Shadows Are Falling

If you're like me, the YouTube algorithm brought you here after it recommended a little song by an obscure Danish band called Randy. Now don't ask me why the YouTube recommendations are so in love with "The Beast," but it would suggest it after pretty much every traditional metal song I was listening to, so I figured it was worth a shot. And wow, was that algorithm proven right. "The Beast" is a truly fantastic song, and that's just the b-side! So let's start at the beginning.

"Shadows Are Falling" didn't catch my ear at first, it was a little too hard-rocking and poppy in comparison to "The Beast." But I soon learned to love it all the same. It's a fairly radio-friendly song, with the kind of swing feel and and bluesy vibe you might get from an early Rainbow or Scorpions song. Jorgen Viftrup Hou, who pulls double duty on guitar and vocals, is exemplary at both, his soloing is very fluid and doesn't seem at all forced or shoehorned in, and his voice has a smooth quality that lends itself well to this more accessible song.

But of course, "The Beast," is the true, uh, beast, here. It's got much more of a heavy metal feeling, being faster and just more bombastic in every respect. It oozes power in the same kind of mystical, ominous way that certain Maiden or Dio songs do. Here, the soloing is a bit more flashy, but again, it's never unnecessary or irritating. And it's just downright catchy, just as much if not more so than the ostensibly commercially-friendly "Shadows Are Falling."

Really, this is just proof that sometimes the YouTube algorithms hit the nail on the head. If the image of a bulbous-headed, green monster eating human flesh appears in your recommendations, don't hesitate to give it a listen.