Album Review: E Nomine's Die Prophezeiung

Happy Easter fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

It’s that time of year again. Where those of us with faith celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and those of us who are casual or don’t have a religion none the less sit down to a nice meal with family, and the crown of the day is a nice basket with candy. That’s definitely what happens in my household, but for me this is one of the few times of the year that the more.....religious music in my collection comes out. Now, for the past few years I’ve taken looks at E Nomine, and I’ve definitely had fun reviewing their discography. A Techno/Electronica group that uses religious iconography for their lyrics & their music’s atmosphere, they have quite the following in Europe, and have something of a cult status here in the United States. Last time I reviewed something from these guys, is was their ode to horror movies & the occult in their 2nd release, Finsternis. Today’s review sees them go back to their roots, but with a darker twist. So, make sure your basement is stocked for the end of the world, have some chocolate, and sit down for my review of E Nomine’s third album, Die Prophezeiung. Let’s begin!

Background
As I said in my last review, finding information on E Nomine’s career is exceptionally difficult. Wikipedia is really the only reliable source on the group, and even then the amount of info is minimal at best. What little on the site that can be found is that literarily 1 year later, E Nomine released Die Prophezeiung on the 14th of April, 2003. It was a return to form for them, as they left the Occult & Horror Movie themes of Finsternis behind, and returned to the more biblical themes of Das Testament. More specifically, they went with the subjects of apocalyptic prophecies about, the struggle between light and dark, death, and the afterlife. It wouldn’t be as high on the German charts as last time (Finsternis was at no. 3), but it would still sit at a comfortable level for quite some time (No. 12 on the chart).

Basic Description
A return to form.

For anyone that wasn’t a fan of the topic shift on their second album (Though I don’t know why anyone would not like it), this was a welcome return to E Nomine’s first release thanks to bringing back the biblical subject matter. Things are a bit darker this time around, as like I said above, the group decided to explore the Book of Revelations, not to mention apocalyptic prophecies & the other subjects I mentioned above. The end result is what might very well be E Nomine’s darkest release in their career: a record rooted in their patented take on Techno/Electronica with Gothic & Industrial undertones, but with a bleaker atmosphere that what they did before. Unique like everything they’ve done!

Best Track
Schwarze Sonne is not only the best song of Die Prophezeiung, but it also happens to be the tune that I discovered by accident nearly 4 years ago that led me down the E Nomine rabbit hole. I loved the atmosphere of the track quite a bit, but it’s the English version that I especially enjoy. Though the play time is shorter (It’s officially 3-ish minutes on the original release, 7-something minutes on a later re-release, and 5-something minutes for the English version), it’s nice to hear the song in my home language, and some of the beats & rhythms have been re-arranged to change things up. At the end of the day though, both versions are nice to listen to, and aren’t time wasters in any way.

Schwarze Sonne (Original Album Edition)

Schwarze Sonne (Re-Release With Translations)

Schwarze Sonne (Pure English Version)

Worst Track
I normally would complain about an album’s bleakness, but this is one of the few exceptions where I feel that it actually works in Die Prophezeiung’s favor. My only real complaint is the pacing, and I will say that this record is their slowest. There is a track or two that is faster than others, but for the most part this release has rather slow pacing. This results in an album that may be a slog for some, and because of that I had to give this record it's lowest score out of the 3 (More on that in a moment).

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, then click on the link below:

Die Prophezeiung

Overall Impression & Rating
Die Prophezeiung is a great album, and a wonderful return to the subject matter that got them so popular in the first place. It might be their slowest release for some, but it still manages to be atmospheric and groovy. If by some chance this record comes your way, give it a listen to. I don’t think you’ll be board at all!

Die Prophezeiung gets a 7 to 7.5 out of 10.

And that was my look at E Nomine’s 3rd release, Die Prophezeiung. Though there is technically a 4th record, for all intent & purpose this is my last look at the group, though I might consider it for next year if I can find it. I hope you all have a nice rest of the day, and I’ll see you next Friday for my look at one of my no. 2 albums of 2023. Take care!



