| CD REVIEW Luna Obscura |
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Band : Luna Obscura This band was founded in the Greek town of Serrai (North of Greece, some 70 km NO from Thessaloniki) in the year 2000, with a vision to create a mixture of Heavy, Atmospheric, Melodic, but above all challenging music, also making use of both male (both clean and rough) and female (both clean and near-Operatic) vocals. With singers Gogo Melone and Aris Potonos and rhythm/ lead guitarist/ backing singer (and main composer) Dimitris Papachristos (the latter the only member originating from the Middle-Greece town of Agrinio, which returns in the story later on) as constants throughout the band's history, the band (then still with a complete line-up) recorded a first 3-track EP titled Darcanda(with Steve Dickins at STV Studios), releasing it in May of 2004. In the band's mind the production was not up to the band's usual standards, but it was good enough to generate positive reviews from numerous European magazines, and getting the band's name out to the Greek crowds. Also, Enclave Records made a deal with the band to enclose the EP's song “With My Demons I'll Celebrate My Fall” in a compilation album of theirs. Two years later the band prepared itself to record a full-length album (in spite of their previous “disappointment”, again with Dickens, and again at STV Studios), but due to financial problems the recordings had to be cut short. Nevertheless, the finished songs “Evelyn” and a new version of “With My Demons...” were self-released on the Evelyn EP in February 2007 as a promotional tool to make money, as the band struggled on to finish their already started recording sessions. Meanwhile, something had given way within the band's line-up, and only the above mentioned core members were left. In spite of their diminished band situation, the trio persevered and called in the hired help of one Christopher to play the drums, and one Menios Gounaris to record the keyboards (at Sub Studiosin Agrinio). Vocals were again recorded at STV Studios with Dickens, and saw Andreas Giolmas (of Mencea and Nebora) contribute vocals to the track “Away”, with Dickens adding the 'actor voice' where needed...but the rest was recorded at Berlin, Germany's 210 Studios with Stamos Koliousis engineering and producing. For the mastering of their album, the band contracted the famous Mika Jussila at Finland's Finnvox Studios, ensuring the best results. Released in December 2008, the album's title a word pun (Feel – Fall – Fault) relating to the context of the lyrics, which are inspired by the human psyche when melancholically and emotionally charged...in other words, human behavioral psychology...alongside with Avant-Garde poetry (for instance, “Waltz Into Darkness” has lyrics from poems by Charles Baudelaire, and “Codex Daemonicus 1516” has lyrics taken from the book Codex Daemonicus), and Enochian chants (a name often applied to an occult or angeic language recorded in the private journals of John Dee and his seer Edward Kelly in the late 16th Century – info taken from Wikipedia). No wonder then, that the musical shape of this album has its dark sides, right?! Stylistically, the music taps into Death Metal, Doom Metal, and Gothic Metal (those keyboards sure bring in some truly eerie-sounding passages throughout), as well as displaying progressive elements. Some vocal passages would be difficult to recreate in live conditions without the addition of an an extra female singer, but whom are we to complain anyway? On album, this band has the capacity to move people both with its intensity and its lyrical content, and that's what counts in the end, right? At (www.) myspace.com/lunaobscuraband, you can find sufficient music of the band (one song off each of the earlier releases and a total of 4 out of the 11 off the full-length) to get acquainted with it. In hindsight, it's almost unbelievable that a product of this standard hasn't come out officially a long time ago, but either way Gothic Metal fans will have a field day on this one! Since releasing their album in Greece, the band has recruited Serrai fellows Alexi Charampoulos (lead & rhythm guitars) and Stratos Kountouras (bass) and Thessaloniki-born Georges Montes (drums) to complete the line-up...and weirdly enough that does not include a keyboardist. In September of last, this new line-up started the writing process of a new set of songs...curious as to what the new material might be sounding like! Meantime, there's still Feltiato discover and enjoy! In spite of the “moderate” rating, I feel Gothic fans should consider taking this album into their year-lists. The question remains, whàt year's lists would that be, eh? 95/100 Tony. |