Into the Nightfall - "Sacrificium" Review

The days are getting closer until I see Xandria for the first and second time in two days straight!

For the last review, it was for their 2015 EP "Fire & Ashes". Now for this review, it'll be on their album that debuted the vocalist Dianne van Giersbergen and bassist Steven Wussow for the first time in the year of 2014...

Yes, I am talking about "Sacrificium".

Looks awesome with that Phoenix on the cover, doesn't it? The mythical creature almost reminds me of Dumbledore's pet phoenix Fawkes. Even from my favorite series, the character Princess Celestia has one as well named Philomena!

For the track-listing, it is from the two-disc deluxe edition that I ended up buying. So I will include the bonus track in the review.

Sacrificium

The opening track on the album. It almost sounds a bit like an introduction for something rather epic with the orchestra at the beginning of the song. There is narration at the beginning and then kicks in the main beat with the choir. This song almost sounds like a mix of Epica's "Kingdom of Heaven" and Nightwish's "The Poet and the Pendulum". This song has a deep message about sacrificing yourself so that those you love can be safe. Even by its ten minute length, this song is really enjoyable.

Nightfall

Not to be mistaken for Blind Guardian's classic song from Nightfall in Middle-Earth. This one reminds me of travelling in the middle of the night to a hidden temple of the olden gods. A song known currently as one of their live hits to play, I think it is obvious that I will be hearing this when I see them twice.

Dreamkeeper

The piano and synth in the background almost sounded like it was about to go into a "Delain" like sound. Despite the heavy sound in the track, it almost reminds me of the Wishmaster era of my favorite back Nightwish. When I hear this song, I imagine myself enter the dream realm joined by the guardian of my dreams to keep back all of the nightmares that dare to infest my slumber.

Stardust

Not to be mistaken for the Delain song from The Human Contradiction. It starts off with a kick-ass guitar at the beginning, and then kicks in the other instruments. I imagine that I will spread my wings and soar into the night skies above to dance among the rest of the stars, going far away from each of my personal troubles. This song would be one of my favorites on the album.

The Undiscovered Land

On the start, I thought it had a bit of a mixture of music from Game of Thrones. With inspiration from Nightwish perhaps, it almost reminds me of the Tarja Turunen era ballads. The sound of the bagpipes reminding me of Ireland, almost play a tone that almost resembled "Zelda's Lullaby" at one point of the song. It's almost as if you are on a journey to find your own land to reside in and escape from your own captors. The ending until the fade-out reminds me of Skyrim when you are in a castle talking with one of the Jarls. Another great song, and a good one to unleash your imagination for its lyrics and sound.

Betrayer

Not really a favorite for me, but it also contains narration in this one from famous performers like Amanda Somerville and Mark Burnash who returns from his narration in track one of this album. It is almost as if a beautiful divine princess has betrayed all of her subjects just to achieve her own power, ensuring her people suffer. The choir in this one can blow you away in its powerful hook that catches your attention.

Until the End

Another Nightwish sound to this song at the beginning. Another great song, and when I hear this song I imagine myself riding on a horse in the countryside with the winds blowing in my face as I overlook the Cliffside to observe the town from afar in that view. It would make a good live hit to play at their concerts.

Come with Me

Another mystical sound at the beginning of the song, almost like it is the beginning of a ballad. Then kicks in the instruments. This one almost reminds me of the fairy tale Peter Pan, as if he is there to invite you to come fly with him to Never-Never Land when you can be free from the chains that keep you bound. Another pretty good track.

Little Red Relish

A song almost resembling another fairy tale, and one of my favorites... Little Red Riding Hood! I used to enjoy that tale as a kid because I really enjoyed its direction and even the villain whom is the Wolf. In this track though, it creates a twist in the tale as if the protagonist has fallen for the antagonist, or at least what it seems. When I hear this song, I kind of picture myself falling for one of the villains from one of my favorite series. Probably another favorite for me.

Our Neverworld

Another ballad that fits well in the album tracklist. When I hear this song, it is almost as if I am with my fictional loves in our own world away from reality, and my number one love cuddling up next to me as we view the sunrise in the distance. This one almost reminded me of "Away" from Nightwish with a bit of a touch of Epica. The chorus is very powerful especially with what I am imagining.

Temple of Hate

The riffs and melody in this song are really good, but I don't really feel that this song would be a favorite for me. This one almost pictures that you are being chased by an inner demon within a temple that had opened a doorway to hell itself, and you are trying to either escape from the grasp of the demon or turn around and fight it... or risk failure. Overall, I think it is a good song though.

Sweet Atonement

The closing song on the album, and it is like a breath of relief after a load of heaviness that the album had throughout. It's a love ballad of course. The piano in this one and the violin are powerful in this one along with Dianne's vocals. When I hear this song, it is almost as if I am there at the side of my love to heal her wounds by candlelight after something happened to her. In the end of the song, it is as if the lyrics suggested that the lyrics told from a person's point of view had gone to sleep. A beautiful song to end the album.

The acoustic version of this song can be found on the bonus disc of the deluxe edition for Theater of Dimensions.

The Watcher [Bonus Track]

From the second disc of the special edition, this one is surprising to hear from Xandria. Aside from the powerful choir in this one and the melody, I can picture this song happening in a way where the enemy is starting to overpower the allies and send them down onto their feet in total defeat - letting greed, hatred and death fill the world. At the end of the song it is almost as if it's a warning to stop their ways before it is too late. Being someone who seeks out bonus tracks to listen to, I really enjoyed this one.

Favorite tracks:

• Nightfall
• Dreamkeeper
• Stardust
• The Undiscovered Land
• Little Red Relish
• Our Neverworld
• Sweet Atonement
• The Watcher [Bonus Track]

Overall:

A great start that shows great promise to the new vocalist Dianne van Giersbergen who seems to have won me over with plenty of other female vocalists in my list of favorites. It's a great album to open your imagination to just like with Theater of Dimensions or India. So as in rating, I will have to give this album a 9 out of 10. It blew me away.

And that is the album review. Next album review will be their only album that only had a one-time singer... and no, it's not Tarja... it's a female vocalist named Manuela Kraller in the album Neverworld's End.

That'll mark a bit of a halt to the album reviews as I'll be going to Montreal on Friday to see Xandria and gather enough experience from what the two shows were like to write down. Hopefully the floods going on there do not interfere with the experience and that I will still enjoy being outside of my province for the first time by myself. Again, it's an independence test my parents are giving me after telling them many time that I want to show them I can do something by myself.

But anyhoo, album below will be the next review. Until then, I'll see you all later.

\m/ Brayden \m/