***
If you’re curious about their prior 2 records, click on the links below to see them:

Das Testament (First Review)

Finsternis (Second Review)

Also, if you’d like to look at the brief history of the band, click on the link below:

E Nomine (Wikipedia)

Album Review: Anthem's Crimson & Jet Black

Fellow Otaku & Metalheads.....welcome back to Japan!

It’s been some time since we’ve come to the Land of the Rising Sun. Not since the summer of 2021 have we ventured into the nation of samurai & sake, but a nice surprise came out last year in the form of Anthem’s 19th studio release. For almost 40 years since their very first record, the band have shown that not just fluffy & cutesy (Even though I like some of it) songs can come from Japan. Heavy Metal can come from there as well. Some damn good Heavy Metal, as a matter of fact! So, sit back, relax, and enjoy my review for Crimson & Jet Black. Let’s begin!

Background
With Nucleus finally getting Anthem their foot in the door in Europe, and in the United States for a 2nd time, the band managed to gain footholds that had long alluded them. From there, the played at Keep It True festival in Europe, and they ultimately stole the show despite having a cult status in the nation. From there, we enter 2020, and I don’t need to say what happened in that year. However, even a plague that isolated everyone on the world didn’t keep these guys down! In that year (Around the end of December to be exact), the band released Explosive -Studio Jam-, which was mostly a compilation of covers, and it saw the return of Graham Bonnet a little after 20 years. Then, on the 21st of April, 2023, Crimson & Jet Black was released!

Basic Description
Nucleus 2.0.

Okay, maybe that’s not an exact description. Yes, the vocal work by Yukio Morikawa is completely done in English, and the recording/production of Crimson & Jet Black is just as crisp and clean as the previously mentioned album, but this record is not composed of prior material. For the first time in nearly 7 years (As of 2023), the crew of Anthem have produced all original songs, and they’re absolutely killer! They still continue the tradition of performing classic Heavy Metal, but it’s that touch of Power Metal that they’ve been using since the 2000s that’s fleshed out their music that really expanded their musical identity. It’s a testament that almost 4 decades after they came onto the scene, they still manage to stay relevant thanks to the quality of their work, and I respect them for that!

Best Track
Blood Brothers is the living embodiment of wholesome & badass. On the initial surface you might mistake this for a cover of the Iron Maiden song of the same name, but that’s not what this song is. This track is incredibly energetic & fast, but like all of Anthem’s tracks in this style, they never veer off the tracks. The lyrics, while aggressive & anarchistic (In a good way), are also uplifting and exceptionally energetic. As we continue to move past the beginning of this decade, it’s songs like Blood Brothers that’ll keep us going until we’re in the clear, and even then we’ll probably still be listening to it.

Blood Brothers

Worst Track
To be perfectly honest, Crimson & Jet Black is about as perfect of a modern day Anthem album as one can get. Coming in on nearly 40 years since their first release, everybody in the band still continue to be amazing in their respective role! If I had one small gripe, it would be with Yukio Morikawa’s vocals. Like on Nucleus & as I said above, he is singing completely in English, and he kills it! That being said, I can’t help but hear tiny cracks when he sings at the higher notes. They don’t impede the overall experience, but if you’re someone that knows about this kind of stuff, you might spot it easily.

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, then click on the link below:

Crimson & Jet Black

Overall Impression & Rating
Crimson & Jet Black was a lovely metallic tsunami. There was the small issue with the higher end vocal work, but that doesn’t take away the overall amazing quality the album provides. Coming in on almost 40 years since their self-titled debut was release, Anthem continue to show the worth that they can still crank out amazing music after all this time. A modern release from the band you definitely don’t want to miss!

Crimson & Jet Black gets a 9 to 9.5 out of 10.

So that was Crimson & Jet Black. Nearly 40 years after their very first album, Anthem continue to prove that they’re a force to be reckoned, and show that Japan can be just as much of a source of Heavy Metal as just about anywhere else. Well everybody, we’re leaving the Land of the Rising Sun & the number 3 spot, and making our way to no. 2. There, we’ll be in the nation of Germany taking a look at some iconic titans. See you next week!

