Swiss six-piece Dreamshade were only formed two years ago, yet on debut EP To The Edge Of Reality they show a level of quality that many bands don’t get with ten times as much experience! Nearly everything about this release is impressive, from the music itself that perfectly balances the melodic and aggressive elements, to the artwork. Self-produced and self-released, this is the calling card of a band that is sure to go places if they can keep to this standard in future releases. The near-progressive genre-wandering works perfectly, Power Metal, Thrash and even Black all touched upon in the course of opener Our Buried Secrets; the EP overall best described as a cross between Iron Maiden and Dark Tranquillity. Next song Falling adds whispered vocals to the sonic template, and take on epic qualities thanks to the restrained keyboards (use of which is varied, with even a solo in Venom Of Life, although the guitars rightfully have the focus throughout). It’s all played expertly, and thankfully there aren’t any Metalcore breakdowns to spoil the effect – these guys clearly love the old-school.

It’s hard to think of negative points. Vocalist Iko has a nasty snarl that will take a bit of getting used to, but it doesn’t detract from the music’s value. Otherwise, this is Melodic Death Metal, and the chances are that you’ve heard something similar before. When it’s as good as this, however, the genre is always worth listening to, especially in this case where the focus is on the roots of the genre rather than the bloated modern army of clones it’s becoming. The songwriting needs a little work, as some of the tracks here meander a little too much, but it makes for a set of songs that force you to really listen to get the most out of them, and heralds a bright future indeed for the band. Keep an eye out for Dreamshade; it’ll be worth it.