With a fantastic debut album De Rerum Natura already released recently last year, rising Italian Power Symphonic Metal quintet MOONLIGHT HAZE are back. They deliver an ecliptic barrage of songs that will take you on a symphonic journey of lunar proportions with their new album Lunaris.
Right from the opening song Till The End, the listener automatically gets thrust into this album with a fantastic blend of both electronic and symphonic sounds. This is accompanied by the soaring vocals from Chiara Tricarico as well as the excellent drum work and keyboard skills from Giulio Capone. Also, with the triple onslaught of bassist Alessandro Jacobi, Alberto Melinato and Marco Falanga on guitars. It doesn’t just stop there as these fantastic sounding combinations of Chiara’s vocals flows freely throughout this album accompanied with a feeling that the listener will be engaged on a wonderful journey. Especially with lyrics such as “Our quest is never ending … for the best is yet to come”, that journey continues through the songs The Rabbit Of The Moon and the title track as well as the rest of the album.
After the initial opening trio of songs, this leads on to the first feeling of a ballad of the album Under Your Spell. This is a very nice and uplifting ballad with its soothing acoustic guitar intro. This is accompanied by Chiara’s very fine vocals from and a brilliant guitar solo woven on this song. This ballad also has a similar power behind it that WITHIN TEMPTATION’s Angels and VISIONS OF ATLANTIS’s Nothing Lasts Forever has so that shows the quality and the calibre of songs this band is delivering.
If you like the Italian’s passionate language combined with a perfect blend of energetic power and classy symphonic metal, then Enigma is a song for you. This song also closes the album with being an additional English version.
This journey then continues with the next songs from the album by adding some very pleasing Symphonic sections to Wish Upon A Star. The Dangerous Art Of Overthinking is one of many songs that touches upon subjects of life and nature that can be heard throughout this album. It’s also one of the heaviest tracks that includes the very interesting addition of harsh vocals which improves the feeling and impact of the song.
Without You in its own right is a fantastic combination of symphonic and electronic sounds. It is a track that tackles the subject of relationships with lines “There’s one thing you should know, I feel better since you’re gone”. Particularly on how difficult they can be and moving on to a better place and better times.
Of Birth And Death is a brilliant track on this album that will please Folk Metal fans too. It’s a soothing collaboration of Chiara’s vocals and ELVENKING’s own violinist Fabio Lethien Polo, which creates a very nice and relaxing atmosphere to it too.
The final part of the journey on the album before the English version of Enigma, is Nameless City. Although this is the longest track on Lunaris, this song wraps up the album extremely well with one last flurry of soaring vocals and energy this album definitely doesn’t lack.
If you are a fan of bands such as WITHIN TEMPTATION, DELAIN and TEMPERANCE then I would definitely recommend this album.
Rating: 9/10
Words: Stefan Chilvers
Lunaris is out now.
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