Shadow Host, if you didn’t know (and I didn’t) are a thrash / power metal band from Moscow that have been in existence since 1993 and this is their fifth studio album. On top of those 5 records they’ve also released 3 EPs but despite their productivity they hadn’t crossed my path until now. This is one of the best things about this reviewing business – discovering new (or old) music & bands that you’d never have heard otherwise and trying to shine a bit of a spotlight on them if it’s deserved. And in this case it certainly is.
Imagine a faster, thrashier, more muscular Blind Guardian / Iced Earth and you’ll have an idea of what this Russian bunch is all about.
This band ooze American power metal vibes from every groove, crunch & solo of Alexey Aramazov & Yuri Naletov’s guitars. Likewise the spot on drums of Erland Sivolapov remind me of classic Agent Steel. Special mention to the great vocal performance of Alexey Markov, he has an excellent range and his strong, melodic voice is really suited to this material.
Album opener ‘Lunacy Divine’ is gonna be a crowd favourite at gigs with it’s singalong chorus, likewise the anthemic ‘Treason’ wouldn’t sound out of place on an Annihilator CD – all cracking stuff.
Another two standout songs are the heavy ‘Divide & Rule’ with it’s classic headbanging riff and menacing atmosphere and restrained vocals and the frantic album closer ‘Apocalypse Within’ – pure thrash mastery! The only weak point (to these crusty old ears) is the Helloween- esque power ballad ‘Seeds Of Sorrow’, which didn’t do it for me at all, although I appreciate what the lads were trying to achieve.
All in all this is a belter of a record. No bullshit, no keyboards just quality super melodic and well produced thrash metal and it’s genuinely made me want to check out the band’s previous output.
(8/10 Mark Eve)
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