Nostradameus is yet another Scandinavian power metal act and I must admit that I was more than a little skeptic when I put the CD into my CD-player. Fortunately that was unfounded and I must say that this Swedish power metal act has managed to convince me that they are not another Stratovarius or Gamma Ray clone. It all starts out with a cliché intro but after that it quickly gets better. The first thing that struck me was the sincerity of the vocals; they are sometimes really raw but it is just this rawness that makes them sound real and personal. The second thing that impressed me, were the above average compositions. All the songs have good and catchy hooks which makes this album a pleasure to listen to.

Moreover, there’s a good balance between repetition and solos and most songs are on the one hand diverse and on the other hand easy to recognize. The album has been recorded in the famous Fredman Studios in Sweden and mixed by no one less than Frederik Nordström (a.o. In Flames, Dimmu Borgir and Hammerfall). As a result the sound quality of the album is good but nevertheless I think the sound could have been a bit heavier with more room for the guitars but that’s a matter of taste. If you are a fan of European power metal then I strongly advice you to purchase this album. Okay, it’s nothing new or groundbreaking, just a decent piece of metal.