Behind The Veil (defunct) wrote:

This is the first release that I am reviewing for the new year, 2003. Actually BURNING SHADOWS’ EP is the first cd I listen to, the first day of the new year and is a very good way to welcome the metallic 2003. They play U.S. power/speed metal and I must admit that they do an excellent work. When I listened to them, the first band they brought to my mind was ICED EARTH (and I mean the good old Iced Earth of the first 4 albums and not the average band they became with their last 2 cds), SANCTUARY (listen to “The Darkest Winter” song) and DESTINY’S END. Also the singer will bring to your mind Matt Barlow. All the songs of this EP are very good, but the one that made me break my neck was the song “Forest Of The Dead” and I can foretell that it will continue to do so to me in the future as well. Friends of quality power metal buy this EP. Labels, just sign them. WE DON’T NEED ANOTHER HELLOWEEN CLONE. I am glad that there still exist guys in the U.S. that keep wielding the blade of classic heavy metal, without any compromises.

8.5/10

P.S.I will wait anxiously for their full length release. They convinced me that the future belongs to them.

Nick “William_Kidd” Parastatidis

Vates Noctis (defunct) writes:

Kaum zu glauben… diese 4 Jungs aus USA sind so alt wie ich, so um die 18 Jahre und gehen auf ihrer Debut-EP “The Darkest Winter” dermaßen routiniert und professionell zu Werke, dass so manchem Routinier die Kinnlade runterklappen wird! Stilistisch bewegt man sich zwischen Bands wie IRON MAIDEN, NEVERMORE, DREAM THEATER oder sowas, sozusagen progressiver Power Metal. Was mich sofort an dieser Scheibe fasziniert, ist das technische, groovige Drumming von Vincent, der übrigens aus Jazz-Kreisen kommt. Bestes Beispiel dafür ist der Opener “Force of Fire”! Ansonsten werden ebenfalls überdurchschnittliche Leistungen vollbracht. Sänger und Bassist Brian verfügt über ein durchaus hörenswertes Organ, was jeder Zeit durch Präzision und Ausdruckskraft auffällt. Gitarrenmäßig hätten mehr Soli sicher nicht geschadet, ansonsten fallen sie nicht sonderlich überragend, aber dennoch gut aus. Keys kommen nur in einem Song vor, obwohl sie dem einen oder anderen Song sicher nicht geschadet hätten! Der Sound wirkt natürlich und kommt mit wenig Effekten aus, allein die Vocals finde ich ein wenig laut! Fazit: Burning Shadows haben zwar nicht gerade den Metal des 21. Jahrhunderts revolutioniert, dennoch wird solide Koste mit einigen Überraschungen geboten, die besonders für Fans der oben aufgeführten, vergleichbaren Bands durchaus interessant sein könnte! Anspieltipp: “Whisper Suffering”, Burning Shadows in all ihrer Pracht!

(8/10P.)

From Strutter Magazine:

Although much has been said that real metal is dead in the USA, here and there in the States great new melodic metal bands pop up. For example, this BURNING SHADOWS out of Rockville, MD. They play awesome melodic US Power/Prog Metal in the style of TWISTED TOWER DIRE, STEEL PROPHET, ICED EARTH, ZANDELLE, SPIRIT WEB, SYRIS… There are 5 songs on their CD ‘The Darkest Winter’, and only opener “Force of Fire” is just nice uptempo metal, because the rest is sensational melodic metal. The band has a very good melodic lead singer called Brian Knesel, who also plays bass. Now let’s talk about the sensational songs. “The Darkest Winter” is very good high-class progressive metal. Up next is the lovely uptempo melodic metal piece “The Human In Me” which sounds like a mix between TWISTED TOWER DIRE and early STEEL PROPHET. More True Metal can be heard in “Forest of the Dead”. The best song however is closing track “Whisper Suffering”, a 8-minutes counting epic. This is quite superb Progressive Metal with a nice Keyboard intro. So, basically BURNING SHADOWS is one of the new generation of US metal bands playing classic 80s melodic metal. Highly recommended to fans of mentioned bands.

Rating: 8/10 (Review by Gabor Kleinbloesem)