The Breathing Shadow is the first album by the band Nightingale. It was recorded and mixed within a week by Dan Swanö alone at his Unisound Studio; Nightingale did not yet exist as a band, and was simply a solo project by Swanö. This is the only album of Nightingale to use a drum machine (the other albums have Swanö or someone else on drums). Unlike the hard rock/AOR-oriented direction of later albums, The Breathing Shadow showcases a gothic style similar to The Sisters of Mercy. The songs "Nightfall Overture" and "The Dreamreader" were re-recorded on the 2004 compilation album, Nightfall Overture.