Billed as alternative / dream rock, Shadow Hunters are a theatrical, progressively-inclined rock duo that draw on the likes of Feeder and the light touch of latter day Devin Townsend material to deliver an experience that is lush, layered and frequently Euphoric. Adrift in rich waves of reverb and with a neat line in choruses that employ soaring pop hooks, Shadow Hunters are the sort of act who would have swallowed the airwaves whole in the late 90s, and the rich production speaks volumes of this Scandinavian act’s ambition. The result is an album that neatly straddles the line between pop and rock, and whilst it may be too lightweight for some readers, there is much to admire here.
Opening with the huge ‘Winther’, Shadow Hunters waste no time in building from an echoing intro to the sort of sky-scraping chorus that lodges in the brain for months to come. It’s bold and delightfully effervescent, and there’s something of Devin’s pop-infused ‘Epicloud’ in the band’s airy riffs and soaring vocals. ‘Billion stars away’ emerges from a haze of sci-fi synth, the guitars tamed by the verse, only to emerge unbowed on a chorus that reaches for the stars. Drawing a line between Feeder’s effortless pop-rock sensibility and a more ethereal sound that harks back to the era of shoe gaze, it may prove a touch light for some readers, but it’s undeniably impressive. A more immediate track, ‘Fire will be free’ features a varied vocal approach, multi-layered harmonies and plenty of gutsy riffing, recalling James La Brie’s most recent solo effort, ‘Impermanent Resonance’. The dreamy piano segue of ‘Satellite’ leads to album highlight, ‘Cosmodrone’, a track that demonstrates the true extent of Shadow Hunters’ potential. An echoing, prog-infused monster of a track, it builds to an arcing crescendo that causes goosegumps to break out before fading back into the ether from whence it came.
The second half of the album opens with the stuttering ‘wait’ which moves from a typically dreamy verse into a full-throttle chorus that allows the guitarists to give vent to some furious riffing. One of the album’s heaviest songs, it also underscores the full use the band made of the studio and it will be interesting to see the way the band approach the song in the flesh. Befitting its title, the instrumental ‘Astral journey’ offers a nod to Vangelis (whose epic film scores graced the likes of 1492 Conquest of Paradise) as pounding drums underscore the banks of synth that lie at the heart of the album. Maintaining the dreamy feel of its predecessor, ‘Into tomorrow’s yesterday’ weaves between a somnolent verse and a more full-blooded chorus that sees the guitars break out into the open to lay down some serious damage. Somewhat incongruous, particularly after the previous few songs, ‘I’ has a taut Foo Fighters and, whilst it’s a good song, it feels a shame to have something so traditional lurking near the album’s conclusion. It feels even more out of place when followed by the instrumental coda, ‘Gates of heaven’, which would, more naturally, have followed ‘Into tomorrow’s yesterday’.
‘Avatar’ is an interesting and frequently impressive album. The duo’s strengths lie in their ambitious and imaginative compositions but this can also prove a weakness, not least when the various banks of synth overpower the live instruments in the mix and leave guitar and drums gasping in their wake. There are also moments where you long for them to draw out their ethereal compositions (as they do on the impressive ‘Astral Journey’) and move away from the pop template that dominates most of their songs. The juxtaposition of progressive elements, pop nous and huge production frequently works, but what’s missing is a chance for the band to head off into unexpected territory and this would be something worth exploring on future releases. That’s not to say that ‘Avatar’ is not a good album – it has a huge amount to offer and songs like ‘Into tomorrow’s yesterday’ and ‘cosmodrone’ are clear indicators of the band’s potential. A most impressive debut, ‘Avatar’ will undoubtedly propel Shadow Hunters to greater things, but it would be good to hear the band loosen the shackles of the production on their next effort.
7/10
