Release:
Spikefarm Records / Soulfood VÖ: 12.09.2008
Info:
It has been a long road for Osaka, Japan’s Shadow, a melodic death metal band that was formed already in 1993. Not ones to spoil anything with hastiness, the band recorded their first demo during the winter of 1997. It caught the right ears at Spikefarm Records and led to a record deal. The band spent late 2000 recording their eponymous debut album, and also toured Japan as the opening act for both Dismember and Napalm Death. The debut was released in May 2001 and soon licensed for international release by Century Media that same summer.
Cue to 2008. It has been more than seven years since the debut, but now Shadow is back, and like the old adage goes, good things are worth waiting for!
Shadow is not a Gothenburg-sounding clone of another clone. No, with their unique ingredients in the mix Shadow have the potential to breath new life to a genre which has been flogging a dead horse for some years already. The Japanese are traditionally known to appreciate good guitarists, and never before has there been a better reason to do so, as Shadow’s own Yuichi Sumimoto will put many a guitarist to shame with his blindingly fast, neo-classical fretboard acrobatics. Not a bit less special is their female vocalist Tokiko Shimamoto, whose brutal vocal delivery has the capability to put most of her male counterparts out of business.
“Forever Chaos” is a modern, aggressive affair – heavy and pounding enough to cave your head in, it’s also catchy in a very traditional way. Ranging from mind-boggling guitarwork to thrashing with hellish intensity and going for the jugular all the while “Forever Chaos” is a punishing lesson on how a multifaceted melodic death metal album should be put together in 2008.
Tracklist:
01. Forever Chaos 02. The Existence Of Suffering 03. Before True Light 04. Within The Winter Silence 05. The Orators 06. Master Of Impieties 07. Wings Of Flame 08. My Apologies 09. Shudders Hell 10. Land Of A Dream
Line-up:
Yoshio Kubo - bass guitar Yuichi Sumimoto - guitar Mitsuhiro Enomoto - drums Tokiko Shimamoto - vocals
Discography:
Forever Chaos 2008 Shadow 2001 |