ARCH NEMESIS – Shadows In The Mirror

Oh yes! I have been curious about this Norwegian band for a while. I thought they were more Helloween/Iron Maiden-influenced than this, and also less original, so I must say I am surprised – both with quality and style. First of all, with having created a new genre, Arch Nemesis have their own blend, and is therefore either hard to get, or something for everybody (hopefully the latter…) There’s a little death vocals, a little goth, a little dark metal and melancholy, but most of all; this is heavy metal, nothing else or more complicated. Niclas “Nesmoht” Thompsen’s vocals are perhaps the most impressing aspect of it all. He’s no singer with a range, but he certainly makes up for it in terms of expression and soul (no, not soul music!) He’s a little “grey”, actually, and has elements of Thom S. Englund (Evergrey) in there. That’s a compliment!

It’s hard to pick a favorite song, they are all very diverse and have haunting melody parts as well as dual lead playing (okay, a little Iron Maiden after all.) The record grows on you every time you listen, and a couple of musical passages are so nice that a goose grows on your back, too. Seriously, this is one of the best debuts I have heard in a while. It’s a unique blend of metal, a fresh breath in the metal community, and it will be interesting to see how far the band will reach. Arch Nemesis – remember the name…