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Avathar > Shadows > Reviews
Avathar - Shadows

Shadowy melodies - 90%

karma_sleeper, August 6th, 2008

Avathar, like their chief influence Summoning, specialize in black metal of epic proportions. Unlike their chief influence, however, "Shadows" is far less repetitive and still borrows from the genre Summoning discarded long ago for a more soundtrack-like approach. The song structures are more dynamic and interesting even though the style and lyrical themes are similar.

“Shadows” was released when Avathar was just vocalist Witch King and keyboardist Scatha. A drum machine makes up for the rest. The duo has since expanded the lineup for live performances.

Keyboards lay at the center of it all weaving dark melodious soundscapes. Guitars reinforce this atmosphere by matching up with the keyboard segments most of the time. Witch King’s vocals are typical of the genre his music is tangentially associated with, and he performs fairly well. Scatha also provides supporting vocals here and there, his voice far removed from Witch King’s raspy howls. Scatha’s voice tends to be more pronounced, but distortion lessens this to a degree. Often times, Witch King is indiscernible over the combined onslaught of keyboard and guitar. My only real complaint about the album.

There are some moments in songs like "The Fall Of The Dark Lord," "Death," and "To The End Of The World" (just to name a few) where either the guitar or keyboard bursts out for some wicked leads or Witch King and Scatha produce some truly mesmerizing and outstanding vocal work. These moments are NOT few and far between and more than make up for the minor mixing issues mentioned above I had with the vocals.

It all works out the way you would expect, thankfully. The result is a melodious, dismal, yet strangely captivating noise. "Shadows" is majestic in its own way while not succumbing to the borderline pretentious 'epicness' of Summoning's latest offerings. If you ever come across one of the 100 cassettes of “Shadows,” buy it. Otherwise, you can download a ton of their songs from a Finnish mp3 site linked on the band’s official page. It’s worth it.