I always look forward to a new
Nocturnal Rites release with a special anticipation. Sensing the band's potential early on I always hope they will release the Power Metal milestone I crave so much.
Is Grand Illusion it then? Well not quite, but the result is as always still damn good.
The first half of the album is very strong indeed, starting off with the mid-tempo rocker
Fools Never Die, applied with a catchy chorus and an illuminating symphonic shine.
Nocturnal Rites sometimes plays fast and aggressive, but not without it being structured and rooted in a melodic mission.
Never Trust features some great double bass drumming and heavily groovy rhythm guitars, the more I listen to it, the more harmonious it becomes too. A fantastic Power Metal cut with a thunderous key solo.
I find
Still Alive to be a very interesting composition; kept very much alive by a tight drum and powerful bass fundament. The underlying key harmony and guitar lick both supply lots of weight to it, not to forget the melodic guitar solo. This band truly manages the difficult task of melting numerous creative elements together in the same song, keeping things complex and always in motion.
Something Undefined has a refreshing trashy vibe to it, but not the most inspiring refrain I might add. As seen before the band is not afraid to inject alternative sounds and this song clearly wins by the use of some experimental inputs. The term modern seems very much out of place when you look at the bands front covers, but there is something successful about this approach.something undefined.
A well-adjusted mix of speed, roughness and smart rhythm changes make up the next great track entitled
Our Wasted Days, this is simply rock solid Power Metal.
It becomes apparent from the start that
Cuts Like A Knife runs down a different avenue, being a doomy and dark edged song with thick mystical atmospheres coming form the dramatic keyboard scenarios. The advanced guitar playing and explosive drumming fit in really well and make quite a difference in the overall impression.
A song with a chorus you can't help sing along to, has a good chance of scoring high and
End Of Our Rope did achieve this status after some evaluation.
The way the keyboard spins a melancholic web of haunting threads gives the song a very special atmosphere and Jonny's vigorous pipes are just impressively strong.
On most
Nocturnal Rites albums a few songs never really gets under my skin. On Grand Illusion
Never Ending gets the price of this questionable award.
First off this is a decent, powerful and competent piece, in fact the musicianship is excellent. Secondly it has trouble finding out what it really wants to achieve, the rather overdone and plain chorus being its biggest enemy.
The mid-tempo groover
One By One delivers plenty of depth and heavy riffing. The melodic chorus bind it nicely together and the lead harmony is just ear candy of the stickiest kind.
Deliverance paints a grave and tense closing chapter; once again the superb keyboard performance takes a central position, drawing cloudy and grand illusions reaching high into the night. The killer rhythm guitars and pounding bass add up to a really massive driving force, not an overly mind-blowing creation but it's ultra firm to the end.
The decent lyrics offer a critical standing point towards modern society, the dangers of human instability, a search for meaning and standing your own ground in life.
Jonny Lundqvist's vocals have this special balance between roughness and brightness. Knowing how to optimize his abilities is another considerable upside. All in all the musical delivery is top notch on all fronts.
One thing you will find as the album progresses is plenty of small breaks, diversions and clever additions. This is clearly a band with a flair for the minor details that help in making the overall picture that more interesting.
The very detailed production accentuates these passages while the main foundation remains vigorous.
The Swedes play good old traditional Power Metal and somehow still manage to sound refreshing and innovative, if not revolutionary.
Grand Illusion is a fine, catchy and diverse album that should satisfy lots of fans in the melodic Metal genre.
Written by
Tommy Saturday, November 5, 2005
Show all reviews by TommyRatingsTommy: 7.5/10Members: No members have rated this album yet.
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