Shadows - Out for Blood (2023)

I guess my love for Abigail is so intense that just about any album cover with a black horse-drawn carriage is bound to pique my attention, and such is the case for the full-length debut from Chilean heavy metal act Shadows. I also thought their leather-shrouded costumes were pretty awesome, and fully embrace that more bands are going for a 'look' these days to help accent their overall aesthetics and live shows. Now, the sound here isn't often emulating King Diamond or Mercyful Fate, but more of a straightforward heavy metal reminiscent of some early USPM acts like an Omen, or perhaps if you 'slowed down' or simplified some of the earlier 90s Running Wild stuff. The chord progressions are often on the predictable side, but this is clad in an atmosphere and vocal grittiness that helps it all achieve a freshness that wouldn't otherwise.

The classy horror-based lyrics don't hurt it either, and the occasional scream or synth line help steer this one thematically into some very cool territory. But I'm reminded of Canadians Cauldron, maybe not in a side by side comparison of the writing, but just how these bands are able to set up such a basic heavy metal framework and make it sound like something you would have found ace in the 80s. The vocals here alternate between a sort of pinched, higher pitch, harmonies, and a harsher black metal bark ("Forgotten Rites"), both working well over the bedrock of dependable riffs. A few of the chorus patterns, as in "Sacrifice" can get a little on the cheesy or repetitive side, and there are a handful of places throughout the album where a King Diamond influence does crop up ("Into the Nightmare") in the vocals. The lead guitars are pretty straightforward and creepy, often more pure melodies that help elevate the tune, but then you've got a few that go Randy Rhoads. The rhythms are very meaty and though some have that 'stock riff' feeling, they are perfect to support everything else above and below them.

Speaking of below, this disc also has a solid low end with the bass and drums that conjure up an instant desire for fist pumping. And above, you've got little atmospheric interludes that are cool which also bring this a little closer to a King Diamond conceptual vibe (there's also a tune called "Alissa" with some falsettos), and I think the synth work throughout the album is delicious, often just an accompaniment but sometimes drowning the proceedings in an eerie aural moonlight. Overall, a very solid full-length debut; I think a few of the vocal chorus parts could use some tightening as they go with a repetition that doesn't quite give the impact they could. Also there could be a few 'meaner' or more evil patterns in the guitar riffs, this stuff is pretty melodic and graceful, but to the extent that retro sounding heavy metal/hard rock mirrors a common component to horror flicks from 40-ish years ago, this definitely has that aesthetic covered. Looking forward to more.

Verdict: Win [7.78/10]

https://shadows-heavymetal.bandcamp.com/music