Band:	Shadowsphere
Album:	Darklands
Style:	Gothenburg metal
Release date:	January 2004
Guest review by:	Passenger

01. New Sky
02. Forever
03. Stir Of Echoes
04. Damnation (The Desert Sands Of Hamunaptra)
05. What Dreams May Come
Into Death And Dreaming (Tales Of Scarlet Passion)
06. Nosferatu (Wolf Christendom)
07. Into The Lungs Of Hell
08. ? Of Passion And Pain
09. At The Graves
10. Carfax In Flames
11. Hunter's Prelude
12. The Everlasting Dream
13. Love Never Dies

Even if most Portuguese Metal musicians never leave the amateur status or the smallness of the rectangle in the tail of Europe, continuously enlarging a vast and diverse underground, Luís Goulão has already a long and interesting career. From the formation of Rebellion in 1993 to a previous participation in Phantom Vision and other smaller bands or projects, some of which started by the guitarist, he now brings a quite unique Melodic Death Metal album.

I always had the impression most people take Gothic Metal as the dominating orientation for many Moonspell's compatriot bands. However, the amount of Death and Heavy Metal produced here has always been more significant, so it's logical that finally someone picks in that union of both with Thrash elements, popularized by the Swedes. Well, I don't know why it took so long to hear this in Portugal. When listening to "Darklands" references like At The Gates and In Flames will pop-up but, gladly, you won't be able to put a "clone" label on this one and that is already reason enough for some enthusiasm.

Shadowsphere have their own identity and that's clear in most instruments separately. The guitars have that typical fast melodic vibe, assumedly Iron Maiden influenced, nothing really new, brilliant execution. The bass is constantly present and contributing to a more obscure environment. Goulão does deep growls but the main vocalist has a more screaming tone, a variety that gives depth to their music. I didn't knew the drummer André Silva but, individually, he's in great plan. Imagine dozens of skulls being crushed violently and you'll be near to understand his style and how his drum set sounds through the album. On top of this the production is not overused and makes the album sound very intense.

But the big surprise is "Into Eternity And Dreaming (Tales Of Scarlet Passion)", a dark conceptual part that goes from track 6 to 13. The theme is Francis Ford Coppola's "Dracula". The lyrics take you through the story and, sometimes, there are even some well included short dialogues from the movie.

Shadowsphere don't put restrictions to what they want to do and the result is extremely positive, original ideas in a great relation of competence and quantity. If you like the genre make an effort to listen this because it's worth it and if you ever have the chance to get this album (the distribution is very limited) don't hesitate on buying it.