Shadows Dance was founded in 1998 and started out as a death metal band. The death sound disappeared and other elements, like classical influences (a cello and violin) and a choir were introduced. The result of this change in style resulted in ‘A Quatrain For The Damned’. This album is very hard to review. On one hand there are elements I really like, such as the use of the choir and the classical arrangements. In a track like ‘Until The Young Whore Sings’ that choir is used very well. It raises a certain ambience. Sometimes some parts even remind me of Therion, like in ‘Licking The Limbs Of Abyss’ and ‘Last Kiss’. On the other hand, there are elements which I really dislike.

The male vocals don’t do much for me. The slow talking and whispering are totally uninspiring. The guitars do not sound too well either. They have no power, which is quite essential for metal. When looking at the complete album, I must say that especially the choirs have left a good impression. For the rest there was not much that impressed me. If you ask me, the vocals should be used differently, the guitars should have a more prominent role, and the songs as a whole should have more coherency. But do not despair; there are some components that could work well if they would be developed more in the future.