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Illusion's Parade is a pretty engaging album from Nostradameus, but I'll warn you; this is not an instantly accessible listen. The first few times through were not inspiring in the least. Another ho-hum Power Metal release masquerading as something denser and heavier was my initial reaction. But then I realized that something denser and heavier WAS actually lurking there beneath the catchy choruses and supporting keyboards.

Nostradameus make me think of bands like Pharaoh, in style, if not sound or quality. There is nothing "happy" about Illusion's Parade, it's all crushing riffs and dark, aggressive vocals. Yet there are plenty of hooks. The album opens Power Metal enough with "Walk of Pain," featuring a brief keyboard intro and a huge chorus. The mood is bleak, however, and "Art of Deception" ups the ante with some harsh vocal work alternating with the clean singing typically employed by the band. "Nothing" would be the "single," for lack of a better description, and it has a smooth riff and a chorus that you'll be singing long after the song is over. The rest of Illusion's Parade maintains a fairly high level of musicianship and songwriting. The fault (actually, there are two, more on the 2nd one shortly) is the lack of originality and I recognize how difficult that can be in the crowded Power Metal field. The 2nd fault? The core-ish vocal screams in "Armageddon Forever." Ugh. Thankfully, it's only on that one song.

Good, solid effort from Nostradameus, with some flashes of better things to come.