NOCTURNAL RITES
“GRAND ILLUSION”
(Century Media/EMI)

I was very happy when I took the new album of Nocturnal Rites in my hands. The band’s previous work had left very good impressions and I’ve been expecting something better from those Swedish guys. In truth to be told, Nocturnal Rites, with “New World Messiah” have entered in the metal Premier League and now are heading for the championship... and yes, “Grand Illusion” will rank them at the first places of heavy/power metal music. They have achieved what other bands are trying to do without succeeding in the end and I’m sure that they can go even further. This album is a hymn to heavy/power metal... a genre that craves for albums like “Grand Illusion”.

Everything here is excellent. The production is perfect, the playing is fantastic and the songs are heavy and catchy. They have improved on the songwriting front and are offering brilliant orchestrated heavy songs with great melodies. It’s really hard for a metaler to resist on metal hymns like: “Fools Never Die” (catchy as hell), “Never Trust”, “Still Alive”, “Something Undefined”, Our Wasted Years”, “Cuts Like A Knife”, “End Of Our Rope”, “Never Ending”, “One By One” and “Deliverance”. What the hell? I wrote down the whole tracklisting! Oh my goodness this album is so damn good that I cannot express my feelings with words. Maybe the best heavy/power metal album of the year so far! What else shall I write? It’s a must buy for every metaler who respects himself. Everything flows so perfectly here... Nocturnal Rites are on the way to get the championship in heavy/power metal music! From now on this band is on the big club!!

by Thanos Aggelakis 9/10