Album Review: Avaland's The Legend Of The Storyteller

Welcome to no. 3 of 2023 fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

We’ve just left Finland, and now we make our way to the mystical kingdom of Avaland. It wasn’t too long ago that we were here, as I reviewed Theater Of Sorcery back in November of 2022. I spoke pretty highly of the album, with the only spot on what was otherwise a perfect record being the numerous guest vocalists that were featured. Now it’s a few years later from their first release, and have they evolved in any big way since? Let’s not waste anymore time, and sit down to witness the Legend Of The Storyteller. Let’s begin!

Background ***
Taken from the band’s website:

“AVALAND is an Epic and Symphonic Metal Opera, written and composed by Adrien G. Gzagg, born in 1998 in Grenoble, France.

Inspired by fantasy, alchemy, legends and
History, Adrien have thought about 10 stories in different timelines, telling 10 important chapters of the magical place he baptized Avaland.

Adrien’s musical influences started very young with Alan Parsons Project. As a teenager, he discovered in his father’s vinyls Yes, Deep Purple, Genesis, Journey… His curiosity brought him step by step to hard rock and heavy metal, and of course to his today main influences : Avantasia, Ayreon, Savatage…”

Basic Description
Theater Of Sorcery turned up a notch.

Now, that doesn’t mean Theater Of Sorcery was awful by any means. If you recall from my review of TOS, I spoke really highly of it. I loved the storytelling, the instrumentation & vocals were spot on, and the overall production was great for a first time release. There was the issue with the guest vocals I had, but that one personal fault doesn’t impact what is an otherwise great experience! Legend Of The Storyteller takes everything that made the prior album great, and amps all of it up. The story is grander (And a little darker in places), the instrumentation is stronger, the vocal work is more operatic, and the recording & production is better! Even the cheese from the prior record has returned in abundance, yet it’s also more evenly placed to allow better musical flow. A victory for Avaland if you ask me!

Best Track
The album opener (Right after the intro) Crimson Tyranny was definitely a nice way to start things off. The track really shows off what this album was going for: immense instrumentation, epic vocal work, powerful presentation & storytelling, and just enough cheese to keep everything glued together. You would think that the cheese factor would be a bit too much, but it actually acts as a balancing agent in addition to being a glue. I wouldn’t pick any other track on this release to open things up for the listener!

Crimson Tyranny

Worst Track
Much like in my Theater Of Sorcery review from 2022 (Read here), the only issue I have that too many guest singers were brought on board this album! 7 guests, as a matter of fact, with the biggest name out of them being former Savatage vocalist Zak Stevens. Again, everybody puts in a lot of effort, and not a single one feels like a waste, but once again the amount of guest singers on Legend Of The Storyteller takes away some of the identity from Avaland. When the band gets to album no. 3, I hope they have just 1 or 2 guest vocalists (Maybe 3), and that’s it!

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, then click on the link below:

The Legend Of The Storyteller

Overall Impression & Rating
The Legend Of The Storyteller was definitely a big step in Avaland’s evolutionary cycle. Sure, the amount of guest vocalists brought in might be annoying for some, but the overall advancement of recording, production, instrumentation, vocal work, and storytelling more than makes up for that fault. If you were a big fan of Theater Of Sorcery, but wanted it’s best points turned up a bit more, then you’ll not want to miss this!

The Legend Of The Storyteller gets a 8.5 to 9 out of 10.

And that was Legend Of The Storyteller everyone. A great improvement over Theater Of Sorcery, let it doesn’t lose sight of what the band’s first release was trying to be. Well everyone, we must leaving this mystical land, and travel over to Japan next week. There’s an old friend over there I’d like to say hi to. See you then!



***
I’m repeating this information from my Theater Of Sorcery review, as finding newer info is rather difficult.

Album Review: Turmion Kätilöt’s Omen X

We’re still in Finland fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

Last week, I looked at Screem Writers Guild from Lordi. It was spooky, hokey, and definitely badass. The band I’m looking at today is no stranger to my little corner of the internet, and has plenty of Finnish badassery. Like the title says, I’m taking a look at Turmion Kätilöt’s most recent release, Omen X. It’s funny: these S&M warriors have shown up on plenty of my lists, but I think that this marks the first time I’ve reviewed these guys in the near decade that this blog has been up. So, let’s not waste anymore time, and dive right into my review for Turmion Kätilöt’s 2023 release, Omen X. Let’s begin!

