|
Much like the recent Tiamat album, Night Eternal sees the band exploring the heavier side of their sound. "At Tragic Heights" starts slowly, with Middle Eastern wailing, soaring synths and ominous drums. Inevitably the tension must find release in a cavalcade of thundering guitars, but not before singer Fernando auditions for Hollywood voice over work, with a deep-toned monologue that talks of 'the sign of the beast' and 'blood of dead men'. Even when Moonspell turn the amps up to 11 they are always listenable, perhaps because of Fernando's sonorous tones. Moonspell make metal palatable for those who do not usually like such a genre. Melodramatic synth riffing during the instrumental break gives this soundtrack to the apocalypse subtlety, in addition to the power on display elsewhere. "Night Eternal" mixes echo-laden lead guitar with throbbing rhythm guitar. Though these sorts of beats would usually be too brutal for my tastes, Moonspell make them a guilty pleasure. Perhaps it's because they mix them with transcendent episodes full of Eastern Promise, with a wailing female singer in the background. Some of the solo-ing wanders into cheesy classic rock territory, but never enough to derail this musical juggernaut.
"Shadow Sun" balances a full metal assault with passages of poetic beauty. The lighter side of this song recalls the heavier side of Lacuna Coil. "Scorpion Flower" features ex-The Gathering's Anneke Van Giersbergen, which regular readers will recognise as something I consider A Very Good Thing. It's great to hear her singing a 'heavier' song. As fun as Aqua De Annique are, there is nothing that quite compares to hearing Ms Van Giersbergen in the eye of a musical hurricane. While Fernando can scream with the best of them, albeit it a manly way, he is much more engaging when he sings properly as he does on this song. Imagine a more educated and erudite Peter Steele. Moonspell are the band Type O Negative could be if they didn't muck about so much. This song showcases the lighter side of the band, while the following song "Moon In Mercury" does the opposite. Once again the keyboards in the instrumental break prove to be a highlight. There is also unintentional humour when it seems that Fernando is roaring 'Moooooooo' only for the 'n' sound to provide he isn't attempting to sound like a cow. "Hers Is The Twilight" has chiming guitars and choral keyboard stabs to complement the metal roars elsewhere in the song. The two elements – the gothic and the metal – merge successfully. The song gallops along in places like an undead Dick Turpin. There's a hint of 80s-era Fields of the Nephilim, mixed with the more metal-sounding The Nefilim. "Dreamless (Lucifer and Lilith)" showcases Fernando's deep voiced brooding. There's an epic feel to this song that will reward repeated listens. A guitar solo threatens the border of Cheeseland, but is soon swept away by the rousing emotion of the song. "Spring Of Rage" demonstrates the heavy riffing side of the band. The drums act like The Great Hunt driving the other instruments on. There's a woozy feeling to this track as if more than one song is playing at the same time. Some grandiloquent keyboards offer a lifebelt of sanity. "First Light" has Fernando doing more voice-over work. Omen-style choral backing vocals add to the feeling of over-the-top hysteria. In less serious hands this sort of theatrics might come across as silly, but as Fernando sings with such a straight face you are forced to take it seriously. I was drawn to Moonspell even before I met singer Fernando for interview purposes. But having experienced the contemplative, if melancholy, side of the man I am fascinated by the band even more. There's something about Moonspell that marks them out as different from other groups in the genre. Maybe it's the depth of emotion Fernando and the boys conjure. You can bang your head to some of the songs on offer here, but you'll find even more to enjoy if you just use your head. Night Eternal brings together the light and dark sides of the band and blends them into a coherent whole. |
|||||||||||||||||||
