Astonishing, amazing, incredible, and fantastic. Just a sample of the words I have for this band. Not quite the best thing since sliced bread, but the loaf is looking mighty nervous.

Speaking of looking nervous, Amy Lee had better be warned. Her reign at the top of the female lead rock tree is over. In Alitia Atkins, we have a new queen, and one that is going to rule for a loooooooong time.

Unlike Evanescence however, this is a BAND, not a voice with some instruments behind it as the above bands album wants to be at times. Every single member of this band is on top of their game and they really do sound incredible.

Everything you could want from an album of the year contender is here in abundance. Soaring choruses, dramatic choral lines, arena spanning guitars, stinking drums, beautiful pianos and THAT voice.

One of the discs highlights for me has to be track 6, Unforgiven years. Although It doesn’t feature Ms. Atkins all that much (the majority of the vocals are left to Duane Bonney, I think. But guess what, he’s amazing to) Everything that Shadowplay are about is contained in this 7+ minute monster. Very moody and dramatic verses combine with an almighty chorus to make you glad that music was invented.

This is only a demo, and the sound is great, so one can only guess what the finished product is going to sound like. At times achingly beautiful, at others just plain lump-in-the-throat powerful. In the end there is only one conclusion. More essential than oxygen. You need this!