Exerting just enough control to prevent total chaos, each song romps from style to style, genre to genre, mood to mood, rhythm to radically different rhythm. In such a motley sonic assemblage, very little sounds truly incongruous. The carnival elements, in fact, are so apropos that they come across as strokes of genius. But despite its diversity and boisterous, at times giddy manner, Shadows possesses a unifying spirit and, in the middle part of the album particularly, a sense of focus. From "Lives Based on Conflicts" through "Feel the Beating," Enemy of the Sun seem especially bent on kicking ass, and this is also where some of the most outstanding performances are found. "Twenty Three Feet" showcases Zeman's Lombardovian skills and technique as well as Fedynitch's heavy bass, which is mixed more prominently here than elsewhere. "Feel the Beating" illustrates Sorychta's mastery in the use of aggressive acoustic guitars in metal. And within those two songs alone, Näveri produces such a variety of throaty utterances, screams, snarls, and clean singing, that even people familiar with his work in Profane Omen will be surprised. In rough modes he can do no wrong. Although of less consistent quality, his smooth vocals provide plenty of thrills, as in the choruses of "Lives Based on Conflicts," "Clearly Surreal," and "Carousel," where he wields his mid-range voice with deadly grace.

With so much talent and experience at their disposal, with so many savvy moves, how is it that Enemy of the Sun can be so errant at times? In nearly every song there is some kind of perverse choice that, depending on its severity, the strength of other elements and of the composition as a whole, and individual tolerance levels, can be experienced as anything from mildly annoying to extremely off-putting. Hardest to justify are the nursery rhyme melodies, childlike singing, gratingly shrill, excessively multitracked choruses (those of "Emptiness," "Burning Bridges," and "Brain Sucking Machine" being the biggest offenders), and above all the silly, manic cheer in "The Sun Will Die."

Being kept pleasurably off-balance is one thing; having one's teeth set on edge is another. The cringe-worthiness of moments like those is in sharp contrast to the refreshing, enlivening results of most of the band's creative impulses and to the many rewarding ways in which their music challenges the listener. This suggests a need for discrimination, one that is further evidenced by the inclusion of a few tracks without which Shadows would be a stronger album. With the ironic exception of "Weak," the last five (including the Euro version's bonus) are exactly that, at least in comparison to the preceding ones. There are some great ideas and fine lyrics in those final songs, but mostly uninspired songwriting. When applied to genre and geographic boundaries, Enemy of the Sun's philosophy of "music without limits" serves them well, but other dimensions of their sound would benefit from a little more restraint.

The U.S. edition, released in January 2008 on The End Records, features the bonus track "Enemigo del Sol."

written by Maud

Playing time: 53:39