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When I first heard Skyfire through their debut album "Timeless Departure" back in 2001 I immediately fell in love with their innovative mixture of symphonic arrangements á la Rhapsody and bombastic power / death metal in the Children Of Bodom vein. Unfortunately they fell a little from grace with their follow-up as it didn't really live up to my, admittedly very high, expectations. They did not change much stylistically but the energy and power of the debut was partly gone and for no obvious reason. Now that they have left their old label and signed a new deal with the growing Spanish label Arise Records I once again hoped for a masterpiece from these Swedes. Lo and behold, this time I was not as disappointed as last time. On "Spectral" the band shows no dramatic changes musically speaking but there is one thing that I noticed in particular. There are some slight black metal influences which has been sneaked in here and there. On top of this we have all the usual characterstics of the band - the melodic death metal riffs, the complex keyboard arrangements and the overall very positive atmosphere, something that suits Arise Records well even though most bands on their label are power metal bands. "Spectral" is not as bombastic as their debut, which was one of the things that made them stand out back then, but it does show a will from the band to move forward and their music once again breathes with energy. If you, just like me, found their debut close to amazing but didn't think as highly of their second album then give the band a chance again because they, and you, deserve it.
| Tracklist |
| 1. Conjuring The Thoughts |
| 2. Effusion Of Strength |
| 3. Shivering Shade |
| 4. Cursed By Belief |
| 5. Awake |
| 6. Void Of Hope |
| 7. A Dead Mans Race |
| 8. Shadow Creator |
| 9. Tranquillity's Maze |
: 43.23
| Buy other Skyfire albums |
