Inner Shrine
Pulsar

January 2014
Released: 2013, Bakerteam Records
Rating: 4.0/5
Reviewer: Metal-Rules.com UK Team

From Florence, Italy the veteran Symphonic Gothic Metal band Inner Shrine returns with their fifth full length album release in the form of Pulsar. An eerie and haunting album painting musical pictures of the end of the world and dystopian post-apocalyptic environments all overlaid with the soundtrack to our end.



If you’re wanting to have a reference point to go on to describe the bands sound if you’ve not heard them before then I would say that there are definitely influences of bands like Hypocrisy and Godgory to begin with, mixed with cold atmospheric elements of bands like Immortal and Bathory. But for Inner Shrine the heaviness of those bands is somewhat substituted for a more melodic/symphonic approach and the vocals on certain tracks are not always as harsh, instead they adopt a more darker atmospheric sound of whispers or harsh vocals that are placed distant in the mix.



Production wise the album is really nicely put together. This is one of those albums that really does paint pictures in your mind whilst listening to it, not to mention the fantastic post-apocalyptic cover artwork that I really like a lot. All of the elements cut through the mix clearly, the drums sound nice and crisp, the guitars are both low and heavy but bright and melodic and the keyboards and vocals cut through nicely to bring all the ingrediants of a haunting album together.



All in all it is an album that kind of plods on at a steady slow pace, which can become a bit monotonous if you’re not really into the more slow, atmospheric side of Metal but for me personally being a fan of Goth music as well then this kind of music is right up my street, but if you’re looking for an album of fast Thrash and Blast Beats then it’s unlikely this will fit your quota (not to say that it’s not worth checking out of course).



Fans of Hypocrisy and Immortal I should think would not be disappointed in this album if you’ve not already discovered this band, I have to admit that this is my first time of hearing them but it’s definitely an album that I’ve been pleasantly surprised with. The title track of the album (Pulsar) really goes to show what Inner Shrine are capable of and features a wide range of sounds and influences as well as both male and female melodic vocals to really add to the incredible music that’s been put together on the album.



I really do think that bands like Inner Shrine are one of those bands that can bridge the gap between your die hard Black & Death Metal fans and your die hard Power Metal fans as something that everyone can agree on as being just incredibly well put together music that you can’t help but not enjoy.



Awesome album gents! I’d love to hear this stuff performed live in a nice big echoey venue soon!



Review by Joffie Lovett