Secrets of the Moon - Black House (2020)

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For those looking for the Black Metal version of Secrets of the Moon, you can move along as there is nothing to see here. However, for those with an open mind, “Black House” continues the band’s evolution into Alternative/Gothic Rock/Metal territories with nine brilliantly catchy songs. While not entirely surprising to all, the band’s sonic evolution is quite interesting and this release shows their skills on a completely different playing field.

The album opens in a Katatonia-esque tone with the sultry “Sanctum” and its ridiculously catchy chorus section. This track oozes melancholy and darkness, while keeping things engaging and dynamic. On “Don’t Look Now” we have interesting vocal arrangements and very dreamy atmospheric keyboards creating a very playful back and forth between different moods. In just the first few songs, the band has set a completely different style for themselves and it works perfectly as tracks like “Veronica’s Room” and “He is Here” deliver very well crafted melodies that are perfectly flanked by unique vocal arrangements and engaging songwriting.

Reminding us of the legendary Decoryah, “Cotar” is one very mellow song that nicely delivers heavy guitar riffs and an epic catharsis. Some of the Crone sound definitely bleeds into this release, mainly because sG’s relentless guitar work and signature vocals. When paired with Michael Zech’s backing vocals, the band creates a very unique dynamic between them and the engaging musical melodies, as we can hear on the superbly alternative “Heart”.

Closing with the fastest track, “Earth Hour”, we are left quite impressed and intoxicated with “Black House”. The band has managed to pull an intense transformation in the last few years and come out very strong and polished in this album. If you are looking for something dynamic, well layered and multi-textured, give a chance to the Secrets of the Moon as they will certainly catch you by surprise.

Band: Secrets of the Moon Album: Black House

Label: Lupus Lounge

Release: May 8th, 2020

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Genre: Gothic Metal/Rock

Country: Germany

Rating: 92/100
Year: 

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