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Flashback Of Anger: Shades
Flashback Of Anger - Shades Music Review

Flashback Of Anger: Shades

Heavy/Power Metal
4.0/5.0

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IceWarrior Records
Released: 15.11.2018
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 14.11.2018

Italy's Flashback Of Anger is another band who has a consistently sporadic output. Did you catch that contradiction of terms? The band drops an album on the average of about every four years, with the current gap likely due to personnel changes. Flashback Of Anger returns with the rhythm section completely replaced by Lorenzo Innocenti on drums and Marco Moron on bass guitar, both from the essentially defunct Seven Gates. Shades is the band's third long player, still with IceWarrior Records.

Flashback Of Anger Band Photo Click For Larger Image

Flashback Of Anger

Mostly what you have with this new album is Flashback Of Anger (FoA) in the same routine, delivering basic European melodic power metal. Most every song here develops with a brisk pace, powered by the new rhythm section and, especially, Innocenti's frenetic staccato drumming. Over this you'll find the presence of sharp brisk riffs, clean vocals often in choral vocal arrangements, and the tandem play of guitar and synth solos. If FoA has something "signature" to its sound its definitely the interplay of keys and guitars. Yet, with Alessio Gori being both lead vocalist and keyboard player, his presence is both strong and self-evident. You'll notice this especially in the songs that develop via his piano melodies such as Dawn Of Life or Band Of Brothers. But his synth solos come through also within Ripped Out, Numbers, Marvels Of The World, or Lonely Road. (I'm guessing Gori is also the principal songwriter.)

While speed is the essence of power metal, FoA seems also intent upon mixing tempos as necessary, often simply to drop in more mellow breakdowns or segues as within Hold Out. This motif could be carried on further in the future with Flashback Of Anger developing more intricate musical plot lines and so evolving into a progressive power metal band. That would be a good thing. In the end, Shades is familiar Flashback Of Anger power metal, yet with enough creative angles to demonstrate both musical growth and advancement as well. Perhaps, we won't have to wait another four years to see how the band evolves. Otherwise, recommended.


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The Bottom Line

Shades is familiar Flashback Of Anger power metal, yet with enough creative angles to demonstrate both musical growth and advancement as well. Perhaps, we won't have to wait another four years to see how the band evolves. Otherwise, recommended.

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