Background
Taken from Wikipedia:

“Omen X is the tenth studio album by Finnish industrial metal band Turmion Kätilöt and was released on January 13, 2023 on the label Nuclear Blast. The songs "Isä Meidän", "Sormenjälki", and "Kuolettavia Vammoja" have been released as singles from the album, each of which have also been filmed in music videos directed by Rauli Ylitalo.”

Basic Description
Past in the present.

That sounds like an odd way to describe Omen X, but hear me out. When I talked about Shadow’s first at the start of this month, I said that the band was both old & new in terms of style and production. In this album’s case, it’s definitely modern in terms of recording & production, but where the past aspect comes into play is purely stylistic. Omen X is very reminiscent of the band’s releases prior to 2013, as the releases before that year were more metallic than Metal & Dance (Though there were a few song exceptions). It’s definitely welcome for anyone that liked their older output, but it might be a little jarring for some (More on that below).

Best Track
Thought it wasn’t the first single, I was a big sucker for Sormenjälki when it came out. Though there is still a dance-groove element within the beats & rhythms (The pacing is fairly fast), it still manages to be a pretty brutal track. What was surprising about this tune wasn’t necessarily the music, but the music video if you can believe it. Considering how odd and strange their collection of music videos is, it was surprising to watch one of their videos that was mostly normal. I say mostly, because there’s still some weirdness in some places. No spoilers though!

Sormenjälki (Fingerprint)

Worst Track
The only fault that Omen X has, and even then it’s more of a nitpick, would be it’s musical shift. Like I said above, the music on this album is more along the lines of their releases before Technodiktator (aka more metallic that dance-like), and as such there’s a weird nostalgic vibe for their older work. There’s a few exceptions on this record, but a giant majority of the tracks are Industrial Metal, but without the dance-like aspect that Turmion Kätilöt would become known for in 2013 & beyond. Again, this is more of a nitpick for fans who like the group’s older work more than their newer material.

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, then click on the link below:

Omen X

Overall Impression
Omen X, like practically all of Turmion Kätilöt’s discography, is just brutal fun wearing some S&M gear. The shift in style may be odd at first for fans of their work from the start of this decade & the 2010s, but that doesn’t stop this record from being a damn good time whenever it’s listened to. If you’re down for an awesome time, Omen X is a good choice for this!

Omen X gets a out 8.5 to 9 out of 10.

And that was my review of Omen X. Again, apologies for putting up something of a downer at the beginning of this week, but I felt that it was necessary to do first, and then get this review out. Well, with that out of the way, we’re onto number 3, and our first is from a rising star I discovered back in 2021 & their musical evolution in 2023. See you next Friday!

Food For Thought/Thought For Food No. 32 : Akira Toriyama R.I.P.

So.....I didn’t expect this.

As of the 1st of March, famed manga artist Akira Toriyama passed away at the age of 68. The cause of death was Acute Subdural Hematoma, and for anyone who doesn’t know what that is, it is when blood collects between the skull and brain, and in small or symptonless cases it merely needs to be watched over. For more extreme cases, surgery is required. An A.S.H. is usually caused by a head injury strong enough to burst blood vessels, which in turn can cause pooled blood to push on the brain. Things that can increase the risk include age, blood-thinning drugs, and alcohol abuse. Symptoms of an Acute Subdural Hematoma include headaches, confusion, vomiting, slurred speech, or even a coma may appear immediately or weeks after a head injury, and in some cases an A.S.H. doesn’t even cause symptoms. Only thing that wasn’t said was where Mr. Toriyama died, but that is not my place to know.

However, I’m typing this up (As of this past Friday) as a way to show my respect for a legend, yet ironically enough I never had the biggest connection to his work. Kinda like when I talked about Kentaro Miura’s passing back in 2021 (Read here for my thoughts on that), I never got into things like Dragonball & all it’s spinoffs (Though I have watched a sprinkle of episodes here & there), or the various games in which his artstyle was used, but it wasn’t cause of some philosophical difference. For me, I wasn’t a massive fan because they simply didn’t click for. Dragonball & the various sub-series are not bad by any means, but they never connected in the right way for me. And yet.....

