Afterlife

Well well well. Let's start from the beginning. I discovered Nocturnal Rites with their album Tales Of Mystery And Imagination, the best ever true metal album. I really appreciated the following one called The Sacred Talisman (production was much better, songs still catchy and melodic à la Helloween, Hammerfall or Iron Maiden). Excellent records with this typical and unique sound. With the departure of Anders Zackrisson (singer), I was afraid Nocturnal Rites will lose somehow this unique sound (NR was playing true metal far before Hammerfall and was never recognized as the father of true metal .... "bloody" music business !). Damned I was right .. but I would never bet on such a change. Hell guys, after the first play my heart was totally broken. No more true metal, kings and dragons stuffs, here comes ... Power Metal. At the end of this "painful listening", the album was quoted 30 / 100. As a die-hard fan of Nocturnal Rites (it took me 2 years to find their first album), I could not accept this betrayal ! No WAY !!! After a few days, I decide to give a second chance ... thinking it is not Nocturnal Rites on this record. The new singer is really excellent and he sings sometimes like Jeff Scott Soto (Talisman, ex-Axel Rudi Pell). The sound (production) is also excellent, actually the best ever Nocturnal Rites production. The songs are power/speed metal oriented and very catchy (Wake Up Dead, The Devil's Child with its killing chorus & Temple Of Dead) . Less melodic compare to their previous records, but this time melodies became more powerful than ever (Afterlife, Hell And Back, Genetic Distortion Sequence, Hellenium). Damned bastards you conquered my heart again. Congratulation for this power/speed metal lesson. If you were looking for a band between Riot and Iced Earth without any doubts this Afterlife is for you. An excellent piece of melodic power metal. Those guys decided to enter in the new millennium with a brand new sound. I wish good luck to Nocturnal Rites with this Afterlife, because since a very very long time now, they REALLY deserve it.