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Shadowside: Inner Monster Out

Deep down inside of all of us is that beast that is aching to be unleashed. Luckily for the members of the band Shadowside they have found a healthy way to release their darker sides and have done so to the benefit of all us heavy metal fans with their new CD Inner Monster Out. This demonically delightful array of melodic metal music is a headbangers dream and the fact that lead singer Dani Nolden is as good looking as she is talented doesn't hurt either. Her dynamic vocal ability along with the superior guitar skills of Raphael Mattos makes this third release from the band a disc that should make them a force to be reckoned with in the music world.

Brazil is fast becoming a hot bed of marvelous metal music and Shadowside proves this is no fluke. They have been toiling for a few years now and are well respected in the industry but have not achieved the acclaim due them. This is the album that should erase all doubts as they deliver a powerful blend of crunching metal along with a melodic side which makes their style one that just defies you to ignore them. Nolden has the range to really make you take notice. Whether she is getting down and dirty while showing off her gritty side like on the song "I'm Your Mind" or when she uses a more melodic approach like in "My Disrupted Reality" the results are the same. She has a voice that just sucks you in.

Not to be outdone though, Mattos performs some fretboard magic throughout this album. Time after time and song after song he adds the crunch with a very thick tone and masterful delivery whether he is just providing the rhythm for your headbanging or amazing you with one of his many powerhouse solos. He evokes thoughts of the heyday of NWOBHM while still providing a new and fresh approach to his playing. His style might be newer but you can tell who his heroes were.

One of the songs that really stands out for me and shows the many sides of this band wrapped up in one tune is the dynamic "A.D.D.". Starting off with a monstrous guitar assault that could have been inspired by fellow countrymen Sepultura it morphs when Dani using a very haunting vocal delivery which turns it much more melodic. This kind of beauty and the beast sound is pure dynamite and really sets this band apart.

About the only bad thing I can say about this disc is their inclusion of their less then stellar rendition of the Motorhead clasic "Ace Of Spades". Other than a pretty good guitar solo this one might cause Lemmy to come looking for them! Well, it might not be that bad but it is not up to par with the rest of the disc.

All in all this was a real treat. It is ahead of their other releases by leaps and bounds. I look forward to what they will be bringing us in the future cause this is a band that has something to offer.


Track listing:

1. Gag Order
2. Angel With Horns
3. Habitchual
4. In The Name Of Love
5. Inner Monster Out
6. I'm Your Mind
7. My Disrupted Reality
8. A Smile Upon Death
9. Whatever Our Fortune
10. A.D.D.
11. Waste Of Life
12. Ace Of Spades

Added: April 28th 2012
Reviewer: Scott Ward
Score:
Related Link: Band's Official Site
Hits: 2603
Language: english

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Shadowside: Inner Monster Out
Posted by Steven Reid, SoT Staff Writer on 2012-04-28 10:53:34
My Score:

Whilst still known mainly for the music of Sepultura, the metal and rock scene in Brazil has recently surprised by introducing some decent AOR, Trad Metal and in the case of Shadowside a bit of Power Metal to the mix. Inner Monster Out is the third full release from this female fronted beast, although with the band tying up with Inner Wound Records this time round the Shadowside profile has already been significantly raised.

There isn't too much in the way of originality in evidence on IMO. However that doesn't stop Shadowside from turning in a fine, convincing performance that finds a band laying the foundations for what could well be a most interesting career. Front-woman Dani Nolden side steps the over used operatic approach, instead opting to use the power and passion her voice possesses to add swathes of impactful melody to the strident guitars that encapsulate the Shadowside sound. The likes of Firewind, Nightwish and Kamelot are obvious reference points, but then a more traditional Saxon like tinge and thrashier edge can also be found as the album progresses. So, it would be fair to suggest that while Shadowside are no copyists, they are working off a well used blueprint. However what does raise this album above countless others is the sheer force and believability behind the performances, with guitarist Raphael Mattos proving to be a real talent. His blistering riffs and searing solos really setting the scene from which this album comes alive. Add to that controlled, but fierce drumming from Fabio Buitvidas, solid bass work from Rocardo Piccoli and of course the vocal weapon that is Dani Nolden and the likes of "My Disrupted Reality", "In The Name Of Love" and "A Smile Upon Death" suggest that Shadowside aren't too far off competing with the big boys of the Euro-Power Metal scene.

Not a classic by any stretch of the imagination, but Inner Monster Out is still an album that delivers mighty molten metal with every song. Shadowside are definitely a band to keep a close eye on.



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