For those that do not know, I am a big fan of Thomas Vikstrom. Chapter VI is one of my favorite CANDLEMASS albums and I really enjoy his voice. Needless to say I jumped at the opportunity to review an album by another one of his bands, especially after listening to their solid debut. Before I get to my thoughts, here's a quick background.

DARK ILLUSION was formed all the way back in 1982, but no official material was released until 2003. Their debut album, Beyond the Shadows, was released two years later. Their bassist, Pontus Egberg, was also in the band LION'S SHARE for a while.

There are so many reviews that state that a band has avoided the sophomore slump that one would think that no such slump exists. I'd wager that the majority of bands avoid the sophomore slump and that a band has the same odds of writing a disappointing second album as they do their third or fourth album. Knowing this, I will refrain from using that term to describe what went wrong with Where Eagles Fly.

Their first album, Beyond the Shadows was nothing amazing, but it was enjoyable enough. However, the quality of nearly everything has declined on this release. The songs themselves are not that memorable, and neither are the instrumental performances. The biggest disappointment, however, is Vikstrom himself. Honestly, I feel like it could have been anybody singing these vocal lines; nothing here demonstrates the skill that I know that he has. Dark Journey and Pay the Price were probably my two favorite songs, but theyre nothing to write home about.

While Where Eagles Fly is a disappointing album, it is not a bad one. The problem is the lackluster songwriting and performances by everyone involved. As a fan of their debut, I really hope that their next album, if there is one, is an improvement because I know that the talent is there.