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Silver Bullet have been a powerhouse in the Finnish scene for quite some time now, releasing high quality slices of varied and exciting metal since their start in 2016. With longtime singer Nils Nordling leaving some time in 2020, their upcoming (at the time of writing this) album, Shadowfall, sees replacement vocalist Bruno Proveschi stepping in and singing new material for the first time. Seeing how Nils rough and powerful delivery was always a highlight of the band, I was a little worried that the lineup change might be their first dip in quality. A few spins later, and that worry was proven needless, as this album continues the trend of Silver Bullet being among the best in the country.

The album starts off in fine form with the ominous intro "Overture of Armageddon" before blasting into the excellent "Shadow of a Curse," which sets the tone perfectly for this album with its symphonic sentiments and unforgettable chorus. Silver Bullet have always had symphonic and power metal influences to their sound, as can be heard on "Falling Down" and the speedy "Soul Reaver" with its massive choirs, but they lean harder on those here than on past albums thanks to Bruno's softer, more melodic delivery. This is best reflected on the hooky, Beast in Black-esque "The Ones to Fall" and the varied and ballad-esque numbers of "Creatures of the Night" and the moving "And Then Comes Oblivion," where his range and variety prove that band leader Hannes Horma picked the perfect man for the job.

None of this should make you think this band has lost any of their edge. No, they still have that thrash-tinged aggression and power where needed, like with the straightforward "Nighthunter" with its pounding riffs and catchy chorus, the versatile album closer "The Thirteen Nails," and on the album highlight "Dusk of Dawn," which starts off with a massive symphonic build before it strikes like a fucking thunderbolt to the skull as it roars like a violent storm. This song is, without a doubt, one of the very best they've written so far, and is justification to get this album alone.

Despite a shakeup in the lineup—likely because of it, really—Silver Bullet have once again made an excellent album of ambitious and grandiose metal. Any of their releases would send them soaring onto the global stage if there were justice in the world, but this might be the strongest contender for that yet. Regardless of whether or not that happens, this firmly stands as one of the best albums of 2023, and the year hasn't even started yet.