Debut
by Brazilian band Noturnall with ex members of several rather known bands like Angra, Almah, Tempesst, Karma an Shaman. The music is a combination of modern
power metal and more progressive stuff. Singer Thiago Bianchi has a very
powerful voice (most know from Shaman and Karma) and is the biggest trumph card. He is
in excellent control of the higher as well as the lower vocal regions. At times he
screams, then he really sings and all within their limits. That he just doesn't
reach the level of guest singer Russel Allen on the track "Nocturnal Human Side"
isn't a shame, because how many can?
Besides this guest appearance, Russell also
produced the album. Besides the nice singing, the guitar soli are also
impressive and the keyboard parts really add something to the songs. Between
the heavy tracks there is a ballad in the name of "Last Wish". The most modern
sounding track is "Zombies", with aggressive screaming and heavy grooving guitar
riffs. At times the band has elements of Symphony X, but with more modern
elements. A band like Outworld (with Rusty Cooley) entered also my mind a few
times. An accoustic song with piano "The Blame Game" ends the album and
underlines the variaty.
If
you listen to it for the first time, it will not land immediately, it takes a few
more spins to value it right.
