Band:	Moonspell
Album:	Memorial
Style:	Symphonic black metal, Gothic metal
Release date:	April 21, 2006
Guest review by:	Passenger

Disc I [CD]
01. In Memoriam
02. Finisterra
03. Memento Mori
04. Sons Of Earth
05. Blood Tells
06. Upon The Blood Of Men
07. At The Image Of Pain
08. Sanguine
09. Proliferation
10. Once It Was Ours!
11. Mare Nostrum
12. Luna
13. Best Forgotten
14. Atlantic [Special Luxury Digipak bonus]
15. Phantom North [Portuguese bonus]

Disc II [DVD]
01. Memento Mori [Live at CC Estúdio 2]
02. Blood Tells [Live at CC Estúdio 2]
03. Best Forgotten [Live at CC Estúdio 2]
04. In Memoriam [Live at Vilar de Mouros Festival]
05. Finisterra [Live at Vilar de Mouros Festival]
06. Memento Mori [Live at Vilar de Mouros Festival]
07. Blood Tells [Live at Vilar de Mouros Festival]
08. Proliferation [Live at Vilar de Mouros Festival]
09. Upon The Blood Of Men [Live at Vilar de Mouros Festival]
+ Finisterra [video]
+ Luna [video]
+ Making Of Finisterra [video]

I can't help starting this review by stating how disappointing 2006 has been so far for me. I've been trying, I've been trying to find some really great new albums and bands but, I don't know, maybe I've just listened to so much Metal in my life that it just doesn't surprised me as much as it used to. That or maybe there really hasn't been released any truly impressive album since January.

Whatever the reason is I try not to think about this when I get a new album on my hands, otherwise how could I even be able to try to enjoy anything new if I didn't chose this attitude? I wouldn't. In Flames, Lacuna Coil, Sadus, Ajattara, Katatonia, Norther, so many good and different bands that I already had the pleasure to see coming back to action recently, some successfully in my eyes, other not so much, but still, no return did I awaited more then Moonspell's.

This brings us (to) "Memorial." What to expect? "The Antidote" was great, should I put my hopes too high? Or should I do the contrary in case they try to "play" with us and not play safe? "Oh well, I know that is going to happen anyway and they normally manage to do a good job," I thought. And, luckily, I was right. In fact, I was so right that I couldn't believe what I was hearing when I first pushed play. "Memorial" is not just Gothic, it's not just Black, it's not just Doom, it's not just Death, it's one of the most amazing blends of those four styles my ears have ever heard.

This band had already explored all of them (even if only shortly in some cases) so now they serve us with everything put together in a monumental exercise of originality. Immediately I understood that this was going to be Moonspell's heaviest, darkest and coldest album so far, an evil atmosphere followed me right from the beginning as I went on into the depths of this that is Moonspell closer to the demo era, "Under The Moonspell" and "Wolfheart" as they had never been before.

While in "The Antidote" most songs had a more or less well defined structure, in "Memorial" there's a bit more variation to what song writing is concerned. There are occasional deviations, some instrumental songs and a song that lasts for more then 14 minutes ("Best Forgotten," most of it is just background noise, but so haunting that I can't stop listening, I always go through the entire 14 minutes), but there's also that sense of continuity and cohesion that was one of the best points about the previous work. The songs are generally not the catchiest this band has made, but the epic feeling and the melodic arrangements and keyboards make them extremely addicting and pleasant, even in some really heavy moments.

And what else will you hear in those heavier moments? Fernando Ribeiro growling. Never has he used this technique as much or as well as in "Memorial." I like his clean voice; in fact I think any frontman of a Gothic band would sell his soul to sound as melancholic and dark as him. He still sings sometimes, but his growls here are infernal, it adds up even more to the intensity of the songs, just listen to "Finisterra" (amazing, above the Black Metal influenced riffage) or "Upon The Blood Of Men" especially in the (perfect) chorus, it was definitely a good decision to use them more often. This time, again, there's a gift for fans of female vocals in Moonspell's songs in "Luna," a really sad and slow(er) song, I bet this one is going to be considered one of the highlights.

The other members have great performances too; Pedro Paixão fills the music with interesting details, the drums are at least as great and loud as in "The Antidote" and I'm going to take a guess and say this is the Moonspell album with more riffs. It's a shame how solos have been disappearing in Gothic Metal, but here you'll find several and all very well executed ones, too. On top of this there's also the extremely professional production, crystal clear sound.

Like I said, some connections with "Wolfheart" can be made, even lyrically (a department in which Fernando Ribeiro never disappoints by the way, and this is no exception, no one writes better lyrics, but here I'm just stating my own personal opinion). However, like every other Moonspell album, "Memorial" has its own identity, and that fact alone would make this a worthy listen.

Yet, "Memorial" is close to perfection. First time I was listening to it I wasn't even in the middle of the album, and I was already blown away by its immense power and versatility and thinking about giving it more than a 9. I couldn't help it, Moonspell is just that good. In such a long career that counts with more than one album critically acclaimed and generally accepted as a masterpiece, to come up to their 7th work and still have the passion, strength and mind to make such amazing albums is an absolute proof of musical geniality. Suddenly 2006 acquired a whole new meaning...