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| hardcoresounds.net |
Wearing a Martyr's Crown |
4/5 |
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Hardcoresounds
I remember getting into Gothenburg based melodic death metal in year 2000 when I suddenly discovered In Flames´ album “Clayman”. The album absolutely blew me away and I started to search for other similar Swedish metal acts and found Dark Tranquillity, At The Gates, Soilwork and Arch Enemy. In 2003 I by mistake checked out Nightrage´s “Sweet Vengeance” and ever since I have been following the band´s footsteps. “Sweet Vengeance” contained just absolutely amazing and brutal as fuck Scandinavic melodic death metal which just ripped the guts out from my stomach. Now after few greater and one weaker album the band strikes back with their fifth offering “Wearing A Martyr´s Crown” which will be released on June 22nd through Lifeforce Records.
I think that people who are into melodic death metal and specially into Swedish bands already know this band since musicians like Tomas Lindberg, Per M. Jensen, Fotis Benardo and Gus G. have served the band in the past. With an almost fully renovated line up, the Greek-Swedish horde promised that their new album will be a combination of the old and more modern version of Nightrage and they really this time meant what they said. After adding four new members to the band (vocalist, guitarist, drummer and bassist) Nightrage takes a return to their roots and brings out the elements that made “Sweet Vengeance” so kick ass in 2003. The 2009 version of Nightrage reminds me pretty much of old Arch Enemy and Children Of Bodom but in a good and original way of course. The new vocalist Antony Hämäläinen is really a warm welcome to the fold bringing his lunatic and brutal growling to the band and forming member Marios in his element while shredding his ass off. The whole album is really a huge positive surprise for me because the band´s previous metalcore oriented “A New Disease Is Born” was really a weak offering. As a highlight track I would pick “Failure Of All Human Emotions” which really reminds me why I became a fan of the band in the first place!
As you would expect, song writing is solid with enough twists that’ll certainly retain attention spans. The performances are among some of the most mesmeric heard in years. Production values are kept suitably high, that help showcase their compositions clearly. As a bottomline I must say that “Wearing A Martyr´s Crown” is probably the best Nightrage album to come out after 2003´s “Sweet Vengeance” so if you´re a fan of melodic death metal, this definitely is an album that just demands your attention.
Arto Mäenpää
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