Notes from the Shadows

Old school metal classicism could be likened to a musical time machine for the nostalgic, particularly when it is done well. Truth be told, at this stage in metal's four decade history, it's difficult to avoid nostalgia given that so many of the songs out there are written with an eye to something from at least 20 years ago. In keeping with this, quality should hold a trump card over originality when judging something described as traditional heavy metal, for in the very name is an admission of the dominance of past influences. Thus is the ongoing tale of Astral Doors, a fairly obscure metal outfit cut after the Dio mode of old school majesty where rock and metal were not so alien to one another, and one that also recalls some of the doom tendencies of the early days of 80s metal when Black Sabbath's slower world of bleakness still held a degree of sway over many bands outside of the world of Trouble, Saint Vitus and Candlemass.

Differentiating one album by this band is a bit tricky since they've maintained a fairly consistent formula and haven't had any significant shifts in their lineup apart from going from two guitarists to one just prior to their previous outing Jerusalem, but going by individual songs, Notes From The Shadows is a cut above much of the latter half of their career. Astral Doors has never had a problem with keeping their songs concise and catchy, but songs like "Disciples Of The Dragonlord" and "Wailing Wall" manage to be utterly unforgettable, meshing together a small gathering of good ideas with just the right amount of energy and drive. Much of it is helped along by Nils' astounding vocals, who never fails in managing to be heavily Dio-inspired without sounding like a full imitation, as well a healthy amount of intrigue in the guitar department, where the riff construction has become a bit more animated and Vivian Campbell-like than recent outings.

Comparisons to Axel Rudi Pell's handiwork become all but unavoidable when dealing with the brilliant mixture of 80s guitar fury and the late 70s rock organ infused classicism of 70s Deep Purple and Rainbow, but here things get a slight bit adventurous. One of the few nifty little interludes on here dubbed "Hoodoo Ceremony", which is a prelude of sorts for the chunky groove number "Southern Conjuration", listened like a brief church organ prelude to worship, complete with all the typical Baroque era cliches. It gets a bit more interesting still on the bluesy-tinged rocker "Shadowchaser", which definitely conjures up images of Ritchie Blackmore back in his hard rocking heyday with Ronnie James. Veering further away from the ARP sound that they are wont to be compared to, this band scores a real winner with the slow trudging and depressed "Die Alone", which literally sounds like it could have been written by Candlemass about 30 years prior.

If there is one thing that can successfully keep an album in this style fresh, it's playing around with the proportions of its various moving parts rather than playing it too safe and keeping things reasonably short, and Notes From The Shadows definitely keeps up both ends. It exudes a certain energy and freshness that had teetered off a bit during their middle era albums, though they've never really stumbled to the point of putting out something below average. Naturally this band caters to a particular audience that is more receptive to the revivalist craze typified more recently in the thrash and speed metal styles, thus it comes off as eschewing any notion of modernizing the style apart from taking advantage of recent recording innovations for purposes of clarity and power. In other words, this isn't you dad's heavy metal, but only because it wasn't actually written in 1985.

After a string of successful albums in the early 2000's, Astral Doors pretty much tripped, nosedived, imploded and subsequently released a string of pedestrian albums. It really sounded like the band was burnt out or didn't really care or both, but it certainly tarnished the reputation of a once highly regarded band who at one time seemed poised to claim the throne of traditional heavy metal. As with the band's entire repertoire, their seventh full length, Notes From the Shadows, is not going to reinvent the wheel, rather it serves as an enjoyable homage to the likes of Rainbow and Dio. Perhaps the band, once again, has a fire lit under their collective asses, as this seems to show the band trudging back up to the top of the hill.

Through all of the ups and downs, the strongest feature remained (and remains) vocalist Nils Patrik Johansson, that you should recognize from his work with Wuthering Heights and Civil War. No doubt, he is widely known for his range and inflection that emulates the mighty Ronnie James Dio, but his vocal chops are solid and, while they do sound like Dio, it's not outright mimicry, as his powerful voice mixes Dio with a touch of Jorn Lande and David Coverdale. Regardless of whether or not he's a “Dio clone”, he puts on one hell of a performance and carriers the band, even through a of the few low points. The guitar hooks and vocal melodies play off each other nicely, offering a solid front end to the album.

Notes From the Shadows is not a massive departure from anything the band has released to date. It carries the same classic heavy metal sound as all of their other albums, but with that is an enthusiasm and keen ear for hooks that we haven't heard Astral Doors toying with since Astralism in 2006. The riffs are a strong combination of bluesy structuring and melodic embellishments, much like the works of Feinstein, Ritchie Blackmore or even Vivian Campbell's work with Dio. Really, this is the same thing the band has done since their inception, with a mix of mid-paced anthems, like “Confessions” and “Shadowchaser”, and speedy, barn burners such as “Wailing Wall” and “The Last Temptation of Christ”. Nonstop keyboards accentuate the riffing, sounding very organ-like, for most of the ride: hell, “Hoodoo Ceremony” is even an instrumental featuring nothing but the aforementioned organ patch, but it works and allows the band to further emulate those classic vibes.

Perhaps the shift in quality relates to that fire under the band's ass that was mentioned before. This is the first time in quite a few years that the band really seems to be enjoying themselves. Despite the serious and dark lyrical themes, Notes From the Shadows seems to be a fun album, with plenty of meaty hooks, classic riffing and superb vocals. The drums are rollicking and offer quite a few interesting double kick patterns, but never really get moving past a gallop, even during when the rest of the band is in overdrive. Fortunately for Astral Doors, most of the tracks ooze that classy, hook laden style, like that stylish and catchy riff and embellishment during the chorus of “Disciples of the Dragonlord” that will get stuck in your head for days, but Notes From the Shadows is not free of missteps. “Die Alone”, which is nestled in the middle of the track listing, manages to lose most of the momentum the band builds to that point, with it's wonky backing keys and over simplistic approach.

Boasting a slick production that highlights the band's two strongest points, the chunky riffing and the stellar vocals of Nils Patrik Johansson, Notes From the Shadows is certainly showing Astral Doors at their best since 2006's Astralism. Hopefully the band can continue in this vein, as the last few albums were atrocious at best. It's really good to hear the band having fun while staying classy. I'm just going to pretend that the this is the follow up to Astralism. Catchy vocal hooks and classic, driving guitar riffs combine in fine form to put Astral Doors back on the map.

Written for The Metal Observer.