Band:	Armenia
Album:	Lopsided Moon
Style:	Gothic metal, Symphonic metal
Release date:	February 28, 2015
A review by:	Susan

01. My Own Self
02. Lidwina
03. Vapour
04. Broken Chords
05. Grounded By My Feet
06. Lopsided Moon

The term "lopsided moon" is sometimes applied to our moon in that it is not perfectly spherical and may have absorbed a second moon long ago during a slow collision. A higher-speed collision would have likely formed a crater, while a slower collision could easily have fused two bodies together in an asymmetrical fashion. The side of the moon which is constantly Earth-facing appears round and spherical, potentially due to the Earth shielding that side of the moon from celestial debris and further impacts.

Despite the scientific theories, "Lopsided Moon" is still a very whimsical term for my aesthetic and brings out the sweetness of this highly symphonic debut of metal music. The word "sweet" keeps coming to mind, though not "simple." The rich and sweeping orchestral arrangements dramatically bring the music to life and support the heaviness. Bandleader Armenia Sarkissian has a nice, sweet voice; her warm mezzo-soprano will easily appeal to ardent fans of the genre.

Sarkissian describes her music as "Symphonic/Gothic Metal meets Armenian liturgical motifs." This talented lady wrote the music and lyrics for Lopsided Moon, as well as created the orchestral arrangements alongside co-conspirator Spencer Creaghan, who also plays bass, guitar, and programmed the drums. The programmed orchestra is fantastic; I'd love to hear what they could do with a live symphony, as they already have a live choir bringing added depth to this musical painting.

Though beautiful, Lopsided Moon is not without flaws. Semi-ballad "Grounded By My Feet" feels a bit Disney during the first half before the music picks up and redeems the song. Sometimes the vocals are overly prominent in the mix, which unfortunately brings an intermittent karaoke vibe to otherwise lovely songs. The flaws are there for this new group, but they're often masked by everything else that's done right. With fewer and fewer people making quality symphonic metal, I do hope Armenia and friends stay in the game and continue to grow in their songwriting and performance. This is a very solid introduction from an artist I hope to meet again and again.

Catchy tunes and high drama equal replay value. Listen and buy at bandcamp.