I feel a giant hole in my spirit. A guy, who’s work I never interacted with in any meaningful way, is now gone, and I feel like something is missing in my life now. I feel like there’s a little less light coming from the sun, or from the moon and stars at night. Casual anime fans may not understand, but Mr. Toriyama crafted not just a world with Dragonball, but the basis for the entire Shonen genre that’s still going strong today. Toriyama’s work has been a massive inspiration for the creators of One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach to name just a few. He didn’t just inspire those series, but for any otaku/weeb, cosplayer, or vtuber that continues to put out content to this very day. Mr. Toriyama’s message for life was very simple: if you’re able to be your foes, then there’s a chance you’ll stand tall & be stronger for it.

And that’s my thoughts on the passing of Akira Toriyama. Again, I may not have been a massive fan of his work, but I can’t deny the sheer influence he had, and perhaps I might begin to get into his library of material now that he’s gone. In any case, I hope we’re all still hanging in there, and I’ll get back to my scheduled program this Friday. In the meantime.....

IT’S OVER 9000!!!!



***
Here are some lighthearted videos that were inspired by Mr. Toriyama’s works. Click on the links, and enjoy:

Super Deluxe Meat Course from Dragon Ball Z (Arcade with Alvin)

Bucket Ramen from Dragon Ball Super (Anime with Alvin)

Dragon Balls from Dragon Ball Z (Anime with Alvin)

DBZ Drinks for kids who got old (How to Drink)

Album Review: Lordi's Screem Writers Guild

Time for some silly horror fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

For number 4 on my list last year, I made an annual trip to Finland like I typically do for some of my lists. That land of beauty & nature has always been a reliable producer of some of the finest metal bands, whether they be old-school or the new guard. Today’s review is from the fun horror titans Lordi, who are no strangers to the Heavy Metal Otaku blog. For a little over 2 decades, these Finnish fiends have been crawling all over the world, spreading their love of spooks & music. They’ve already made a killing so far this decade, with the fictional compilation album Killection back in 2020, and the mega compilation Lordiversity in 2021. 2023 is no exception, and they crafted quite the release for that year. So, let’s get into our finest suit or dress, head over to the nearby film academy, and enjoy 2023's Screem Writers Guild awards. Let’s begin!

Background
The early years of this decade have become highly recorded, not to mention being highly plague ridden. COVID affected everybody, and Lordi were no exception. Though they had released Killection at the beginning of 2020, they didn’t really have the time to go on tour to promote it for rather obvious reasons. Yet, even in a time of great disease, the monsters from Finland didn’t rest in their lairs, as over the course of 2020 they managed to record seven albums, and would release them all together in one package in 2021 as the monstrous Lordiversity (Which I’m surprised I didn’t cover then or up until now). By the time 2023 came about, the fears of the years before didn’t quite seem so insurmountable, and the world was more open than it had been for some time.

Lordi had already been revving up to go back on tour a little bit beforehand, but not without one bump in the road. On the 5th of May in 2022, longtime guitarist Amen had left the band, and a day later Mr. Lordi would put out a statement about the situation. In it, he said that he had asked Amen to leave at the end of February 2022 due to growing tensions, and at one point it was really personal. Luckily, Lordi managed to find a new guitarist on the 30th of May in the form of Kone, and from there things were all set. The monsters of the band then crept into the studio to begin work on their next release towards the end of 2022, and once it reached the 31st of March in 2023, Screem Writers Guild was released. An ode to the classic monsters of cinema (Universal specifically), it was a breath of fresh air to take in after what the start of this decade was.

Basic Description
Hokey Horror Fun.

