Blind Guardian intr-o oarecare masura. Amorphis-ul care e simpatic dar e ciorba reincalzita. Maiden si Slayer de la care de altfel nu ma asteptam la minuni, Queensryche, God Among Insects, Satyricon din nou intr-o oarecare masura, mi-a placut mult in prima faza, apoi a inceput sa ma streseze, Dismember, Ancient Rites, Darkthrone, Sepultura, Lord Belial, GOD, Theatre of Tragedy. Dissection-ul il las suspendat, ca are momente in care-l ador si momente in care ma calca pe nervi. Aaaaaa, upcoming Rhapsody of Fire "are de gand" sa ia topul la albume enervante, mi-as dori sa fi incercat mai putin sa se autocopieze. Tot aici cred ca ar fi intrat si Hammerfall-ul, daca m-as fi obosit sa-l ascult. Dar marea mea dezamagire pe anul asta este MOONSPELL-Memorial. Asta chiar merita si o cronica pe larg la cat m-a iritat, asa ca o sa dau cu paste ceea ce am scris pentru Vampire-Magazine (care e momentan in refaceri), riscand sa-i pun pe olandezi in conflict deschis cu SPV-ul. Sub nicio forma nu ma obosesc sa traduc, pe cine nu pasioneaza, sa sara.
Eh, no. Never ever an album has created me such contradictory sentiments. I have loved and hated it for a month now, marking it as ?boring? at the first listening session, changing my mind after the fourth or fifth, then turning back to the very first impression and wondering what did they intend with Memorial? All these made almost impossible for me to state a clear opinion about Moonspell?s Memorial till the last hour. The last hour, as SPV is just a couple days away from the official release of this new album of these Portuguese guys who once had enchanted me with their ?Wolfheart? or ?Irreligious?, and I still haven?t decided whether I like it or not.
They claim it is the best, naturally. I am still waiting for the musician who will state otherwise about his newest artistic offspring. Their die-hard fans second to that. Most of them. The others complain about the album?s platitude. Because, no matter if it?s pleasant or not, back to the roots or not, Moonspell or rather Daemonarch like, this Memorial is a flat album, with uninspired refrains or vocals, with only 2-3 memorable songs out of 13. ?Finisterra?, ?Once It was ours? and maybe ?Upon the Blood of Men? do not justify an hour of music. The keyboards were pushed in front to create a haunting atmosphere- which they do succeed, while the guitars were left somewhere behind. Not that would have ever been Amorim a virtuoso, but hey, only one solo in 13 tracks? Plain insufficient! During the preliminary discussions concerning the upcoming album I was expecting a ?back to the roots? thing and also hoping for an improved ?The Antidote?. With all due respect for a band once adored, I was just half right. It is way back to the roots, with a sound more primitive than Wolheart?s itself. But it is no way, no how better than The Antidote.
They buried the dark-goth from Darkness and Hope or Butterfly Effect for good...and what have they brought forth? A contradictory brutal album, with death metal sound, yet no guitars. Hey, metal still got to have guitars even nowadays. And they ask for us to remember... to remember what? That they could have once easily raised upon the mediocre, upon the ?insufficient? epithet that keeps haunting my mind while writing this? That they once hadn?t filled their albums with useless interludes?
I have started saying I couldn?t have decided either I love Memorial or hate it, as it caught me with few moments during the multiple listening sessions. It?s not a bad album, it?s not unbearable either, nothing to be ashamed of, it?s just simply disappointing as far as I am concerned. I have decided meanwhile: best forgotten! (Oana)
Astept cu interes sa vad daca Megadeth, Manowar, Magica si Trooper vor intra aici sau la topicul cu +
