Moonspell - Wolfheart (1995) and Irreligious (1996)

Moonspell was the first Portuguese metal band to break worldwide, their debut Wolfheart an immediate success in many countries. They have a unique sound that hovers somewhere between goth music and doom/black metal. Both albums here are highly recommended!

Wolfheart (1995)
Very melodic, atmospheric and consistently maintaining heaviness as dictated by heavy metal standards. The use of synth is similar to Dimmu Borgir (see below), but more subtle. Overall production quality is high. Moonspell's fascination with vampires, werewolves and wraiths is delightfully apparent in all their tracks. Fernando Ribeiro's voice swerves between doom grawling, deep, theatrical 'clean' singing and ethereal ghostly whispering. Plus they have an absolutely flawless female vocalist! I really hate albums where a singer can't keep his/her tone, but on this one she gets two thumbs up!! (up where?) 'Lua D'Inverno' is one of the most beautiful acoustic metal tracks I've ever heard, and 'Vampiria' amongst the most memorable metal classics of the ninetees. All in all, a very good, highly enjoyable album.

Tracks

1. Wolfshade (A Werewolf Masquerade) (7:42)
2. Love Crimes (7:33)
3. ...Of Dream And Drama (Midnight Ride) (3:58)
4. Lua d'Inverno (1:48)
5. Trebraruna (3:29)
6. Vampiria (5:35)
7. An Erotic Alchemy (8:04)
8. Alma Mater (5:36)

Total time: 43' 49''

Irreligious (1996)
Released only a year after Wolfheart, Irreligious is without a doubt a more mature and refined album. Opinions are very divergent when it comes to which is the better one. I can't really untie that knot, either. Nevertheless, the two albums are suprisingly different. On Irreligious the instruments tend to focus more around the vocals than on their previous release. There's still a lot of guitar and synth, but it's all softer, friendlier. Atmospherically the music is still dark. However, if I say that Wolfheart explores fantasy/fairy tale darkness and evil, Irreligious seeks the more surreal side of darkness. It's great fun comparing these two albums - so alike, yet so different! (God I hate clichés!!)

Tracks

1. Perverse...Almost Religious (1:.07)
2. Opium (2:46)
3. Awake (3:05)
4. For A Taste Of Eternity (3:52)
5. Ruin & Misery (3:48)
6. A Poisoned Gift (5:34)
7. Subversion (2:43)
8. Raven Claws (3:15)
9. Mephisto (4:58)
10. Herr Spiegelmann (4:34)
11. Full Moon Madness (6:46)

Total time: 48' 03''

Moonspell_Wolfheart_192.rar
Moonspell_Irreligious_192.rar

posted by Paxjorge @ Saturday, March 11, 2006