Customer Reviews

Alive Again

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You're not going to find metal here. This is moody hard rock and roll without being too brooding, and plenty of hooks to make it immediately accessible.

Dan Swano once again produces his smooth mid-deep delivery, 180 degrees from the deathy vox you'll hear on his other projects. Don't be expecting any Edge-of-Sanity-like music here. (But if harsh vocals don't bother you, and you also like a keyboard-laden prog sound, you HAVE to give his solo "Moontower" album a try).

If you've heard the other Nightingale releases, you'll be happy to hear that the mix here is the best of the lot. All of the instruments are clear and distinct. Swano finally got himself a real drummer on this one - and the drums' sound is infinitely better than on the previous three discs. Lots of keyboards continue to set the mood. The guitar is tastefully done with virtually no noodling wankery (I love wheedly stuff, but it has its place, and that place isn't here). The bass could maybe be a little more prominent, but that's a minor nitpick.

The songs here are fantastic! Melodies are instantly absorbed in the system, and it's almost a crime that you won't hear this on your local airwaves. A large chunk of this album wouldn't be out of place on the radio. (Although my favorite Nightingale song is still "Steal The Moon", out of place on the "Closing Chronicles" album). "Recollections" starts the album with a gloomy atmospheric intro that goes right into two upbeat sounding tracks "Shadowman" and "The Glory Days" followed by the ballad "Falling", which would've undoubtedly been an MTV staple had it been released in 1987.

One way to judge an album is by its staying power in your listening rotation, and I find myself picking Alive Again more often than a lot of other stuff I've bought in the past 18 months. If you haven't picked up a Nightingale album yet, here's where you should start.

This is one of those CDs that makes me depressed...when I see it in a used shop. I always stop and wonder, why didn't it sit with the original buyer? Why didn't he or she like it? Because I think - and this is coming from someone who has never heard the other Nightingale material - that this album is perfect. Dan Swano has to be one of the most profilic musicians in Sweden; he definitely shows wide variety in music since he can reconcile Bloodbath with this.

When I first listened to this, the thing that jumped out at me most immediately - and this is a rare occurence - was the singing. Most bands, you catch on to the guitar, or the drumming, or the keyboards, but with this band, it was the singing that did it. Swano's low-pitched, mellow, expressive tenor voice is addictive in a good way. He never shouts or screams but takes you on a gentle ride through the land of rock that is at once full of depth and meaning but is also catchy and easy to sing along to (which is a surefire winner in my book!). All of the songs here contain at least one hook that should grab the listener (that's why I mentioned radio in the subject line) but it is plainly obvious that a lot of brainpower went into the construction.

This should have appeal to old-school progressive rock fans and metal fans who want the occasional breath of fresh air from all the hard and heavy stuff.

Nightingale's Alive Again is the fourth and last album of their everlasting concept storyline. Released in random order, Alive Again is both chronologically and storywise the last album of the series that seals the end of this amazing piece of work. Dan Swano will now work on a new album that has different motives lyrically.

Nightingale is an incredible band. It started out as Dan Swano's solo project after the break-up of Unicorn and gradually began to develop with the addition of Dan's older brother, Tom Nouga, and eventually a new bassist and drummer too. The first album was completely Dan Swano, the second one was Dan and his brother, the third one showed signs of promise and the Swano brothers toured and played several gigs. And now Alive Again has turned into a completely different entity with the inclusion of bassist Erik Oskarsson (Godsend) and drummer Tom Bjorn. Erik and Dan also played in the amazing doom metal band Godsend together and they certainly have a great chemistry between them. Tom Bjorn on the other hand is simply a fantastic drummer and a well needed breath of fresh air. He plays tastefully, enters the songs with beautiful (but modest) fills and rolls. Considering that the debut Nightingale had a drum machine and the other two featured Dan Swano himself on the drums, Bjorn's addition to the band has brought a new vibe, which I really dig.

Tom Nouga is a very 80's inspired guitar player and Alive Again is the first album that gave him the opportunity to play those 70's-like riffs in a more 80's style. Excellent. I'm not saying that AA is my favourite Nightingale album but I know that Dan Swano has managed to put out four albums under this moniker, all of which are different from each other. Isn't that what prog music is about? The Closing Chronicles was a monumental CD in (dark) prog rock as was I with a more concise sound. Alive Again, on the other hand, goes for a more lively sound, more energetic, more exciting. The sound on the previous CD was a bit dry; it's a great album and I love it, but AA definitely has a more fresh tone overall. Maybe it's the hard rock vibe, maybe it's the heavier 80's sound rather than the 70's, I don't know. It's really hard to put your finger on it. The songs are still progressive all the way; Dan would never make sacrifices in that aspect. But the writing is more forthright. The choruses are more central and focal. The writing is sort of more cohesive and controlled. Maybe it's because Part IV was the first and only Nightingale album Dan Swano took a whole year to write, record, and mix.

