Album Review
Apocalyptica
Shadowmaker
April 2015

Over the years, the four pieced Finnish metal band, Apocalyptica, have had various well-known musical guests accompany their beautiful string pieces from Cristina Scabbia (Lacuna Coil), Brent Smith (Shinedown), Corey Taylor (Slipknot/Stone Sour), Lacey Sturm (formerly of Flyleaf), and many more. As of today, Apocalyptica released their eighth studio album, Shadowmaker, debuting their latest member, frontman, Franky Perez.

Produced by Nick Raskulinecz (Alice in Chains’ The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here, Stone Sour’s Audio Secrecy, Ghost B.C.’s Infestissumam, and many more), the band unleashes the sound fans have been eagerly awaiting for since their last record in 2010. Now with the only vocals on the album, Perez’ soulful voice complements the beautiful cello pieces perfectly and helps the band focus on the sound they have created over the years. However, they have pushed their selves in the music industry to a point where they have, on an indescribable level, created a new sound with Perez. According to cellist, Eicca Toppinen in the band’s press release, “In making music, you need to push yourself. I’m enormously proud of everything we’ve achieved so far but also looking forward to what we can still achieve.” With the direction they are going, Apocalyptica will continue to achieve in the years to come.

As Toppinen states in the press release, “There’s a lot of possible meanings to the phrase ‘Shadowmaker.’ At one level, it can be about a person whose energy is so negative they choke out everything positive that you are trying to put into the world. At a wider perspective though, it concerns the notion that we have these faceless, nameless people who control the world we live in and make a lot of bad decisions on our behalf.”

From the first track “I-III-V Seed of Chaos,” to the last, “Dead Man’s Eyes,” this greatly mixed ten-piece record features three instrumentals and some of their notable tracks off the record are “Cold Blood,” the title track, “Slow Burn,” and “Sea Song (You Waded Out).” Shadowmaker reveals that Apocalyptica has returned and this album will not disappoint the fans.

---

Apocalyptica – Shadowmaker 
1) I-III-V Seed of Chaos
2)Cold Blood
3) Shadowmaker
4) Slow Burn
5) Reign of Fear
6) Hole in my Soul
7) House of Chains
8) Riot Lights
9) Come Back Down
10) Sea Song (You Waded Out)
11) Till Death Do Us Part
12) Dead Man’s Eyes

ALBUM RATING: 9/10