Customer Reviews

Shadowland

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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

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.

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).

I like Nocturnal Rites. They are a power metal band with lots of Symphonic touches. This album is really good, with stand out songs such as Birth Of Chaos, Vengence and Eyes of the Dead. Recommended to fans of Nightwish, Helloween, Stratovarius, Edguy etc

I think this album doesn't get the praise it deserves. If you ask me, this album showcases how hard rockin' these guys can get. The ante is upped from their previous albums, and their at the top of their game before their fall with the next 2 albums, though they bring it up a bit with The 8th Sin. However, this is NR at the top of their game. The riffs are fast, the coruses are catchy and headbang-inducing. The lyrics tend not to make much sense, but then again then never do with power metal bands, but that's OK because the music transcends far beyond whatever the hell they're saying.

Again, this is a power metal masterpiece, a must-have for any fan of the genre. If you were to pick any NR album to own, THIS IS THE ONE! 5 stars

This album deserves 5 stars, because of the excellent, well crafted songs. Fans of both classic metal (Iron Maiden, Manowar) and power metal (Edguy, Rhapsody) will enjoy this

First of all I'm a die hard power metal fan,and I'd like to say that Nocturnal Rites has never! ever! written a bad song,EVER!unlike the over rated Symphony X.People will tell you Symphony X,and sometimes Dreamtheater, are the best,and to throw away you'r Power metal album's.And for the love of God don't, I'm here to tell you,if you like boring,slow,Ultra progressive,overly Dramatic,put you to sleep music,while at the same time giving you only about two fast song's, A.K.A the two token Power metal song's, on a 13 song album,(I'm speaking of course about the New Mythology suite by Symphony X),and just about anything from Dreamtheater.By all mean's don't listen to Power metal,you might actually stay awake.And no though's slow jazzy beat's, don't impress me, at all.But I will recommend Adagio- The sanctus Ignis Album, it actually has a little speed to it.Not to mention to me sound's better than anything Symphony X has came up with as a band.Now that I've said my piece about that why don't the Symphony X fan's tell the truth about why they don't like this album.It's really because the new singer sing's high, and that's really probably the only reason they don't like the new Nocturnal Rites.So cut the B.S.Now as for me I like this singer,and the old singer,they are both AMAZING.This group has a great solid song structure's,they're not all that fast, but they won't put you to sleep either.They're a guitar driven band,with a drummer that is capable of playing fast Power metal stuff if he had to.And if you don't believe me listen to the song Vengence off this album Shadowland. Although I also love the album Afterlife, along with every song on it.I still like this album Shadowland just a little bit more,but not by much.I like Johnny Linquist's vocal's better on this album,it just sound's more natural,and the song's are less morbid too,the other album kind of remind's me of the band Nevermore,which isn't bad, but I think after doing the more Epic and Fantasy style in the past,that they wanted to go with a more Dark and Industrial style on Afterlife.And Shadowland is a little of both.I think the Epic and fantasy style fan's might prove more loyal in the long run.but who know's.I still couldn't give either album less than a five.Heak, even their slow song's like the song Invincible, are AMAZING!!!And I think their giutar solo's are great also,they're not short at all, unless you like them so long you forget what song you're listening to.I don't think they're any shorter than Stratovarious's or Sonata Arctica's,in some way's they're longer just because they don't use their keyboardist as much...Well anyway's, I highly recommend this band to fan's of flat out good music...Whether it be Power metal,plain old traditional metal like the band O.Z.,Epic Fantasy Metal,Speed Hardcore, or all of the above...BUY THIS ALBUM,,,YOU WON'T REGRET IT!!!!Unless ofcoarse you have something against high pitch vocal's.I used to,but I'm proud to say that unless you sound off key, it doesn't bother me anymore....

Afterlife was the album that got me into NR in the first place when it came out. I heard Sinner's Cross on a sampler and decided to buy the album. I thought it was pretty good and then I heard In a Time of Blood and Fire, and Tales of Mystery and Imagination and was really impressed. Shadowland goes a little bit more in the direction of their old stuff, with more melodies and solos. You still don't get that rush that you should get from power metal though. Invincible and Underworld are very catchy but this album isnt enough to turn me into a die-hard NR fan. Helloween and Stormwitch are the masters of the genre.

I've heard good things about this disc,but it came off weak and uninspired to me. Not too mention I don't care for the vocalist,lack of intersting time changes,and the guitar solos interludes are just too damn short. If you want kick-ass power/prog get Wuthering Heights' To Travel Evermore or Symphony X's The Odyssey. These two bands have REAL metal chops!