Nostradameus - Hellbound
This is my first glimpse into the musical world of Nostradameus, and I must say, I'm quite impressed with this Swedish band. I'd heard of their previous three albums but for one reason or another never took the time to listen to their stuff; though after giving Hellbound a few listens, I'm definitely going to have to get their back catalogue. I've read that their earlier albums are, for the most part, average Power Metal records in the style of Gamma Ray or Stratovarius, but Hellbound is much more than standard Power Metal fare. For one thing Nostradameus is much more aggressive and raw, especially in the vocal department, than most Power Metal bands. Vocalist Freddy Persson sings with a lot of raw emotion and power, and I would draw some comparisons to Masterplan's Jorn Lande here. Actually, the whole album seems like a combination of Masterplan and Hammerfall, with some crunchy, Iced Earth-style riffs thrown in for good measure.

The Reaper's Image was the first song to grab me and slam my face into the ground with its intense riffs and screaming vocals. The second it starts, Freddy is screaming the first notes of the song and the guitars are ripping shit up; it gives the track a wild quality that doesn't let up until the end. The first couple of times I listened to this album, and this song in particular, I couldn't help but bang my head throughout the whole thing. If you're looking for a disc to headbang to, this is it! While a few tracks contain brief moments of acoustic guitars and slower rhythms, much like Iced Earth, it's only temporary and the headbanging goodness is never far behind. The Reaper's Image is by far the best song on the album; the melodies are fantastic, it's heavy as shit, and all fans of Metal should have a ball with it.

The title track is another great piece. Slowing things down a bit, Hellbound moves along at a steady, mid-tempo pace with heavy-ass guitars and a great performance by Persson. Like many of the tracks on this album, there's a great melodic guitar solo towards the middle. Guitarists Jake Freden and Michael Aberg never feel the need to show off with unnecessary shredding; all of their riffs and solos are well structured and compliment the songs perfectly.

The lyrics are one of the album's greatest strengths. While Hellbound doesn't seem to be telling a story or building a singular concept, Nostradameus does bring up many issues regarding the state of the world today, particularly how the level of morality appears to be going downhill for humankind (hence the title). With the amount of Power Metal I listen to, the Wizards and Warriors-style lyrics can get old sometimes, so the social commentary on Hellbound is a nice change of pace. As mean and screaming as some of this album is, there's an overall positive vibe here with some good messages.

Apart from the two tracks I've detailed, the rest of the album is only slightly above average fare. While I can't recommend running out and buying this album right away, if you're a fan of aggressive Power Metal you really should check Hellbound out. It's the perfect album to listen to if you're in the mood to bang your head for 45 minutes straight, and contains 10 solid Metal tracks. Check 'em out!

Written by Matthew
Thursday, December 30, 2004
Show all reviews by Matthew

Ratings

Matthew: 6.5/10

Members: No members have rated this album yet.


This article has been shown 3559 times. Go to the complete list.



RevelationZ Comments











Review by Matthew
None

Released by
AFM - 2004

Tracklisting
1. Never Turning Back
2. Your Betrayal
3. The Reaper's Image
4. Hellbound
5. One Step Away
6. Fight
7. Cuts Like Blades
8. Seven
9. One World To Live In
10. I Am Free


Supplied by Target


Style
Power Metal

Related links
Visit the band page

Other articles


Z supported shopping






Ratings
1 - Horrifying
2 - Terrible
3 - Bad
4 - Below average
5 - Average
6 - Good
7 - Very good
8 - Outstanding
9 - Genius
10 - Masterpiece
666 - Unrated

More details...


Daily Spotlight
D:A:D - Riskin' It All
CoverThis was my first D:A:D album and in fact the first time I really started taking notice of Rock music back in the day. 1991 t....
Read full review















Retro Reviews

(Michael)
The Almighty - Soul Destruction
Cover"Soul Destruction" was the second studio album from The Almighty. Originated in Scotland the band took the world by storm with their dirty biker/Sleaze Rock. The bands visual image was raw personified....
Read full review






(Alanna)
Harem Scarem - Mood Swings
CoverHarem Scarem seem to reinvent themselves every other album, going from the keyboard filled Def Leppard meets Honeymoon Suite debut and sliding all the way into the depths of nu-breed "modern" rock and....
Read full review








Archive
 · Albums of the month
 · Retro Reviews
































Back to the top - © 2002-2011 RevelationZ Magazine - Back to the top