The US Metal band SHADOWDANCE will official release their second studio album "Future Negative Fantasy" via Rock It Up Records in spring 2013. "Future Negative Fantasy" is a Dark Power Metal album with Progressive Elements. Fans of bands like ICED EARTH & NEVERMORE don't shall miss the Limited Edition with exclusive bonustrack.
Here the track "Neon Abyss" as promo-clip: https://youtu.be/ZI7YKUdB2CQ
SHADOWDANCE - LineUp
Carlos Alvarez - Guitars, Bass, Keyboards, Additional Vocals
George Eliassen - Lead Vocals
Jay Horvath - Drums
Discography
- "Ageless" (2001)
- "Another Look" (2003, 4 Track EP)
- "Future Negative Fantasy" (2013, Full Release)
Info:
Dark Power Metal with Progressive Elements
Founded 1999, Philadelphia, USA
Music, like everything in our world, must evolve or face extinction. Ensuring the survival of its own darkened realm of metal is Philadelphia's own SHADOWDANCE. Crushing riffs, blinding speeds, exotic textures and classical melodies are only a few of the tools used by this most intense of power metal bands to offer a new perspective on the genre. SHADOWDANCE takes the heaviness and aggression of American power metal and fuses it with the speed and epic bombast of the European style. Twist in subtle hints of everything from Black Metal to Progressive to Latin Jazz music and you begin to see what sets SHADOWDANCE apart from their peers. Every song is masterfully imbued with its own personality and flair. No two songs sound alike, yet there is a common stylistic edge that links them. Lyrically, they weave intricate stories based on real life and the hardships that can come with it; stories that anyone can relate to.
After a variety of diverse projects in the late nineties, guitarist Carlos Alvarez put together a batch of songs with a notion of total artistic freedom. Joining him were longtime friend and incredibly gifted multi-instrumentalist Jason Fraticelli on drums. Bassist Brad Stuart was brought in during the final weeks prior to the duo entering the studio. With the help of other friends from within the Philadelphia metal community Alvarez financed and recorded SHADOWDANCE's multifaceted debut cd "Ageless" (released 2001), which has received critical acclaim both domestically and abroad. Vocalist George Eliassen, who had shared the stage with Alvarez in a previous band CIPHER, joined a few months later. With an undeniable vocal talent and extensive band experience, including two years of session work in Japan, Eliassen expertly projects the wide range of emotions that SHADOWDANCE's music represents.
Immediately after the release of "Ageless" Alvarez was contacted by well known & respected German label LMP about a possible deal. This ultimately did not work out but it proved that the band was getting notable attention from around the world. The next several years included many ups and downs, from the usual lineup changes and typical setbacks most bands endure to the inclusion of the Crash Music tour in 2003. This was the band's 1st actual tour, sponsored by Jagermeister and was kicked off with an incredible performance during the Maryland Metal Festival at the Thunderdome. Work had already begun on the songwriting for the follow up album to "Ageless" in 2002 but due to situations beyond control the writing process kept getting pushed back until the band went on "hiatus" in 2005 while Alvarez joined up with Single Bullet Theory on the AMORPHIS tour also featuring INTO ETERNITY and BEYONDE THE EMBRACE. Following this tour, Alvarez left SBT and decided to finally finish the songwriting for the album that would become "Future Negative Fantasy". Frustrated with the many obstacles that has plagued the band from the beginning; Alvarez decided to allow SHADOWDANCE to revert to its original intention ... a collaborative studio project / songwriting vehicle for his music and George's vocals. With this new direction and once again, contributions from several incredible session musicians from across the globe, tracking finally began in 2008.
On May 1st of 2012 the long awaited 2nd album "Future Negative Fantasy" was finally released digitally. After several months and many fantastic reviews worldwide with an average rating of 8-9/10 it has caught the attention of another German label, Rock It Up Records. Featuring 10 journeys through depression, insanity, loss, regrets & one's final thoughts, SHADOWDANCE has taken a darker road with virtually none of the more uplifting moments present on the debut album. At just under an hour in length, "Future Negative Fantasy" further showcases SHADOWDANCE's penchant for crafting dark, powerful songs with incredibly memorable melodies. From the moody, crushing mid-tempo groove of opener "Neon Abyss", the exotic textures and epic scope of "Walk With Fate" (featuring a guest keyboard solo by Santeri Kallio of AMORPHIS), the speed and grandiose of "Branded" & "Balance" ... all of it culminating in the downward-spiral finale of the title track, it is with this that you, the listener, are invited to share in the musical vision of SHADOWDANCE...
