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Artist: Shining Star
Label: Nightmare Records
Time: 10 tracks/47:22 min
Shining Star’s second album, Enter Eternity, had quite a journey to release. The band, formed by noted Brazilian guitarist Fabio Rocha, had sought out vocalist Lance King (Balance of Power, Pyramaze) to join them in this sophomore effort. After King had recorded the vocals, his payment never arrived from the record label. All parties have worked through the multitude of issues, releasing Enter Eternity 3 years after its recording. So, was it worth the wait?
The style is melodic metal through and through (80’s fans think of the more radio-friendly side of Iron Maiden). The songs are extremely crisp and clear-sounding, with strong production. The guitar work by Rocha is fabulous, with nice guitar tones (usually stacked on each other in the same track) and some ripping solos. Keyboards are layered throughout the songs, adding texture and variety. The rhythm section (Juliano Collombo Drums & Kuky Sanchez Bass) lays a solid foundation underneath the ten tracks. Most of the songs cling to a mid-tempo speed, with a couple of ballads thrown in. However, they never let loose with any speed that many metal fans may be looking for.
King’s voice is in fine form, with a range perfectly suited for the metal sound. He shows strong vocal delivery. Lyrically, the album dwells on the negative a little too much, though not as much as harder metal acts. Titles such as “Nightmare,” “Insanity,” and “Insomnia” should give you an idea of what to expect. However, there are tracks that deal with such spiritual issues as the struggle of flesh vs. spirit (“Just a Man”), redemption (“From Now On”), and second chances (“No More”), albeit from a secular viewpoint.
The songwriting, while good, never rises to the level of greatness, and the disc could use a little more variety in the tempos of the songs. Other than that, fans of melodic metal would be well served to pick up this disc. The musicianship and production are top-notch.
By Jonathan Nelson
5-31-06
