Vehement but not chaotic Black/Death Metal with a lot of keyboard background seeming unobtrusively – that’s what SHADOWLORD from the Netherlands stand for.
One peculiar thing about SHADOWLORD is that three vocal acrobats divide the singing performance: Cor van Maris grunts, Marit contributes screeching as well as clear elements and guitarist Lesley comes into operation additionally. This natural contrast adds alternation to the tracks, caused by the intensity of all three artists. Again and again Nordic keyboard melodies flash through – SHADOWLORD manage to change measures right in time like during the insistent Moenen En Mariken presenting real demonic vocals. The singing guitars complete the positive overall impression of this multilayer composition. I had to listen to that tune for some times to capture all details. In following Our Goddess Will Rise a spoken introduction boosts the hefty impact of immediately launched music. Despite all heaviness SHADOWLORD do not forget about some groovy breathers and melodic guitar melodies to intensify their work. Same is true for the catchy tune Archangels Fall with the nice lyrical line “it’s better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven”. This mixture does not change in further course fortunately. Not all pieces are potential hits, but they divert without causing enthusiastic reactions.
SHADOWLORD’s fortitude could turn out to be their weakness, namely their enthusiastic way of composing, their detailed but complicated manner in playing. Their music seems to be overloaded and maybe SHADOWLORD should try the other way round: sometimes less richness in details would cause more penetrating power…