This album displays a more carefully planned sound, both sonically and stylistically. Therefore you may think that the previous Nightingale CDs The Closing Chronicles and I were more written in free form, pushing the limits of art. AA is different. It's not meant to be a groundbreaking effort; it's not meant to start a new era in prog music. So don't expect anything over the top. But this is not a weak point. Dan and his brother apparently wanted to explore in the 80's ground a bit more this time, and they were never afraid to mention their influences, so it's all there. Alive Again is a perfect trip back to the early 80's with all the synths, proggy driven guitar tones, nicely mixed drumming, the not too ornate bass lines. A very well rounded album to say the least. Dan has expressed his wish to go for a more 70's style on the next album already.

While all the songs are good in their own way, I feel "Eternal" deserves a special mention. Over 12 minutes, this is the longest Nightingale song ever with its minimal yet deep composition. Dan absolutely entered a new path with this one hinting that his new project Second Sky is quite going to be in this vein. I look forward to that already. Excellent stuff. The slow opening "Recollections" is a pleasant surprise with Dan's tender vocals. "Shadowman" is possibly another highpoint of the CD, especially the unexpected guitar solo is mighty! Arjen Lucassen (Ayreon, Star One) has also contributed to this beautiful album with a nice guitar solo. Top notch musicianship. Dan Swano, as always, sings with invaluable emotion. His dark vocals are one of a kind. He is needless to say a brilliant musician. Few others are as gifted as he is. So the result is an album that has numerous textures. Anyone into good prog mixed with melodic hard rock will find elements that attract them to this type of music. Super!

2003's Alive Again - The Breathing Shadow Part IV is the fourth album from Swedish melodic metal band Nightingale. Nightingale is, of course, the brainchild of mastermind Dan Swano (ex-Edge of Sanity, Bloodbath, too many others to list). Swano launched Nightingale with his brother Dag (a.k.a. Tom Nouga) to explore more melodic music influenced by bands as varied as Sisters of Mercy and Uriah Heep, and his ongoing conceptual focus has helped make Nightingale one of the more unique bands in the melodic metal genre.

Like Nightingale's previous albums, Alive Again is highly melodic, surprisingly progressive hard rock that probably qualifies as metal. This time around though the melodies are so much catchier, making the music that much more accessible in an almost AOR kind of way. There's still a strong Uriah Heep/Deep Purple vibe, but it feels a little more like Magnum this time. It's still progressive enough (the 11-minute "Eternal" is proof of that), but melody is definitely the main focus. I think it's a brilliant album overall, and it remains my favorite Nightingale release to date. Then again, I'm a sucker for a good melody and a strong vocal performance, and Alive Again has both of those areas covered. Swano's a great growler, but his clean style is amazing.

Alive Again is one of those rare albums that as soon as you hear it you know it's going to be a really long time before it leaves your CD player. I'd highly recommend Nightingale and especially Alive Again to just about any fan of melodic and/or progressive hard rock and metal.

SHADOWLAND SERENADE & FOREVER AND NEVER, the last two closing tracks are worth the price of this disc alone - very heavy with some awesome solos and synths.

This band shows a more mature and melodic side of DAN SWANO as compared to his participation in primal death metal bands like EDGE OF SANITY and BLOODBATH.

Is this band really METAL? That all depends what is your perspective and understanding of METAL music. The only thing I can really attest to is that this is some true and fine piece of work to listen to. This is melodic and progressive METAL as far as I am concerned.

I recently saw these guys perform live and was completely and utterly wowed. The music is absolutely fantastic and the singing is a nice addition to the already perfect backdrop.
Best tracks? I would say Shadowman, Shadowland Serenade and Into the Light.
This CD is similar throughout without getting annoying, which is always a good thing.

This CD contains mellotrons, awesome keyboard and guitar melodies, harmonized vocals, and synths combining into mostly uplifting, extremely melodic tunes. That might sound really cheesy, but it isn't. The album is sort of a combination of the two earlier Nightingale albums, having the more progressive side of "The Closing Chronicles" and also the simple catchiness from "I", with a much better production and freshness. There are some great solos on this CD, not just guitars but keyboards too.

The album starts out with a re-visiting of a familiar tune but in a slower pace, and then leads into the unforgettable prog-rocker "Shadowman." My favorite song on the album is probably "The Glory Days." It starts off with a treasured, nostalgic mellotron melody. Every verse, chorus, and bridge of this song is well sung and played.

