Shadows Ground ‎"Phantom Of Dead Star" CD (Bonustracks)

Comes with 2 exclusive new recorded Bonus Tracks

Beside the German act Thromos another flagship band of Schattenkult Produktionen are Shadows Ground. This band is a prime example of the flourishing Ukrainian black metal scene, and I am going to start my review session of their work with full length number three, titled “Phantom of Dead Star”. Anyone being familiar with Ukrainian black metal might know that those bands tend to put extra emphasis on creating a deep and captivating atmosphere.
It could be argued that many bands of the style are just repeating the same stuff over again, but there’s still enough to squeeze out of it if the style’s put into the right hands. We’re given plenty of the flavors of what makes the style interesting to begin with as Shadows Ground show a clear understanding of how to bring it all together wonderfully such that it fits together nicely, such that they all work off each other brilliantly.
The guitar harmonies are defining most parts of each song, with guitarist Waam showing that he is not only a great technical instrumentalist, but also has a great understanding of how to build up tension and make the listener feel connected to the music. He is able to belt out some crazy soloing, while providing more dreamy and ambient moments in the next section.
The rhythm section is doing a fine job, keeping pace with the tremolo runs and the riff attacks. Of course you are going to find some more aggressive parts, like heavy use of the cymbals and some double-drum action. However, I have not had the feeling of chaotic nervousness, with all elements being in place. When compared to their later works a certain evolution in the songwriting department becomes obvious, but overall “Phantom of Dead Star” is a very competently constructed piece of raw yet atmospheric black metal. The rumbling production and a moody cover round off a great little gem.

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