Album Review: Nightingale - Retribution

One of the saddest things that can happen, as a music fan, is to discover a band after their run has finished.  Knowing that, as you fall in love with a band, they will never make another record is a crushing experience, the sort of thing that does make it difficult to delve into the past for hidden gems.  Despite that, I do make an effort to see what I have missed out on over the years, which led me to Nightingale.  I only discovered the band after the release of "White Darkness", which over the years has become one of my go-to melodic rock albums.  It is a brilliant piece of work, and for the longest time it looked as though it was going to be the last time we heard from Nightingale.

Fortune has smiled upon us, in the form of "Retribution".  Dan Swanö's creative juices were revitalized by the formation of Witherscape, and the flood of new ideas has carried over to a new Nightingale album, something I didn't think I would ever see.

Whereas "White Darkness" was founded on 70's prog sounds, "Retribution" is an album solidly rooted in the 80's, or at least what that decade should have been.  As soon as "Stolen Wings" kicks off the record, there is a wash of warmth that invites you in to one of the most engaging listening experiences you're liable to find.  Dan has lost nothing over the years, his baritone sounding smoother than ever.  His voice is Nightingale's calling card, and rightly so.  There is no one else who sounds like Dan Swanö, and "Retribution" is as good as he has ever sounded.

But Nightingale is all about the songs, and that is what makes "Retribution" the masterpiece it is.  From beginning to end, there is not a weak moment to be found.  Dan had said a new Nightingale album would only be worth making if it was going to be the band's best, and though that is a high standard to set, it's one he has obliterated.  "Lucifer's Lament" is a stunning bit of songwriting, with some of the most gorgeous harmonies I've ever heard, and a hook so strong it could hoist the world itself.

Both sides of the coin are represented well, from the soft and delicate "Divided I Fall", to the stomping "Forevermore".  Every song has layered depth to the compositions, and the kind of melodies that would have dominated the airwaves back when rock could garner airplay.  The mantra of 'all killer, no filler' comes to mind, because there isn't a second of this record I can call superfluous.  On first listen, you can't hear everything that is going on here.  The album might feel underwhelming, not heavy enough for metal fans, not happy enough for pop fans.  Give it time, and repeated listens will unveil a sound far richer than anything Nightingale has done before.  If these songs don't take up permanent residence in your head, I would be shocked.

"27 (Curse Or Coincidence)" is a brooding beast, while "Warriors Of The Dawn" has more swagger and groove than anything the mainstream can lay claim to.  The guitar parts may be simple, but they are written in perfect service of the song, and played with exactly the right amount of grit.  "Retribution" is a phenomenal sounding album, the production deep and clear, with just enough muscle to remind you of its heavy roots.  Music can't sound any better than this.

"Retribution" lives up to its challenge; it is the best Nightingale record yet.  I would go even further in calling it one of the best melodic rock albums I have ever heard.  I've been listening to it daily, and can't seem to get tired of it.  What Nightingale have done with "Retribution" is make a masterpiece.  It may be early to say this, but "Retribution" might already be the album of the year.

[Note: There may be contention with this point.  Though the album was released in Europe late in 2014, it is being released in North America January 27th.  That is the date I will be using.]