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Nostradameus - Pathway

Published Jan. 28 2007


*
=Staff's pick

Welcome To Living
Wall Of Anger*
Until The End*
Demon Voices
MDCC a.d. pt. I
MDCC a.d. pt. II*
P.I.R.
No Trace Of Madness
Not Only Women Bleed
Death By My Side
The Untouchables*


Genre Heavy Metal
Freddy Persson
Vocals
Tracks 11
Jake Fredén
Guitar
Runningtime 44 Min.
Lennart Specht
Guitar
Label AFM Records
Thomas Antonsson
Bass
Release 26 Jan. 2007
Esko Salow
Drums
Country Sweden
-
Keyboard
Similar artists Lost Horizon, Nocturnal Rites

Pathway is the fifth album from Gothenburg based band Nostradameus, and their new effort feels like a logic continuation of their previous album Hellbound. What has happened in the band since the last album is that guitarist Michael Åberg has left and been replaced with Lennart Specht. Lennart, along with Thomas Antonsson and Esko Salow, can also be found in the band Pathos, an awesome outfit that plays a kind of progressive thrash, and with Pathway, Nostradameus has taken a small step in that direction as well by adding more thrash in their metal.

The band is doing better with defining a sound of their own as they go, and by now, it ought to be time to shake of the label power metal for good as those influences are reduced to a minimum on Pathway. Nostradameus still have a great sense for the melodic and know how to throw out melodic vocal-lines but this is closer to thrash and if you are to mention the term 'power metal' it is with regard to the US Power in that case. Especially when listening to the tracks MDCC a.d. pt. II and P.I.R. that show the darker and heavier side of Nostradameus, still melodic songs but with a crunchier edge than earlier. Moreover, with the first mentioned you can also make comparisons with Danish band Mercenary and that is a comparison I would not even think of doing with any song on Hellbound.

For me, writing a review of Nostradameus and not mentioning the vocal comparisons between Freddy Persson and Daniel Heiman (ex-Lost Horizon, ex-Crystal Eyes, Heed) is not possible, even if Freddy isn't as high-pitched as Daniel. Just listen to the track Demon Voices where Freddy makes full use of his voice and do not come and tell me that you cannot hear the resemblances. Musically I can still hear some likeness with Lost Horizon as well, even if they are fewer this time. There are not as many catchy hooks in the music from Nostradameus now, but even if the changes aren't huge there is a more of a thrash approach now with heavier and a more raw edge with guitars. And this addition of anger and a darker, heavier sound suits the band well, particularly when they blend it with nice melodies as in Wall Of Anger that has thrash riffing backing up the forceful driving rhythm and the melodic yet raw refrain.

Apart from a few flaws, this album further raises the standard from these guys, the biggest exception though is the ballad Not Only Women Bleed. Sonata Arctica was a band I referred to in my review of Hellbound but not until now it has been appropriate to make such comparisons regarding Pathway, but with Not Only Women Bleed Nostradameus hold on to the last shards of power metal with a slow ballad that seriously falls out of frame in my book. And No Trace Of Madness isn't a song that feels to be thoroughly thought through as it is a bit too simple to match up with the other songs, but this is a song that I believe can turn out rather well live though. I feel that the closing song The Untouchables is worth mentioning as well before we close this review as it is the anthem song of Pathway. It ends the album with a feeling of invincibility with the grand anthem-like refrain brought about by heavy pumping rhythms and a galloping pace.

When it is time to summon this up, I now realise that I was a bit too generous in my review of Hellbound, so that is why you will find the same amount of chalices in the overall impression, even if I find Pathway to be a better album.

See also review of: Hellbound , The Prophet Of Evil , The Third Prophecy

Performance
Originality
Production
Vocals
Songwriting

8

6

8

8

7

 
Summary



8 chalices of 10 - Thomas


Related links:

www.nostradameus.com