(Progressive Power Metal) Nightmares End - Blackend Mystery - 2000, MP3, 320 kbps

Quite good progressive power/thrash metal which comes as a mix of Hexenhaus' "Dejavoodoo" (in the lead department mostly) and Sanctuary's "Into The Mirror Black"; this is heavy dark music with excellent dramatic vocals ala Warrel Dane. So don't expect a lot of headbanging tracks, but mostly heavy doomy riffs with very appropriately inserted balladic sections.

The more immediate and more simplistic material in the beginning is replaced in the 2nd half by longer more complex compositions which still preserve the speed, and actually sound more aggressive: the intense galloping epic anthem "Blackend Mystery". Still, sinister creepy riffage remains the dominant part ("Hired Assassin"), although the overlong not very eventful semi-ballad "Eye-For-An-Eye, Tooth-For-A-Tooth" could have been shortened a bit near the end, despite the coming of the much faster thrashing closer "Inhumanity Faced" which springs up out of the blue to break the gloom with raging blasting guitars.

This nice album reminds of Sanctuary even better than the early Nevermore material, and could even be regarded as that band's "missing link" in their discography.

The Thrash Metal Guide

Dan-o- (Nightmare) Labrosse - vocals
Rikki Starz - guitars
Tyson Riple - bass
Raven Murray - drums
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Steve Nelson - guitars