Lordi have always been a band that knew how to have fun, but also how to send a few chills up or down your spine. Outside of one or two exceptions that do get a little real-world, Mr. Lordi & the rest of the monsters of the band always manage to bring a smile to their fan’s face, and Screem Writers Guild is perhaps their most upbeat release so far this decade. Like I said above, the inspiration for the music on this record was that of the old Universal movie monsters, and those were always fun to watch. It’s not just the music that carries this inspiration, but the costumes as well: from the Creature From The Black Lagoon, to Dracula, and to Frankenstein, the band wear the inspiration on their sleeve, & they aren’t ashamed of it in the least!

Best Track
Dead Again Jayne was a damn good third single for this record! A speedy song with plenty of creep factor that never goes away, it tells the tale of a dead movie starlet (Inspired somewhat by Jane Mansfield) being brought back to life by a weirdo, all in an effort to try & see if said starlet would be his girlfriend. The instrumentation is fun, but it doesn’t forget to be a conveyor for some scares, and Mr. Lordi knows how to be BOTH when he’s singing!

Dead Again Jayne

Another good track that shows off the quality of Screem Writers Guild would be the ode to creepy circus freaks with Thing In The Cage. A slower-paced tune in comparison to the one above, but makes up for that by being a bit more sinister. The instrumentation just creeps & crawls all over, and Mr. Lordi’s vocals just slither around you until it worms it’s way into your head, where it won’t leave until it wants to. Like anything in the freakshow, Thing In The Cage is creepy and gross, but entertaining at the same time!

Thing In The Cage

Worst Track
Screem Writers Guild is almost a perfect Lordi album. Much like Killection & Lordiversity, the band have make some fun and freaky with this release, but I say it’s almost perfect because of some minor tracklisting. Simply put: the 2nd track should have been the first in order to keep the story flowing just right. On top of that. Both Dead Again Jayne & Thing In The Cage have odd 1-something minute intros, and then the songs plays. The tracks themselves are great, but those introductions feel like timewasters to me!

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, click on the link below:

Screem Writers Guild

Overall Impression & Rating
Screem Writers Guild is just a lot of fun. It is a little jumbled right at the beginning, but otherwise the music on here is great! Lordi know when to be scary, but they also know when to have a great time, and that’s what this album excels at! If you’re looking for some scares that don’t deal with the real world & isn’t soul-crushing, this release is what you’re looking for!

Screem Writers Guild gets a 9 out of 10.

At that was my look at Screem Writers Guild. A small hiccup at the beginning, and there’s a tiny bit of time wasted, but the overall experience just brings a smile to my face. In a world where it’s horrors are too frequent nowadays, it’s nice to know that there are monsters that like to have fun on stage. So, see you all next week, when we’ll stay in Finland to look at a band that’s all too familiar on this blog. See you soon! ***




***
This was written before Akira Toryama’s death, so expect to see something about that before the next review.

Album Review: Shadows's Out For Blood

It’s that time once again fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

It’s time to look back at the music of the year before, and see if it still earned it’s recognition & rightful place on my top 5 albums of 20XX list. 2023 had a damn good selection of records from across a lot of styles, and from bands both old and new. The only records that aren’t getting a review are the ones I leave out for their own examinations in November....and the one’s I’ve selected are definitely going to be interesting. In any case, let’s take a trip over to Chile, and take a look at a band that’s pretty new to the metal scene, yet has a lot of potential to be something amazing later on down the line. Let’s not waste anymore time, and take a look at the first full-length album from the group Shadows. Let’s begin!

(Starting a month early this year, since I didn’t do any research on Irish Metal Bands, and wasn’t thinking of green MTG cards for some reason)

Background
Taken from Bandcamp:

