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Shadowland: Falling
Melodic Heavy Metal
Rating: 4.5/5.0
www.germusica.com
www.myspace.com/shadowland1
Reviewed by Craig Hartranft
Robert Forse (ex-Heads Or Tales) and Tobias Andersson (Seven Wishes) formed the foundation of Sweden's Shadowland when writing songs together four years ago in the hope of forming a new band. Their time and attention to detail has produced a great melodic heavy metal album in 'Falling.' The first jewel in the crown of Shadowland's debut album is the power of Mr. Forse's voice. His vocals fill each song with clarity, emotion and strength. After this, the weight of the crown gets heavier as you add the jewels of Mr. Andersson's terrific riffs, the fantastic songs which have a perfect mix of heaviness and melody sprinkled with a dash of prog, and the nearly perfect production.
From start the finish, you are favored with some great songs and on each one you are blessed by both Forse's vocals and the vocal arrangements. 'Perfection' is a perfect example of his strength in the former case and the band's creativity in the latter. This song and also 'Can You Tell Me,' 'Don't Turn This Love Into Hate,' and 'Same Old Muddy Roads,' demonstrate the flair and skill of Andersson's guitar work. The crown jewel on this album is most likely 'In The End' which moves between subtlety and heaviness. Forse is at his most versatile level and Andersson's guitar sings with sharpness and beauty. The most surprising track is Shadowland's cover of Toto's 'Don't Chain My Heart,' where they breathe new life into a classic song.
'Falling' is a work of single-minded consistency, a first-class musical thrill ride into great melodic metal. Highly recommended!
In Short
'Falling' is a work of single-minded consistency, a first-class musical thrill ride into great melodic metal.
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