Nostradameus, a Swedish power-metal band that has strived to separate itself from the competition for more than a decade, returns with its sixth album. Sadly, Illusion's Parade does little to distinguish these veterans from the pack of their competent but unexceptional competitors. Freddy Persson tries too hard with his "see-how-evil-I-can-sound" voice, and the gang choruses and relentless double-bass and riffs flirt with cliché on nearly every one of these nine cuts.
Give the band credit, though, for coloring outside of the established lines on the creepy instrumental title track and Jake Fredén's creative guitar solo on "Eclipse ov the Suncult." Shadowy songs such as "The Mariner" and "Broken Soul" reveal additional depth, and "Armageddon Forever" even goes thrashy. But overall, this is just another power-metal album.
I really wanted to like Illusion's Parade. Hell, I've really wanted to like every Nostradameus album. That's why I still own 'em all.
Track Listing:
1) Walk of Pain
2) The Art of Deception
3) The Mariner
4) Nothing
5) Eclipse Ov the Suncult
6) Broken Soul (Virgin Mary)
7) Illusion's Parade
8) Armageddon Forever
9) Time For Madness
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