Moonspell – Extinct (2015)

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Portugal’s greatest extreme music export Moonspell returns this 2015 with yet another very solid release that is quite diverse and engaging. Never compromising, “Extinct” shows yet another face of this outfit and delivers ten tracks of catchy Gothic/Dark Metal that is always perfectly led by Fernando Ribeiro’s extremely characteristic vocals. In a release that is sure to catch a few people off-guard, the band comes out triumphantly with a fresh an entertaining 45 minutes of music.

Opening with the perfectly arranged “Breath (Until We Are No More)”, the band introduces some very dramatic middle-eastern influenced orchestrations and creates a very unique atmosphere in this opening track. As we progress to “Extinct” and “Medusalem”, we notice that there is a heavier emphasis on the orchestral/classical arrangements and that while the guitars are heavy, they mostly complement a very Gothic/Dark Metal structure to things. A particular thing to note is the killer solo in “Medusalem” that is nicely wrapped in other arrangements making them sound a bit like Orphaned Land for a moment.

The vocals are quite catchy and on tracks like “The Last of Us”, “Maligna” and “Domina”, they greatly exploit the crafty arrangements that make these songs quite melancholic and diverse. There are some heavier moments thrown in the mix, but we are more intrigued by some Dark Wave elements that appear here and there in this album, like on “Funeral Bloom”, giving the music and extra element of surprise. A personal favorite of this release is the hypnotic “A Dying Breed” and its sexy bass guitar line.

Nearing to its end, the band saved some of the most interesting songs for last. “The Future is Dark” paints a very bleak soundscape with spacey guitars and very dramatic arrangements. We particularly enjoyed this some more and more as it drew to its conclusion, so keep an eye out for this one. Taking their experimentation even further, “La Baphomette” is a brilliant Jazzy piece that transports you to old days France with its unique atmosphere.

Over the years Moonspell has never focused on doing what the scene expects from them and while they have been burned in the past (“The Butterfly Effect” cough, cough….) they are still a band that pushes the envelope and delivers quite unique releases. With “Extinct” they have managed to do just that and they have 10 songs to prove how many different things they can incorporate to their unique style. If you like the darker and more ‘Gothic’ side of Moonspell, this release will definitely appeal to all your senses.

Band: Moonspell Album: Extinct

Label: Napalm Records

Release: March 6th, 2015 (Europe) / March 17th, 2015 (North America)

Official Site Social Media

Genre: Gothic/Dark Metal

Country: Portugal

Rating: 90/100
Year: 

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