Shadowland

Shadowland is Nocturnal Rites' fifth album, on which they concentrated the appeal of Nordic power metal with powerful vocals and majestic melodies. Carrying over the modern, heavy direction established on the previous Afterlife, they further honed grand choruses and catchy melodies, with a Nordic sense of melancholy coexisting with the tension of sharp riffs. Production was handled by Daniel Bergstrand, known for his work with Meshuggah and In Flames. It was recorded at Dug-Out Studios in Uppsala, with cover art by the Russian fantasy artist Leo Hao. The opener "Eyes of the Dead" is a signature song that got a video. From the title track to "Invincible" and "Never Die," songs combining drive with heft line up. Jonny Lindkvist's powerful vocals and the two guitars drive the whole record. An accomplished work that fuses modern sound and classic-metal elements at a high level. It is still highly regarded by fans and critics as one of the band's finest works. Skillfully placing racing songs alongside darker mid-tempo ones, it marks a high point of modern power metal.