“After the pure magic and fire of the "Into the Nightmare" precursor demo tape, we're thrilled to bring you its full-scale successor and evolution: the unrivaled debut album by Chilean heavy metal cult Shadows. Packing in 30 minutes of legendary songwriting and visionary revivalism "Out for Blood" takes us back to a time, somewhere in the early 80's, when acts like Mercyful Fate, Satan, Death SS, Judas Priest, and Alice Cooper were laying the unforgettable foundations of what would soon become a generational, industry-changing phenomenon: the defining of heavy metal as we know it. A raging and undying fire of searing leads, thundering drums, spooky operatic vocals, ripping guitars, unforgettable hooks and outrageous transgression. With no hesitation or limits to its deathless imagination, Shadows has conceived a classic metal crucible of unparalleled wizardry and dominance, using familiar concepts borrowed from dark b-movies, old comic strips, occultism and esotericism to take the listener down a dark, left-hand path of cinematic storytelling, thrilling fantasy, dark impulses and transgressive paranoia. The ten tracks of "Out for Blood" display a breadth of tricks and expertise rarely seen at such an accomplished level in contemporary NWOTHM and classic metal acts, and this should come as no surprise knowing that Shadows mastermind and main songwriter John Shades (a pseudonym of Cristian Silva of Apostasy fame), has been shaping the pillars of true and untamed underground South American heavy metal for at least three decades. Using a mist of dark, keyboard-laden atmospheres, vorticose melodies and a dominating, dual attack of criss-crossing, blazing razor-sharp solos, Shades and his co-conspirators have unfolded a half-hour of absolute, boundless imagination, covering almost fifty years of heavy metal evolution and transformation, and delving deep into the primordial fabric of the genre's most defining traits, those of technical extremism, frantic intensity, and adrenaline-pumping darkness. A full-frontal assault on the senses where the limitless imagination of epic storytelling and of rare musicianship have converged in creating the ultimate homage, heirloom and celebration to the undying, sacred and eternal flame of heavy metal.”

Basic Description
Past & Present in all the right ways.

Shadows are, in my opinion, one of the metal bands that not only capture the letter of 80s metal nostalgia, but also it’s spirit. Whereas many bands in the “New Wave Of Heavy Metal” movement can only capture either the letter or spirit of the decade, these guys manage to grab both at the exact same time. A lot of the grooves & rhythm’s feel like they were taken straight from the 1980s, and the sound seemingly feels like it comes from that decade as well. In particular, a lot of the scare factor in my view comes across like what King Diamond would use. A little hokey in places (More on that below), but definitely can send a small chill up the spine at times.

Where the more modern (Present) parts come in are with it’s recording & production, as well as another band I think Shadows may have been inspired by. Soundwise, Out For Blood is crisp and clean, yet the modern recording techniques don’t take the 80s nostalgia away. As for who I think inspired them in the more modern sense, I have the sneaking suspicion that it may have been Ghost. I say it’s Ghost, because there are some hooks & rhythms that come straight from records like Infestissumam and Meliora. It could just be me, but I swear that the catchiness I hear and feel was inspired by Papa Emeritus & his Nameless Ghouls at least partially.

Best Track
Nightstalker was definitely the most appropriate track to preview this album to potential listeners, and embodies the combination of styles I mentioned above. You’ve got that Ghost-style hooks, the King Diamond-like creepiness, and the 80s metal vibes. I will say that the creepiness ever so slightly bends towards the cheesy side, but overall the mix is perfectly balanced, and is more than worthy of being the opening song. Don’t you dare skip this tune!

Nightstalker

Worst Track
Like I said when I did my top 5 album list for 2023, Out For Blood is a short album. 32 minutes & 50 seconds to be exact. However, if you cut out the two instrumental tracks (Dream Paralysis & Fullmoon), it plays for 30 minutes & 9 seconds, which definitely is shorter. Whether you skip those two songs or not, you gotta listen to this record a bunch of times to get it stuck in your head. I will say though, it’s definitely worth it!

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, then click on the link below:

Out For Blood

Overall Impression & Rating
Out For Blood was a nice surprise. Sure, it’s on the short side, but it’s compensated by having some incredibly catchy songs with a simple creep factor that draws you in. Their EP before this album planted the seed for future success, and OFB was the plant that came from that seed. If Shadows can put on an album or two that has as much quality as this one did, I got a feeling that the plant might have some nice blossoms later on down the line.

Out For Blood gets an 8 out of 10.

And that was my review of Out For Blood, and the start of my look at the best albums of 2023. We’ve got quite a bit of ground to cover, so join me next week as we get to the first of my no. 4 albums. It’s gonna be really spooky, so see you then!


***
If you’d like to visit the band’s Bandcamp page, click on the link below:

Shadows (Bandcamp)