Moonspell - Night Eternal review
| Band: | Moonspell |
| Album: | Night Eternal |
| Style: | Gothic metal |
| Release date: | May 19, 2008 |
| A review by: | Jeff |
Disc I [CD]
01. At Tragic Heights
02. Night Eternal
03. Shadow Sun
04. Scorpion Flower [ft. Anneke Van Giersbergen]
05. Moon In Mercury
06. Hers Is The Twilight
07. Dreamless (Lucifer And Lilith)
08. Spring Of Rage
09. First Light
10. Age Of Mothers [limited edition bonus]
11. Earth Of Mine [limited edition bonus]
12. Unhearted [limited edition bonus]
13. Scorpion Flower [cut][acoustic version][limited edition bonus]
14. Scorpion Flower [cut][limited edition bonus]
Disc II [Live In Wacken Open Air DVD]
01. Finisterra
02. Memento Mori
03. Blood Tells
+ Finisterra [video]
+ Luna [video]
+ Finisterra [making of the video]
Since the album "Memorial", I think that everybody considers that Moonspell is definitely back to the top of the best of the best of the Metal scene. This album is considered as one of the best releases of the combo and since that day everybody was waiting for a great new release. We had the chance to listen to last year the re-edition of old songs through "Under Satanae" but now the time to talk about the new original release of Moonspell is coming. "Night Eternal", the new Moonspell is in my hand and luckily, one more time we will not be disappointed!
If you like "Memorial" I'm quite sure that you'll love "Night Eternal". Like the previous release of the band, "Night Eternal" is a lovely album of violent Gothic music. Fernando Ribeiro still sings with strong Death vocals which are maliciously mixed to fantastic dark melodies and sumptuous orchestrations. The music of "Night Eternal" is simply great, dark but beautiful, violent but touching and some songs like "First Light" are among the best writings of the combo. "Night Eternal" is really epic but with a really disturbing general ambiance. When I listen to this new album I really think that Moonspell is at the best of its art, the nine songs all have some great passages, the performances of the musicians are perfect and I even think that the first fans of the combo will find musical structures which will remind them the beginning of the combo. You'll maybe need some listening to totally fall in love with "Night Eternal" but in the end I'm sure that all the fans of Moonspell will pray the release.
Even if we will probably all agree on the point that "Night Eternal" is a great album, I have to regret though the lack of surprises of the release. I mean that "Night Eternal" simply follows the road of "Memorial". This is definitely not bad thing, "Memorial" is a great album and I will not whine or anything if the following next album is in the same vein but Moonspell was always a surprising and original band in the past (with good like bad tries) and I regret that this time the Portuguese have simply kept the recipe of their last release. Yes, "Night Eternal" is great and is probably one of the best releases of Moonspell but don't expect the little touch with "different things" this time , "Night Eternal" is amazing ok but not so surprising.
To date, "Night Eternal" is probably the deeper album of the Portuguese combo. Its production is fantastic (one more time this is Tue Madsen who was in charge to do it), the orchestrations are amazing, the performance of Anneke Van Giersbergen on "Scorpion Flower" is beautiful and really the epic and theatrical side of the album will give you shivers. "Night Eternal" must be considered as the great successor of "Memorial", you'll maybe not rediscover Moonspell through this CD but you can be sure that you'll listen to one of the most magisterial album of their discography. "Night Eternal" proves one more time that after some deceiving releases, Moonspell is finally back at the top with its last three releases.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 8 |
| Songwriting: | 9 |
| Originality: | 7 |
| Production: | 9 |
Written by Jeff | 02.06.2008
Rating:
5.8
5.8
|
Rating: 5.8 |
Moonspell has really been gaining popularity over the few years and luckily the good way. Memorial was a fine album and explored new borders for Moonspell's musical direction and they even managed to win an MTV award with it! Followed later with a release of their reworked demo which was an nice snack for the wait of their next album. Read more ›› |
Comments
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Comments: 38
Visited by: 447 users
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| Hamird Lieutenant Posts: 2564  |
thanx Jef. it was a great review... i think this album is 10/10... one of the bands which i've listened to all of their works carefully, and i've found this album the best. although there are wolfheart and irreligious and memorial, but this one is the best work of experienced moonspell, and theu are getting better album by album
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| SlaytallicA Lycanthropy Posts: 1261  |
Great great album! I give it a 9 also!
---- One Pound Of Flesh, No More No Less, No Cartilage, No Bones, But Only Flesh...
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| Darkmember Posts: 46  |
10/10 great atmosphere,perfect songs and the artwork of seth is a masterpiece
---- The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents.
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| White Winter Sun Laboratory's Rat Elite Posts: 2198  |
Good review. Definitely one of the best Moonspell album ever released. the orchestrations on it are impressive, giving an emphatic aspect to the album. Moreover, "Night Eternal" is one of the best album from 2008 I have heard so far. I will rate it with something between 9 and 9,5.
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| jupitreas hi-fi / lo-life Staff Posts: 6659  |
Sorry to say this, but this album is really not as good as so many of you seem to think... The band still falls into the traps of indulging in cheesy melancholia, not to mention how often they embrace gothic metal cliches. "Memorial" toned those elements down somewhat but this album has way more of them and it sounds really immature. Average album at best!
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| enumaelis Posts: 266  |
Good one, but definitely not better than Memorial and Irreligious. Those were more fresh, the thing that this one is lacking.
