Phoenix

Phoenix refines Nocturnal Rites’ Scandinavian melodic-metal strengths through hard riffs, clear vocal lines and thick, uplifting choruses. Jonny Lindqvist’s voice cuts cleanly through the twin guitars and keyboards, while the record moves between fast propulsion, solid mid-tempo weight and wide-open melodic release. It is not power metal built on brightness alone. The riffs retain enough shadow and hardness to keep the songs from becoming lightweight, and the melodies carry a trace of melancholy beneath their lift. Solos and keyboard lines are used to increase the next chorus’s momentum rather than merely decorate the surface. Turn it up for the kick-drum drive and guitar attack, then return for the hooks working underneath the vocal layers. Phoenix is a polished, energetic statement of the band’s enduring command of melody, speed and atmosphere.