"Eternal" really changes things up. It's an extremely progressive, epic song, 11 minutes long, twice as long as the second longest song, Second best song on the album, in my opinion. "The One" is the next cool song, with it's faeryland-forest synth melody and upbeat, bubbly mellotrons. I know that sounds very strange but it's what it sounds like and it's very good.

Overall, I think this is the most accessible Nightingale album, and is also my favorite and most played. "Invisible" is probably the most similar, and "I" is another incredible album, coming in a very close second, possibly even more catchy than this. I normally don't like music described as "catchy" too much, but this is an exception. For Nightingale, it's what works best for them. "Alive Again," along with most Nightingale releases, is a must in any prog or metal fan's collection.

If you've heard of Edge of Sanity, you've probably heard of Dan Swano. If you've heard of Dan Swano, well, you've probably only heard of Edge of Sanity, and not the countless amount of work that he has done during his career. Swano has done more in his 37 years of being alive than most musicians do in their entire lifetimes. To say he's one of the hardest working men in music is an understatement. I've found most of his work to be highly enjoyable, and he is easily one of my favorite artists. However, his best outfit, in my eyes, is the progressive rock band Nightingale.

Starting off as a goth-tinged band, Swano has refined Nightingale's sound with each album. Their fourth album, Alive Again, is deeply routed in progressive rock/metal. What Swano accomplished with this album is a collection of songs that are incredibly catchy, and would fit in perfectly with today's modern rock radio. But in contrast to most of the songs you'll find rocking the airwaves. Nightingale's songs are a lot more artistically coherent. It is also the conclusion to the "Breathing Shadow" story, which was first started on Nightingale's debut album. It brings resolution to the story of the boy, the friend he betrayed by killing him, and the gypsy woman that has helped guide him on his journey and attempted to help him find peace. The story is rather difficult to understand at times, but it is actually rather fascinating once it's completely figured out--one with ideas of revenge, love, hate, life, death, and rebirth. Swano compliments the story with insanely catchy melodies and hooks that will surely burn themselves into your brain, and his powerful, emotive voice makes it even more of a joy to listen to. The instruments are top notch, and overflow with passionate solos and plenty of atmosphere, something that I've come to expect from Sweden's most heralded artists.

Some standout tracks include: Shadowman. The opening guitar riff is very infectious, and it was stuck in my head for days after I heard it for the first time. The volume of Swano's voice during the verses increases throughout the song, and the chorus and guitar solo work together to create a finely crafted piece of masterful prog rock. The Glory Days is feels like an epic at a mere 4:16 minutes, with its beautiful, uplifting, explosive guitar/keyboard intro and Swano's heartfelt vocals. The great thing about this song is that it fits not only into the story, but it works as a standalone song a well. The 10-minute + song Eternal goes through all sorts of shifts and changes. It is a true prog gem, with a haunting beginning, a catchy and upbeat middle, and a beautifully uplifting end. Shadowland Serenade and Forever and Never bring the album to a close with heavy, soaring guitars, powerful vocals, and a shriek at the end that mirrors the one heard on An Eye For An Eye, the last song on The Breathing Shadow. However, the whole album is worth multiple listens, as Swano doesn't include any tracks that he doesn't devote 110% to.

It's a shame that Dan Swano flies so low under the radar. He's done a ton over the years, and Nightingale is just another example of why he deserves more recognition than he gets. While I feel their best album is Invisible, Alive Again is still a masterpiece of inventive prog metal that anyone could very easily enjoy. It isn't aimed at any specific audience, and it's music that any open-minded person could find something special in. If you're looking for one of the best modern bands out there, Nightingale is worth checking into.

As the other many bands that Mr. DAN SWANO plays in, This Nightingale master piece confirms that he is one of the greatest rock/metal musicians of all times....

You just need buy this piece... it's a must !!!!!

I have in my possession the Breathing Shadow, I , Closing Chronicles and i must say that this album is different in many ways, but nevertheless beautiful.
Alive again is ...in vague terms far more orchestrated and organized than Dan's previous efforts. However, you will recognize those magnificent melodies that wake you up at night, and that simply fulfill the sensitivities of a true melodic metal fan. Need proof? Listen to the samples, "The Glory Days" has a wonderful solo towards the end of that preview. In the record label's site you may download the full version of "Shadowman", which definitly grasps the general idea of what Nightingale is about. Dan's voice changed a little; i would say it matured in the sense that he works more into it, it's more controlled, better calculated. I am in love with this album just as i am enchanted with the majority of Dan's solo work. A must buy if you're into this.