Band:	Ebony Ark
Album:	Ebony Ark
Style:	Power metal, Progressive metal
Release date:	May 2004
A review by:	Malcolm

01. Open The Ark (Overture)
02. Night's Cold Symphony
03. Stones In The Way
04. Farewell
05. Dreaming Silence
06. What A Feeling [Irene Cara cover]

This might be interesting for you that follow the Spanish "soap" Dark Moor/Dreamaker, because two of the members in this young and very promising band have something in common with those two bands.
First it's Beatriz Albert, the vocalist, she sang on the B-side on the latest Dark Moor single, "From Hell".
And Jorge Saez, the drummer, he was one of three that left Dark Moor to create DreaMaker. But that's not everything; four of eight members in Spanish Arwen are guest playing here too.

For the historic part I can't tell you anything, since Spanish isn't really my language, but if you understand it, take a look at their homepage and you can read about it yourself.
But the musical part I can tell you more, female fronted Power/Progressive Metal, and it's very enjoyable to listen to, even if the production is a little weak, especially with the vocals, I mean, the beautiful Beatriz got a very good voice, and the production is not always fair against her voice, but hey, it's a demo.

But as mention, Ebony Ark got more experience musicians than many professional bands out there today, and you'll hear that very fast. The music is very well played and Beatriz voice is, as mention, very good and the songs are very well written.
And with guests like the members of Arwen (Jose - guitars, Nacho Ruiz - vocals, Mamen Castaño - vocals & Javier Diez - keyboards), this album is better and more professional than many signed act's releases.

The songs, all six of them, is holding high class. The Power/Progressive Metal Ebony Ark plays don't reminds me that much of the mention bands, of course there are similarities, it's unavoidable, but Beatriz voice are very different from Elisa's and Mamen's, and the music isn't as much regular Power as Dark Moor or DreaMaker either, it got it's own touch.
And with such professional help, for example Nacho's vocals in "Farewell" are brilliant; it's getting even better. And so are also the Irene Cara cover "What a Feeling" that ends the album.

So if you're into Dark Moor, DreaMaker and Arwen, then I'm sure that you'll like Ebony Ark, not because they are copying those mention bands, but because they are playing in the same league.
And I know Ebony Ark is recording their debut album as we speak, a debut that will be self-financed, and I can't wait until I can lay my hands on that.

Check Out: The whole record.