I've been looking forward to this album for a while. Shadow Demon used to host their forums on this site back when it was called AbrasiveRock.com and thats where I first got turned on to them. I bought their demo and was hooked. These guys have serious talent and I really hope they succeed. So I am gonna be as critical as I can when reviewing this disc.
I would be remiss if I didn't first talk about this album's artwork. The Demon's hired the services of Mr. Mattias Norén, a legend as far as metal cover art is concerned. Norén has worked with many bands such as Eternity, Ayreon, and Everygrey to name a few. See his website
www.progart.com for examples of his amazing work. The artwork for Grimoire of Ruin is simply stunning. The cover presents a shadowy demonic figure standing amidst rubble and ruins and holding a tattered tome, presumably the grimoire of ruin. The artwork goes great with their sound and the theme is carried throughout the booklet with each page fully illustrated showcasing some great work from Norén.
Lets move on with bands sound as represented on this disc. Shadow Demon lives in a realm occupied by bands such as Iced Earth, Blind Guardian, and Nevermore. Many comparisons have been made between this band and Iced Earth and Blind Guardian and there is some reason for that. Rhythm guitarist Jeff Helm boasts a extremely strong downstroke that could easily compete with Jon Shaffer of Iced Earth. Lead singer Blaine Hammond's voice does also bear some resemblances to Hansi Kursch of Blind Guardian. They are far from copycats however and with Grimoire of Ruin the band delivers the goods with an intensity and attitude that was noticeably absent on the last few releases from the Earth/Guardian camp.
The band spent a great deal of time getting everything right. The guitar tone especially stands out to me. The beginning of The Dark Citadel: Part 1 (The Shifter) sounds like it could rip through steel. Blaine's layered vocals sound great over the guitars. I think the bass guitar, courtesy of James Rinker is mixed a little low, but then again this genre of music definitely has a guitar driven sound. The two newest members of the band, Jay Davidson (drums) and Ryan Gallagher (lead guitars), get to show off here as well. Jay plays quite well, and even gets to bring in some of his black metal influences with the beginning of the song "Sea of Oblivion". At times the drums get a little buried in the mix, especially the bass drum. I also think a stronger snare sound would help a lot. The talent is still there however. On lead guitar, Ryan's solos are somewhat hit and miss for me. He does well on tracks such as ...And the Meek, The Dark Citadel, and Red. However some of the others such as Waking Among the Dead, while not bad, I feel could use more work.
Now lets move on to the songs. I must admit, the opening track A Dream of Dreams had me a bit worried. The song clocks in at 8:45 and is more than 2 1/2 minutes longer than any other song on the album. Now I have nothing against long songs, but they do have to be executed extremely well in order to hold the listener's attention throughout the whole song. Furthermore an album opener should be one that captivates the listener and convinces them to keep listening. First impressions are very important. Personally, A Dream of Dreams is one of my least favorite on the album. I don't feel it lives up to the requirements of being a captivating long song or an album opener. I don't feel it lives up to what I have heard this band do in the past either. Things get a lot better after this song though.
Next up the song Drums of War kicks off with some grinding guitars and rolling drums. The vocal melodies in this song are really strong as well. A few tracks later the listener is treated to ...And the Meek, the only song from their 2003 demo to appear on Grimoire. This song has some great riffiing and some great sing-along parts and this re-recorded version sounds better than ever. I can see this song being a staple of their live show for years to come. Another high point comes with the track Umbris Mortis. It was an early favorite of mine after my first listen, and it just keeps getting better. It features great performances from the band and some of the most intense playing on the album. Even more intense is the opening of Sea of Oblivion which has a distinctly black metal approach complete with blast beats, before segueing into a slow rolling riff that carries a classic slow death metal vibe, with melancholy vocals over top to create something unique. Great stuff! Album closer Red showcases all the elements that define the Shadow Demon sound. Grinding guitars, lush, haunting vocals, and intense delivery!
I know some of the comments I have made may sound negative, but don't let any of them dissuade you from checking out this band. They are more constructive criticisms than anything else. The fact of the matter is that Shadow Demon writes some great songs, deliver those songs with conviction, and aren't about to give up on their quest of world domination through kick-ass metal! Grimoire of Ruin has what it takes to your grab attention and will hopefully catapult them beyond the level of just a local band! Click the link to their Myspace page and check out some of their tunes. Then for the love of all that is (un)holy, buy the record!
