IÆm a sucker for a █
█ good lead break but over the years they have █
█ generally become less fashionable. But fashion be █
█ damned, Nocturnal Rites demonstrate without █
█ question, just how irresistible a good six-string █
█ shred can sound and why heavy metal should never █
█ abandon this most glorious of excesses. This is █
█ hardly surprising though if IÆm honest. This was █
█ always a significant weapon in the Nocturnal Rites █
█ armoury but now, with Nilsson delivering many of █
█ the leads, they are a thing of utter joy and █
█ exuberance, both melodically charged and █
█ technically adept. █
█ █
█ It is a challenge reviewing albums like this █
█ because it is always tricky choosing which songs █
█ to highlight for special praise. Each of the █
█ eleven tracks has something about it which is █
█ deserving of mention but that would make for a █
█ lengthy review. █
█ █
█ Nevertheless I feel compelled to begin with the █
█ opening cut, æHeart As Black As CoalÆ. The opening █
█ riff grabs you by the scruff of the neck with its █
█ no-nonsense attitude and itÆs not long before the █
█ first gigantic chorus of the record hits with █
█ style and panache. The production is great, █
█ offering clarity to all instruments whilst █
█ providing the guitars with an exceptional █
█ strength. The tone of the track is dark and █
█ menacing, accentuated by the aggressive and █
█ forceful delivery of Lindqvist but itÆs ultimately █
█ an enormous heavy metal anthem that fills my heart █
█ with unbridled joy. █
█ █
█ æBefore We Waste AwayÆ ensures that æPhoenixÆ █
█ maintains the best possible start. The mid-tempo █
█ stomp underpinned by Lingvall and Eriksson is █
█ irresistible, especially when it leads into such █
█ an edifying chorus; hook-laden and sublime. It █
█ also features a mind-boggling lead guitar solo █
█ that veers nicely into Scar Symmetry territory █
█ before being dragged back into the monstrous █
█ chorus. █
█ █
█ By way of contrast, æThe Poisonous SeedÆ is a █
█ harder, faster and darker beast all round. █
█ Double-pedal drumming dovetails with yet more █
█ crunchy, uncompromising riffing whilst thereÆs a █
█ more pronounced use of dramatic keys just behind █
█ the metallic tumult. █
█ █
█ One of my favourites, a little surprisingly, has █
█ to be the slightly more ballad-like æRepent My █
█ SinsÆ. I love the slower, writhing riff and the █
█ way that it works excellently in tandem with one █
█ of my favourite choruses on æPhoenixÆ. Again the █
█ tone of the composition and the lyrics is █
█ relatively dark, with Lindqvist offering a █
█ mesmeric performance, but I canÆt help but smiling █
█ as I listen because everything is just so on-point █
█ and insanely enjoyable. █
█ █
█ Another stand-out track is æThe Ghost Inside MeÆ █
█ which is as dramatic and symphonic as IÆve heard █
█ from Nocturnal Rites. At its heart, it is still a █
█ monstrous metal song but thanks to the inclusion █
█ of choir vocals and a marked increase in █
█ orchestration, it stands out in grandiose style, █
█ full of pomp and theatrics. Then thereÆs the █
█ instantly more modern-sounding æNothing Can Break █
█ MeÆ with its bold electronic effects and even more █
█ impactful chorus. █
█ █
█ With any band that returns after such a long █
█ hiatus, the anticipation is always going to be █
█ huge. But crucially, Nocturnal Rites have not just █
█ lived up to my expectations, they have smashed █
█ them out of the park. It is a dangerous thig to █
█ say with over three months of 2017 left, but I am █
█ struggling to believe that anyone else will █
█ release a better melodic power metal album this █
█ year. æPhoenixÆ is huge and it deserves your █
█ attention immediately. █
█ █
█ http://www.nocturnalrites.com/ █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. A Heart as Black as Coal 4:20 ░
░ 2. Before We Waste Away 4:45 ░
░ 3. The Poisonous Seed 4:29 ░
░ 4. Repent My Sins 3:51 ░
░ 5. What's Killing Me 4:19 ░
░ 6. A Song for You 3:50 ░
░ 7. The Ghost Inside Me 5:33 ░
░ 8. Nothing Can Break Me 4:21 ░
░ 9. Flames 4:07 ░
░ 10. Used to Be God (bonus) 3:17 ░
░ 11. Welcome to The End 4:05 ░
░ 46:57 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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