Shadowsphere - Inferno
After nearly six years of silence, Shadowsphere return with some new tricks up their sleeve. Shedding their Melo-death formula that so many fans have gotten used to over the years, the group has opted for more of a Metalcore based sound. Some may find this upsetting and not as good as previous form, similar to how many felt between the shift of the last Sonic Syndicate album. True, it is a new direction that has a more 'modern mainstream' touch, but one can still hear traces of the past in tracks like "Bullet Train" with the dark growls, the At The Gates based riffs which aren't as chugging as the opening "Within The Serpent's Grasp," and overall a bit more of an upbeat tone compared to other tracks while still remaining intensely heavy. There is a surprise female guest vocalist on "Sworn Enemy" which helps bring out the track more to life than the others, but at the same time it feels like a random addition, especially since her name is kept hidden in the public credits. The instrumental "The Hurtlocker" is as far as one can get from Metalcore and includes some symphonic sections to really give listeners a bit of a break of they are still upset about the shift; the dreamy atmosphere should certainly calm them down.
From this point it seems as if the tracks do a better job at merging Metalcore with Melo-death. "Firewalker" grants a balance between snarls and bellows while keeping a constantly synergy between the riffs so it doesn't feel so clunky. The best example of balance for Shadowsphere is the epic three part "Alone At The End Of The World." Again the female vocals make their appearance near the end but they sound like they have more purprose on the instrumental softer side than before. The entire tracks switches between harsh guitars and softer acoustic/ symphonic moments that are lush and show a more progressive route than before; a sign that perhaps Shadowsphere are not going to be as debased from their original form as many may have feared. Still, 'Inferno' will take some getting used to for older fans despite its welcome return of the band. New fans will probably find the Metalcore blend enjoyable and won't argue as much about the shift; there is no denying these guys still have talent.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/v/VeUxe0RbDf4[/embed]
From this point it seems as if the tracks do a better job at merging Metalcore with Melo-death. "Firewalker" grants a balance between snarls and bellows while keeping a constantly synergy between the riffs so it doesn't feel so clunky. The best example of balance for Shadowsphere is the epic three part "Alone At The End Of The World." Again the female vocals make their appearance near the end but they sound like they have more purprose on the instrumental softer side than before. The entire tracks switches between harsh guitars and softer acoustic/ symphonic moments that are lush and show a more progressive route than before; a sign that perhaps Shadowsphere are not going to be as debased from their original form as many may have feared. Still, 'Inferno' will take some getting used to for older fans despite its welcome return of the band. New fans will probably find the Metalcore blend enjoyable and won't argue as much about the shift; there is no denying these guys still have talent.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/v/VeUxe0RbDf4[/embed]
- Inferno (intro)
- Within The Serpent's Grasp
- Sworn Enemy
- Dead Behind My Eyes
- Suicide Reign Of Salvation
- Bullet Train
- The Hurtlocker
- Firewalker
- Gehenna
- Screaming Silence
- Alone At The End Of The World
Sphere Music Media
Reviewer: Colin McNamara
Aug 21, 2012
Aug 21, 2012
Next review:
Never To Arise - Hacked To Perfection
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