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Shadowside: Inner Monster Out

Modern Heavy Metal

3.5/5.0

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Inner Wound Recordings
by Craig Hartranft, 04.30.2012

Where is Brazil's Shadowside in 2012, with their third album Inner Monster Out: in transition, evolution, or confusion? It appears that it could be a bit of all three. But I'm leaning to the first and last.

Shadowside: we are so tough.

Here's the good news: female vocalist Dani Nolden isn't wailing and straining, at least mostly not. It appear she's found her center, allowing here to be aggressive and melodic. But, as I listen, sometimes she seems, at best, carried by the music and, at worst, nearly subservient to it. Still she sounds better than before.

As for the musical context, there's no mistaking this is heavy metal. However, it seems Shadowside has succumbed to the modern trends of harshness inflicting it's pain on simple melodic heavy metal. If anything, with this motif, they'll enter the mainstream. However, it remains to see how viable they'll be in this conventional river swarming with many hungry bands of the same style.

Ultimately, the strength of Shadowside has always been their metal. They have a sense of melody and hook, a devastating rhythm section, and nice guitar leads. It simply seems, this time around, wrapped in oppressiveness. But, again, that would fit today's metal. Can you slight them for being acquiescent and commercial? Perhaps not. Besides, most any band wants recognition and success.

Dig into Shadowside's Inner Monster Out, but do so with both interest and suspicion, as they seem to be succumbing to modern metal trends.

Postscript: Shadowside attempts a cover of Motorhead's Ace of Spades. That takes some balls or, in the case of Nolden, some estrogen. I say leave it to Lemmy.