British metallers Shadowkeep have resurfaced after 6 years of silence. This time with a new bassist and front man to complete the band’s ranks. The new voice comes from none other than former Angel Witch bassist Richie Wicks. With renewed strength, their fourth studio effort The Hourglass Effect has been put out. What it sounds like?

Even after six years, the trademark riffs of guitarists Chris Allen and Nicki Robson thankfully have not changed much. The sound on The Hourglass Effect is still strong, tight and the progressive edge takes the songs to a higher level than your standard heavy metal band.

The album contains some riffs that hint towards bay-area speed metal legends Agent Steel, and that is something to rejoice over, as well. The combination of these up-tempo, progressive riffs together with Wicks’ voice is a mix made in heaven. While at first it sounds like ‘just’ a reference to times long past, Wicks slowly convinced me of the strong points in his vocals. At first, I drew a comparison with Olaf Hayer (Luca Turilli). Yet, after hearing the straight forward harmonics like in ‘Riot on Earth’, it becomes clear that power rules over prowess, which shoves the (often) annoying vibratos and high-pitched squeals to the background.

Fans of Shadowkeep will definitely not be disappointed with this new release. The guitar solos and riffs are still going strong after six years of absence, and the addition of Richi Wicks as the band’s vocalist has proven to be a strong move. If power / progressive metal rocks your world, Shadowkeep might just be the band you’re looking for these days.