Moonlight - Candra
Metal Mind Productions - 2002
By Mark Bridgeman
If anything can be said about the Polish music scene, it's that it (for the most part) produces bands of varying styles, offering something to wet everyone's musical palate, and produces them at a standard that should please even the most discerning listener.
Moonlight, here with their 7th release Candra, are a moody, lush musical beast offering dark, gothic art metal that demands nothing from its listener other than total immersion.
The lushly synth-driven tunes blanket some fine heavy guitar work - on top of this, Maja Konarska's ethereal vocals (sometimes reminiscent of Tori Amos and Sinead O'Connor) lace it all up into a piece of music that should please both lovers of atmospheric metal, and more mainstream music.
Highlights: Ronaa (the albums heavy, guitar-driven opener), Luna II, To See Yourself (where Konarska's vocals are showcased to perfection), and not to mention the 13-minute Asuu, capsulating all that's good about Moonlight: heavy guitars, beautiful vocals, and an intricate yet simply pleasing arrangement from the entire band.
If gothic rock/metal, particularly that with a slight industrial flavour (though not an overbearing one) is your forte, you won't be able to go too wrong with Moonlight.
Metal Mind Productions - 2002
By Mark Bridgeman
If anything can be said about the Polish music scene, it's that it (for the most part) produces bands of varying styles, offering something to wet everyone's musical palate, and produces them at a standard that should please even the most discerning listener.
Moonlight, here with their 7th release Candra, are a moody, lush musical beast offering dark, gothic art metal that demands nothing from its listener other than total immersion.
The lushly synth-driven tunes blanket some fine heavy guitar work - on top of this, Maja Konarska's ethereal vocals (sometimes reminiscent of Tori Amos and Sinead O'Connor) lace it all up into a piece of music that should please both lovers of atmospheric metal, and more mainstream music.
Highlights: Ronaa (the albums heavy, guitar-driven opener), Luna II, To See Yourself (where Konarska's vocals are showcased to perfection), and not to mention the 13-minute Asuu, capsulating all that's good about Moonlight: heavy guitars, beautiful vocals, and an intricate yet simply pleasing arrangement from the entire band.
If gothic rock/metal, particularly that with a slight industrial flavour (though not an overbearing one) is your forte, you won't be able to go too wrong with Moonlight.
