Release Date June 19th, 2026
Format CD/Digital/Vinyl
Genre Power Metal
Origin Sweden
Shadowborne is a new Swedish power metal band built around Eira Shadowborne on lead and backing vocals, The Warden on guitar, keyboards and backing vocals, The Oathbearer on lead guitar, The Keeper on bass and The Warbringer on drums. "Heaven's Falling" is their debut album, released through Scarlet Records, with a fantasy based identity inspired by Viking mythology, "Game Of Thrones" and "Vikings". The album was produced by Kristoffer Göbel, mixed and mastered by Christoffer Borg, with artwork by Alle Conti.
Power metal can easily fall into a trap of over-the-top fluff, but Shadowborne keeps a firm grip on the steel with "Heaven's Falling". This debut does not mess around with pointless theatrical garbage, instead delivering heavy, pounding anthems that focus heavily on strong hooks and zero-nonsense pacing. The guitar work from The Warden and The Oathbearer provides a sharp, iron foundation, locking in with a rhythmic gallop that keeps the momentum flowing without stalling out. Eira’s vocals lead the charge with a commanding presence, staying well away from pop-infused fluff and anchoring the tracks with a fierce, human edge.
The fantasy theme is everywhere, honor, exile, betrayal, ambition, cold nights, fire, crowns and fallen houses. Yes, this kind of territory has been used a million times in power metal, so the band needs good songs to survive the battlefield. Shadowborne do have them. "High And Low", "Wolf And The Queen", "Hold The Door", "Heaven's Falling (Dragons' Hymn)" and "Raven" show a band with a clear identity and a good ear for hooks. The album has energy, melody and a darker edge that helps it avoid sounding too sweet.
The weak side is that some parts follow a very familiar path. At times, you can hear the reference points too clearly, Beast In Black, Battle Beast, Brothers Of Metal and All For Metal are not ghosts in the distance, they are standing right there in the hall. Shadowborne are good at this style, no doubt, although they still need more of their own blood on the blade. The album is entertaining and crafted with care, only not savage enough to crush the throne on its first strike.
For a debut, "Heaven's Falling" is a good power metal release with ambition, melody and enough fire to make Shadowborne a name worth watching. It is not a flawless conquest, and it does not always escape the shadow of its influences, still it offers a strong first chapter for a band that knows how to build a fantasy world.
|7.0
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