Sonata nocturnA - The Darkest Winter
2003 - Rage Of Achilles Records
By Philip Whitehouse
Go to the Rage Of Achilles website.
"Musically, Sonata nocturnA make a personal sound, composing a Heavy Dark Metal, with Doom Metal lines, and orchestral atmospheres. Compositions, lyrics, generate a dark and romantic atmosphere, facing feelings like love and hate".
It's not too often I'll quote a band's own promotional material in a review, but then it's not too often that the promo guff is as accurate (if rather grammatically suspect) as this. This debut MCD from the Spanish quartet consists of impressively atmospheric metal tracks based on classical composition techniques and bringing elements of power metal, doom metal and goth to the table, all bound up with the wonderful, classically-trained quasi-operatic delivery of singer Amparo Garcia. Now, usually I find operatic vocals cheesy and off-putting, but here they fit so perfectly with the music that it's hard to imagine any other vocal style working.
The songs themselves twist and turn with impressive dexterity, managing to sound like soundtracks from some underground gothic film (and, incidentally, a Sonata nocturnA track is to be used as the credits music for a 35mm short film directed by guitarist Miguel Mesas), mixing up galloping power metal paces with mournful doom metal melodicism, with the synthesised orchestral elements adding a certain dramatic ambience to proceedings.
It's all good so far then, but such an eclectic mix obviously won't be to everyone's taste. The playing is flawless, the composition impressive, and the music suitably epic and sweeping in its execution. However, unless you're a devotee of the likes of Nightwish, The Gathering, Lacrimosa, classical music or Within Temptation, you may not get much out of this.
7/10
2003 - Rage Of Achilles Records
By Philip Whitehouse
Go to the Rage Of Achilles website.
"Musically, Sonata nocturnA make a personal sound, composing a Heavy Dark Metal, with Doom Metal lines, and orchestral atmospheres. Compositions, lyrics, generate a dark and romantic atmosphere, facing feelings like love and hate".
It's not too often I'll quote a band's own promotional material in a review, but then it's not too often that the promo guff is as accurate (if rather grammatically suspect) as this. This debut MCD from the Spanish quartet consists of impressively atmospheric metal tracks based on classical composition techniques and bringing elements of power metal, doom metal and goth to the table, all bound up with the wonderful, classically-trained quasi-operatic delivery of singer Amparo Garcia. Now, usually I find operatic vocals cheesy and off-putting, but here they fit so perfectly with the music that it's hard to imagine any other vocal style working.
The songs themselves twist and turn with impressive dexterity, managing to sound like soundtracks from some underground gothic film (and, incidentally, a Sonata nocturnA track is to be used as the credits music for a 35mm short film directed by guitarist Miguel Mesas), mixing up galloping power metal paces with mournful doom metal melodicism, with the synthesised orchestral elements adding a certain dramatic ambience to proceedings.
It's all good so far then, but such an eclectic mix obviously won't be to everyone's taste. The playing is flawless, the composition impressive, and the music suitably epic and sweeping in its execution. However, unless you're a devotee of the likes of Nightwish, The Gathering, Lacrimosa, classical music or Within Temptation, you may not get much out of this.
7/10
