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The Swedish power metallers are around for 10 years and this is their 7th studio album. And again Nocturnal Rites been able to top their last album with Grand lllusion.
The Swedish kick off the album with Fools Never Die - a hymn-like fast one which some might know from some magazine sampler. It's also their choice for a video clip. A melodic rocker which is catchy and surprises the listener with an unexpected slow part. This song will soon be a must play in their set list! A good choice to catch the attention for this album. They speed up a little with Never Trust. Fast double bass drumming and shredding guitar riffs make the second song more aggressive, but still very melodic due to the powerful vocals of Jonny Lindqvist. HammerFall guitarist Stefan Elmgren added some guitar riffs to this one. But he's not the only guest on Grand Illusion! Still Alive is more aggressive and shredding guitars dominate this one, but fast drumming is driving this one. Only during the catchy chorus they slow down a bit and it sneaks into your mind and stays. Surprisingly different is Something Undefined, but is still melodic power metal, but darker.... And with Our Wasted Days they push the limits a bit more. Singer Jonny Lindqvist partly sounds a bit mean... Then after a break back to his powerful melodic voice. At some parts I have to think of Stratovarius, but only for a second or two. Guitarists Nils Norberg and Frederik Mannberg show again that they are a great team, but the team wouldn't be complete without bassist Nils Erickson and drummer Owe Lingvall. Heavy and dark comes Cuts Like A Knife off the speakers. Here Nocturnal Rites got joined by Evergrey's Henrik Danhage who contributes a solo and by Jens Johansson (Stratovarius) who adds the keyboard parts. Most unexpected are the growls / screams of Naglfar's Kristoffer Olivius. This is probably the darkest song Nocturnal Rites ever written / played. And it shows that this band has more to offer then just happy melodic power metal. If there will be more songs like this in future, well, time will tell. Songs like End Of Our Rope have all the trademarks of their sound, here I have to think of Masterplan and Jorn Lande a bit... Perhaps it would be a good idea to leave behind the happy metal a bit... The last track - called Deliverance - is another hymn-like mid-tempo song. Nocturnal Rites released a good album after another, but couldn't really step out of the shadow of bands like Gamma Ray and Edguy. If they would do more songs like Cuts Like A Knife they might finally get into the premier league... Even if Never Ending is heavier as they use to be, but still to close to the main bands of the genre. Anyway, a great album which you won't get tired of soon!
Check out: Fools Never Die, Still Alive, One By One and Cuts Like A Knife, even if this isn't a typical song. But all other songs will give a good impression, too.
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