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Band Name: Nocturnal Rites
Album Name: Grand Illusion
Rating: 4 / 5 User Rating: 4 / 5
Label: Century Media
Buy Album: Amazon.com
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Tracklist
1. Fools Never Die (3:54)
2. Never Trust (4:43)
3. Still Alive (4:02)
4. Something Undefined (4:08)
5. Our Wasted Days ((5:17)
6. Cuts Like A Knife (5:10)
7. End Of Our Rope (5:26)
8. Never Ending (4:29)
9. One By One (4:23)
10. Deliverance (5:00)
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Yet another release that shows power metal groups to be abandoning patterned songwriting and reliance upon rolling kick drums to power the music, 'Grand Illusion' stands as the most mature, accessible album of Nocturnal Rites' tenure of metal vocation.
In terms of overall ambience, 'Grand Illusion' is much keener on hard rock sensibilities than the group's April 2004 effort, 'New World Messiah.' These Swedes welcome long-established metal influences into the structures of their songwriting in an approach that is especially similar to the current musical path of Stratovarius. In toning down the more aggressive, faster-paced material and focusing on a wider scope of sonic emotions, the band's songs carry much more profundity and dynamics than on any of the band's prior releases.
Wizened listeners will find the intricate harmonies displayed on tracks such as the churning, restless 'Something' to be particularly of curiosity, while younger fans will be prone to connect with the Children Of Bodom-ish riffing that forms the theme of 'Never Trust', a song that will give fans an idea of what Bodom might sound like if Alexi Laiho adopted the more traditional vocal style of Nocturnal Rites singer Jonny Lindqvist.
Speaking of vocals, Lindqvist truly excels throughout Grand Illusion.' His vocals are duly dominant and deeply impassionate all through the mid-tempo pounder that kicks the entire affair off, 'Fools Never Die.' Lindqvist is an impressive singer in terms of range and control and on this record; the vocalist approaches his performance with clout during 'Still Alive', a song that stands out as the album's best overall cut. Crisp, edgy guitars meet soaring melodies on this cut, a song that will be found to be appealing by fans of Metallica as well as Dream Theater.
Likewise, the ear-catching anthem 'Something Undefined' should find a broad appeal, with a highly memorable chorus and a degree of commercial likeability that should result in considerable attention from rock-oriented Program Directors and multitudes of fans of melodic heavy metal alike. Ripping solos by lead guitarist Nils Norberg place an exclamation point on the sheer impressiveness of this particular track.
Nocturnal Rites does have a dark side about them, most particularly revealed in the majestic yet devilish 'Cuts Like A Knife.' Wicked growling vocals during the chorus section, provided by Kristoffer W. Olivius (Naglfar) enhance the song's overall impact, measuring up as one of the more intense pieces that you'll find here. The track is richly articulate, with further acrobatics guitar-wise giving the track an eerie tone.
Metal fans that prefer the music of Dio and Yngwie Malmsteen will notice that Nocturnal Rites pushes that type of songwriting even further, modernizing a classic sound for a new age of metal. Those that have doubted to vocal power of Lindqvist must only check out 'End Of Our Rope' to realize the evidence of his vocal strength. Flurries of sweeping guitar runs prepare the listener for a highly epic hook that takes this track to coda, a fine segue into more traditional power metal territory, 'Never Ending', a piece that will be met with fans of the band's older works with a warm welcome.
European audiences have already discovered this tremendous effort and as the time nears for this fantastic recording's American release, fans can rest assured that Nocturnal Rites will be a name spoken often in heavy metal circles in 2006.
Review by: EF
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