Two years ago, Wolfheart released Winterborn (2013) independently, leaving a great impression from their debut. Though an extremely solid release, the album showed major potential for something even better from the band in the future. Tuomas Saukkonen, calling it quits on the projects Before the Dawn, Black Sun Aeon, Routasielu, Dawn of Solace and Final Harvest, decided Wolfheart was his next step. The sophomore album Shadow World is a fitting follow up to Winterborn, in fact, a much better album than their debut. It’s extremely polished, energetic, epic, and most of all, a completely stellar melodic death metal ride from beginning to end.

A soft piano opens up the beginning track Aeon of Cold, flowing with beauty. The same pattern follows once the guitars erupt in a robust and epic fashion. Zero Gravity really propels the album into further melodic bliss, its main riff being one that is easy to become downright lost in, during this heavy beast of a song. The melodic prowess this album has is staggering, continuing on with Storm Centre that shows a darker side, but still pounding with music that truly has the potential for necks to snap.

More acoustic sounds return in Shadow World, like Winterborn did previously, in Last of All Winters. This slower song keeps the chaos at bay, but yet it is a tremendously pleasing song, one that I found to be a true gem found alongside the other whimsical tracks. Nemesis follows with more piano that flows with a beautiful melody. These moments happen sporadically, fitting seamlessly into the tracks but never sounding the lease bit disconnected. The album is filled with heavily induced melodic moments, like the pounding track Abyss, keeping the album alive with ferocious energy.

It really is almost impossible to become bored with Shadow World and if I were to be completely honest, Wolfheart is rising in rank among my favorite melodic death metal bands. Their follow up to Winterborn is simply a masterpiece, a tougher, more energetic giant that is definitely worth any metal-head's time.