Saint Deamon
In Shadows Lost from the Brave Frontiers Records

by Franco Wissa
Staff Writer

Comments: First off, let's get this right out in the open. This IS one of the premiere releases of 2008. With towering harmonic vocals, knock out guitar solos with underlying thick muscular guitar chords, just the right amount of keyboards, thumping drums, and a 6-string bass guitar that only adds to the full metal sound, In Shadows Lost From the Brave is a metal lover's dream come true.

Formed in 2006 by drummer Ronny Milianowicz, Saint Deamon has became a supergroup of sorts with band members having come from or written tracks for such heavyweights as Sinner, Dionysus, Highland Glory, Primal Fear and Uli Kusch. Famed producer Jens Bogren (Symphony X, Katatonia, Hammerfall, Opeth) never allowed the boys to settle for second best, encouraging them to continuously push the musical boundaries to the limits filling each track with sounds and voices that press on until you just allow yourself to be taken over. (A listen to "My Heart," will solidify this ... ) Sounding like a cross between Masterplan, Helloween and Edguy, what they do here they do extremely well, and with touches of power metal mixed with in-your-face hard rock, Saint Deamon has come up with one hell of a debut CD.

Opening with "The Exodus," this track has a surreal effect to it, mixing the sounds of the Far East with an almost nightmarish edge. The almost spoken vocals mixed with a 12-string guitar go back and forth from acoustic to electric hard rock guitars in excellent form, that after a short 51 seconds gives way to track 2, "My Judas." This full metal rocker is one of many tracks that showcase the unbelievable vocal range of Jan Grefstad. This heavy rocker has a dark undertone that oozes nastiness but during the choruses comes across a pure melodic metal perfection.

With machine gun riffs straight from the opening bars is track 3, "In Shadows Lost From the Brave." It is fast, unyielding, with a tapestry of great solid drumming. A reach for the volume number is understandable while hearing track 4, "My Heart." Here Saint Deamon slows things down a bit, but still with traces of melodic metal, this is one damn fine track that during the chorus the vocal harmonies peak to a musical height that few tracks on this CD achieve. A distinct track that stands completely on its own that makes In Shadows Lost From the Brave worth listening to. Picking up steam at 2.45 where the guitars of Toya Johansson lay into a killer guitar solo, which then again give away to some astonishing vocals.

Lovers of melodic power metal need to latch on to "My Heart," and listen to it LOUD. (A video of "My Heart," is also part of this CD, showing the band at their energetic best, playing what should very well become a staple of metal radio.) "The Burden," track 5 is a no-bullshit, metal monster with almost Halford-ish vocals that are powerful and as vigorous as hell, and rise in intensity and pitch during bridges into each verse. The one of the two tracks on the CD lasting in excess of 5 minutes is track 6, "No Man's Land," (the second being track 10, "The Brave Never Bleeds.") "No Man's Land," is episodic in its deliverance, this has an almost battle cry feel to it, and one can feel of the pomp and circumstance. Heavy with use of cymbals and bass, brought together with special effects and fat chunky guitar chords, it all mixes in perfectly with the pageantry vocal arrangement. At 3.11 the tempo slows down, with the guitars, drums and bass all disappearing and giving way to an orchestral organ but at 4.08, the original hard rock feel comes in again, with what could be one of the greatest guitar solos that this CD has to offer thus far. A beautiful piano makes track 11, "My Sorrow," an insightful track, again with lofty vocals, and a lush, peaceful guitar solo.

Closing In Shadows Lost From the Brave is "Run For Your Life," a track that layers on the guitar chords, bass guitar, and vocals that during the chorus one feels of the richness that this track offers.

Gallant, anthemic, full, masterful, rich, layered, inspiring, rousing, fearless and bold are all adjectives that come to mind after hearing In Shadows Lost From the Brave. Grab hold of this power metal CD, and upon receiving it, go to track 4, ("My Heart,") turn it up as loud as it will go, and from there allow yourself to be lost in the sound that is Saint Deamon.

www.frontiers.it

Musicians:
Jan Thore Grefstad - vocals
Nobby Noberg - bass
Toya Johnasson - guitars
Ronny Milianowicz - drums

Track Listing:
The Exodus
My Judas
In Shadows Lost From the Brave
My Heart
The Burden
No Man's Land
Ride Forever
Black Symphony
Deamons
The Brave Never Bleeds
My Sorrow
Run Form Your Life

Hardrock Haven rating: 9.1/10