---- http://enumaelis.blogspot.com/
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| Janne Hugin Posts: 1721  |
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| Hamird Lieutenant Posts: 2564 |
Written by [user id=19714] on 03.06.2008 at 00:31 They didn't changed the way since Memorial was so successful and i think they won't change the way until people get bored  ... Night Eternal was the best track of the album... really extreme it was as a gothic band.
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| BloodTears ANA-thema Elite Posts: 11835  |
Ribeiro said in an interview that Moonspell have found their sound and so its natural for them what they are doing. I would have to agree with him and I find this album so good that I'm even buying the original. I think Memorial is better, there's no question but making this album after Memorial was very clever in my perspective.
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| Katatronik Angel of Lust Posts: 1018  |
I love this album, though I think Irreligious is better... Anyway, the first 4 songs are masterpieces IMO... Great album!
---- "The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown." Howard Phillips Lovecraft
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| owl Posts: 286  |
Great review for a great album. I foresee an interesting evolution for this work... It's already #3 in portuguese charts. In a country like this, with the musical tastes portuguese masses usually have, that was a BIG deal, believe me.
---- 
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| Deadsoulman Elite Posts: 8004  |
Excellent album, much better than the already very good Memorial. I'm thinking they've really made a huge step forward on this album, as far as the songwriting is concerned. There's some of their best material ever on this release ("At Tragic Heights", "Shadow Sun", "First Light") and unlike on Memorial, I have yet to find a filler song. Great stuff 
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| BloodTears ANA-thema Elite Posts: 11835 |
Written by owl on 03.06.2008 at 13:46 Yes, it was actually very surprising to see that happening. They even play in tv shows now, like Top +. I mean, its huge for them because metal never sells here. But I'm happy for them, its finally happening and Night Eternal is one hell of an album. They certainly aren't playing for the masses here.
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| Unconsecrated Perpetual Ascent Posts: 868  |
I couldn't agree more with the review  The only difference is that i give this album a 10.
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| Hamird Lieutenant Posts: 2564 |
Written by BloodTears on 03.06.2008 at 16:35 Good to here this new... i'm so happy that see they are in a good era now.. Moonspell was the first Metal band which i've listened to.. and since then, i've seen them so hardworking and they always do their best to release albums.... and they've been in many genres like folk, doom, black, acoustic and gothic metal, and now they've found their way and getting better album by album. They are smart, good lyrics, good composing and good performing have made them the best Gothic metal band right now...
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| BloodTears ANA-thema Elite Posts: 11835 |
Written by Hamird on 03.06.2008 at 23:48 Yes a lot of people don't give it too much thought but Fernando is a writer, I mean, he published some books by now and its in his blood. I think that is one of the things that makes Moonspell so much better. He is an asset to the band. Of course musically they are still very creative and that makes all the difference.
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| f@llen_am_I Account deleted |
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| dancingdecember Posts: 264  |
well reviewer said it like we all signed a paper where it said "memorial is the best of moonspell" i didn't like memorial and what i understand from this review is i'm not gonna like this one either i think(unfortunately).i'll give it a try of course. antidote was their great comeback for me and then they disappeared again(for me of course).still,cant believe people are comparing these to wolfheart and irreligious.
---- i'm super, thanks for asking
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| Passenger Lost To Apathy Posts: 1464  |
One of the top3 albums of 2008 so far (along with Opeth and Draconian). A really powerful release, from an unique band. By the way, it may be a bit close to Memorial, but it's still Gothic Metal done like no else has the guts to do anymore. That said, to give Night Eternal a 7 on originality, I think, is untrue.
---- You don't make up for your sins in church. You do it in the streets. You do it at home. The rest is bullshit and you know it ~ Mean Streets
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| semmellitis Posts: 6 |
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| VPeter Posts: 1450  |
Written by jupitreas on 02.06.2008 at 21:40 Kind of agree with you, still I rate it a bit higher then average. the keyboards sound sometimes really corny.
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| Memento Mori Mr. Nobody Posts: 56  |
This album is very cool and i rate it 11/10  . i know they have changed, so good change but i don't like Memorial. Memorial is very usually music. not bad, not good i rate it 6. maybe this album for one of new bands i rate it 9
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| omjaimes omjaimes Posts: 99  |
this gothic metal is much more aggressive to the one that are making usually, it refreshes the sounds a little, this album doesn't have those clichés, it is not very synthetic, that is very good; although it is not the gothic type that I usually hear I give it a 9, it was necessary that aggressive sound that remembers that the Gothic metal also came from the death metal
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| Tiago Rocha Dark Lighthouse Posts: 89  |
is it just me or that 2nd track also shivered you out da hell of your soul man?? unbelievable...
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| Elio Red Nightmare Posts: 4920  |
this is the first album I listened by them and was impressed...very good album...and the first song is a masterpiece  my vote: 8.5/10
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| BloodTears ANA-thema Elite Posts: 11835 |
Written by Tiago Rocha on 08.08.2008 at 13:04 It's inhuman really, so I wonder if it was a machine who made that 
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| Elio Red Nightmare Posts: 4920 |
Written by BloodTears on 09.08.2008 at 18:10 a machine couldn't know how to make us shiver its something for genius!
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| BloodTears ANA-thema Elite Posts: 11835 |
Written by Elio on 09.08.2008 at 18:33 Machines help it, you have to agree.
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