2013
Italy's Nightglow began life back in 2003 with two demos, "Introduction" in 2004 and "Metanderthal" in 2007, preceding this 8-track debut-album. Vocalist Daniele "Abba" Abate leads the band into battle as it were and while it's easy enough to just say that the 5-piece band bridges the gap effortlessly between classic heavy metal and power metal/thrash (in regards to their style) perhaps a little bit of history will help shed some light on just how that sound came about. By the band's own admission they came together "inspired by the English trend of the 80’s", but in 2006 they would be drawn to an American band for inspiration and as a means to pay tribute to their love for true metal. The band started a tribute band to the one and only Manowar called, what else, "ManOwar" and by 2007 they had become the first band in both Italy and Europe to have been recognized by both of Italy's Manowar fans club ("Manowar Italia" and "Army Of Immortals") as the official Manowar tribute band. Now, if you know Europe then you know they love Manowar so that says a lot about Nightglow and their ability! This Italian band's love of Manowar duly noted, the band continued to forge their own identity and, as Nightglow, it was their other cover choices that helped their sound take on a life of it's own. Live they were known to cover Manowar of course, but they also were known to cover Iron Maiden, Metallica, Black Sabbath, Gamma Ray and Megadeth. Given all of that then it should come as little surprise to learn that Nightglow evolved into this extremely talented hybrid act that walks that thin line between classic metal and power metal/technical thrash. Or at least for the most part. Let me explain. The first three tracks ("We Rise", "Time Lord" and "Between Heaven & Hell") had me thinking along the lines of Dio meeting the technical metal appeal of Metallica's "Ride The Lightning" and "Master Of Puppets". The band's two guitarists, Andrea "Moret" Moretti and Giulio "GNG" Negrini (both of whom came along in 2010) offer up these tasty leads that make these first three tracks some superb power metal. In fact the title cut, which starts off with some chilling sounds effects, sees Nightglow go into full-force heavy metal/thrash overload! It's a power metal assault on your eardrums and wonderfully sets the stage for the rest of this killer album. Technical and heavy, with a slight old-school vibe, these early cuts are played with power and procession making "We Rise" a worthwhile pick up for those first few cuts alone! Drummer Marco "Riskio" Romani and bassist Davide "Fantu" Fantuzzi fill out Nightglow and even if this band wasn't capable of writing great tracks like "Evil Dust", which they are and then some, they could easily stand on the skill level and talent of these musicians alone! All five musicians are at the top of their game here giving Nightglow a mature sound that is highly addictive. I've already listened to "We Rise" several times through and it was hard for me to accept that I needed to tackle some other reviews! Either way this Italian heavy metal act isn't just about crafting Iron Maiden meets Metallica style material. For you the album takes some interesting twits and turns that you don't see coming. It ends up making "We Rise" all the more appealing. For example the cut "Don't Cry" combines the likes of Danzig, Pantera and "Load" era Metallica into one neat little package while "Dreamland", which is driving heavy metal with fantastic leads and an almost classic rock like structure, sounds somewhat foreign to the album and yet ultimately familiar! And then there is the great "Shine Of Life" which carries itself along nicely and takes on this almost European power metal vibe. It's one of the more catchy numbers and a true highlight. While I touched on the group's obvious love for old-school metal (band's like Dio, Iron Maiden and UFO can be picked up on "We Rise" if you listen between the lines!) they original opted to also have a band "embellished with more modern, sophisticated sound". So, despite the fact that their sound is often a throw-back to the eighties the modern production makes this is album a real pleasure to experience. Without a doubt 2013 and has been a great year so far for heavy metal and band's like Nightglow are keeping the true spirit of the genre alive. you can find out more about the band and how to get a copy of this smashing album for yourself at the link below!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nightglow-Heavy-Metal-Band/245174012224329
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