Shadowland

Nocturnal Rites | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 3, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Century Media
• ASIN: B00006IJ49
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #354,733 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good but not as good as Afterlife..........., October 3, 2002

By 

MetalMarc (Grand Rapids, MI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shadowland (Audio CD)

The new Nocturnal Rites is finally out in America. I wish century media would have realesed this earlier in the states as I know it was out a long time ago in Europe. Anyway the new album Shadowland once again displays Noctunal Rites great songwriting skills, guitar work, and vocal talents. However much of the agression and heaviness has been scaled back making this a very good but not great album. With Afterlife Nocturnal Rites was on the heavier side of power metal along with bands like Iced Earth, Nevermore, and Angel Dust. Now they are not a weak band but back towards the middle of the pack with bands like Hammerfall and Thunderstone. I perfer their heavier side. Heck even if the guitar tone was more chunky like on Afterlife this album would be close, but the bottom end seems to have been taken out of the guitar tone leaving the sound too bright and tingy sounding. It is still a very good album as the 4 stars indicate but it could have been a lot better. I really hear some great songs and melodies on Shadowlands just wish the guitars backed it with more thickness. Maybe next time they will use the producer they used on Afterlife for a heavier clearer tone to do their great songs justice. I recommended Shadowland for the great songs.

Standout Tracks: Eyes of the Dead, Shadowlands, Never Die, Faceless God, The Watcher

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars YAY Nocturnal Rites are back to the way they should be, September 12, 2002

By 

B. O'Leary "nocturnalguard" (Boise, ID USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shadowland (Audio CD)

I gave the last Nocturnal Rites album Afterlife a mixed review saying they went back to the way they were when they first started as a Death metal band but what I ment was NOT musicaly but Lyricly. But Im happy to announce they are Back to the way the first three album where so I love it. the songs are faster then the older songs but they have the catchy choures, and melodies again and the Lyrics dont talk about christ on a cross while the devil laughs and spits in disgust..(thats from Afterlife cd by the way) Nocturnal rites are suppose to be a Power Metal band that makes you feel good like Freedom call does and the first three NR cds did just that and soo does this one!
So just to clarifiy, If you like the first three cds Im pretty sure you'd like this one too I know I do. So thats My two cents take my advice or dont I really dont care.

4.0 out of 5 stars Back on familiar ground, January 15, 2011

By 

Justin Gaines (Northern Virginia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Shadowland (Audio CD)

2002's Shadowland is the fifth studio album from Swedish power metal band Nocturnal Rites. After their angrier, heavier 2000 album Afterlife, Nocturnal Rites took a major u-turn back to the melodic power metal sound of their earliest albums.

Shadowland is essentially Sacred Talisman with a better vocalist. The band is back to a more melodic power metal sound, with none of the previous album's darker edge. They have moved beyond the standard D&D subject matter though, which is an improvement, and Johnny Lindqvist really sings this kind of material quite well. The end result is something a little less Hammerfall than the early albums, a lot less Nevermore than Afterlife, and the start of an impressive run of hard-hitting melodic power metal. Shadowland isn't as strong or as well-written as the albums that would follow it, but it's definitely a good start.

If you're a fan of melodic power metal along the lines of Masterplan, Ride the Sky, Thunderstone, Jorn and At Vance, Shadowland is an album well worth hearing, though it's not quite as impressive as New World Messiah or 8th Sin (or as interesting as Afterlife).