Metal Overview: Moonspell (Part 3)

Happy Halloween fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

I’ve had a lot of fun looking at Moonspell over this entire month. From their inaugural releases in the 90s at the beginning of October, to their time in the 2000s, it’s been an interesting ride. Now, we come to their releases of the 2010s. Equal part nostalgic yet original, the three albums that came out this decade are some of the best chunks of music they’ve ever made, so let’s take a look at them shall we?

Alpha Noir/Omega White (2012)

With the dawn of the 2010s, Moonspell were riding pretty damn high. 2 years prior they cranked out the incredible Night Eternal, and in December of 2011 they signed a new deal with Napalm Records (For their last 2 albums, they were with Steamhammer Records). As Fernando Ribeiro said in his statement about the deal:

“Signing with Napalm is a firm step into cutting all bullshit and work with people who truly believe in us and respect our longevity, while helping us to embrace those who have been arriving in the last years to start with us yet another kingdom of darkness under the moon. Our new album is a statement. Our blood is the ink. Your skin, the scrolls upon we will write. Napalm Records, our messenger. Be ready.”

From there it was only a short matter of time before their first release under Napalm Records would reveal itself, and just a few months later it did. Released on April the 27th in 2012, Alpha Noir/Omega White was released, and it was quite the album. The first ever double album release in their career, both CD have their own unique flavor. Alpha Noir was inspired & influenced by bands such as Bathory, King Diamond, Onslaught, early Metallica, Testament, and Artillery, while Omega White was an ohmage to gothic greats like Type O Negative and The Sisters of Mercy, not to mention their 2nd album Irreligious. The end result is the most ambitious release in Moonspell’s career, and one of the most artistically creative as well.

Best Track? On Alpha Noir, I gotta give credit to Opera Carne. Now this might sound juvenile, but this song just screams the words “Blood Orgy”. Fernando Ribeiro is at his most lustful, his most angry, and perhaps his most violent when it comes to the vocals. The rest of the band matches suit, and has instrumentation that matches up with the singing. It’s a great track on the blacker of the 2 CDS, but perhaps it’ll warm you up for some bloody fun.

Opera Carne

But on Omega White, I gotta give it to the memorial to one of the most iconic Gothic Metal singers in the form of New Tears Eve. This album is particularly significant when you consider the fact that Type-O Negative & legendary frontman Peter Steele were a huge influence for Fernando Ribeiro and Moonspell in general....and that this album came out just over 2 years after Pete’s tragic death in 2010. You can tell that Pete meant a lot to Fernando, as his voices seems incredibly mournful.....like he just lost a close friend. The band pretty much feels the same way, as the band plays like Type-O Negative. In fact, New Tears Eve sounds & feels like a lost Type-O Negative track, which is definitely an impressive feat! It’s a song that’s equal parts badass and emotional, & it’s one you shouldn’t miss.

New Tears Eve

Worst Track? I only have one gripe, but it’s actually rather silly, and that’s the fact that there are some days where I don’t know which side to listen to! Do I want a darker atmosphere and go for Alpha Noir, or do I want a more atmospheric & introspective feel and play Omega White? It’s really tough sometimes, but when an album is this good, it’s not always a bad thing.

Alpha Noir/Omega White. Definitely the most ambitious record Moonspell has made, it’s dual nature really gives it a uniqueness unlike almost any else in the band’s discography. If you have some time, sit down & listen to this. You won’t regret it. Next album!

Extinct (2015)

With an ambitious record behind them, Moonspell decided to go back to their tied & true, and with their new record company behind them, they had the means to create something wicked, and what we got was Extinct. Released on the 6th of March, 2015, the album was something of a return to the band’s patented mix of Gothic, Death, and Black Metal. I’m a little conflicted with this, but I’ll get to that in a bit. Suffice it to say, Extinct is actually a lot of fun: if you weren’t fond of the monolith that was Alpha Noir/Omega White, you’ll appreciate the return to basics with this release.

Best Track? The Last Of Us was the first single released to the public (First aired on Portugese radio if I remember right), and by god was it the right one! As with so much of Moonspell’s music, Fernando Ribeiro just oozes gothic wit & sensuality as he sings, and on this particular song it’s especially noticeable. Coming across like an ode to the last man & woman on Earth, everybody in the band is pushing for a heavy yet sexy atmosphere, and they succeed.

The Last Of Us

Worst Track? While the whole album is full of great music, Extinct doesn’t exactly bring anything new to the table. Their prior release was 2 slabs of distinct Gothic Metal, while this record comes across as a little too safe. It doesn’t make it bad by any means, but it also doesn’t give it any character other than what previous releases had.

Extinct. Nothing exciting or new, but nothing bad & is still a bit of fun. It’s not high on my list of recommended Moonspell records, but it’s not one you should avoid either. Next album!

1755 (2017)

“Todos Os Santos Não Chegaram/Faz Dia Em Portugal!”

Those were some of the first words I heard when the first single was released, and from that point on I was hooked. Release on November the 3 of last year, Moonspell’s 1755 marks the band’s first ever concept album. An ode to their home country of Portugal, the record also tells the story of the incredible & horrific 1755 Lisbon earthquake, which brought untold devastation onto the Portugese people & beyond. 1755 is something of a special album to me, as it was the first Moonspell album I ever got (It was given to me by my friend Isabelle as an early Christmas gift last year). Though I had been enchanted for a little over 4 years by the time I got it, something about 1755 got me even more hooked. The folk-like form of story telling, mixed with the band’s patented mix of Gothic, Death, and Black Metal, not to mention the usage of orchestral elements, creates something really special that really sinks it’s hooks into you.

Best Track? Bit of a tie between Todos Os Santos & Evento. The first mentioned song was the track that had the lyrics I put up above, while the later takes place more towards the middle of 1755. Both are incredibly great tracks with good energy & pacing, great vocals, fantastic instrumentation, and so on. Evento does have one thing over the other song, and that’s a portion towards the end with soft guitars & drums, and vocal work that’s more of sinister whispering. Apart from that, these two tunes are 2 peas in a Gothic Metal pod, and you shouldn’t avoid them.

Todos Os Santos (All Saints)

Evento (Event)

Worst Track? Really the language barrier is the only fault of 1755, but that only applies to people who don’t know Portugese. In addition to singing about their home country & some of it’s history, the band also decided to use their native language as well when telling the story. They had used Portugese before on a few songs, but this marked the first time they used it on an entire record. On the one hand this is actually cool, as it lends the album some cultural authenticity. On the other hand anybody from my neck of the woods (Or any other country that doesn’t primarily speak Portugese) wouldn’t be out of luck trying to make sense. I’m not offended by any means, but maybe an English version release a little later down the line might be neat (Kinda like the Swedish & English version of Carolus Rex from Sabaton).

1755. Has a bit of a language barrier to climb over, but once you do you’re in for one of the richest musical experiences of your life. Highly recommended, especially if you’re looking for something a little more exotic.

And thus concludes my month long look at Moonspell. While these guys are in my “Honorable Mentions” section of my top 10 bands list, at the same time they are one of the strongest Gothic Metal bands out there, and are perfect counterparts to equal legends Paradise Lost & Type-O Negative. If those previous bands don’t attract your attention, these fellows might. Tomorrow marks the first of November, and as we transition towards the end of the year, I think one more musical festival is in order. So see you all tomorrow, when we’ll celebrate Alcatrazz Month. Take care!

***
If you’re curious about listening to these albums, check out the links below:

Alpha Noir/Omega White

Extinct

1755

Also, if you didn’t get a chance to check out part 1 & 2, take a look below:

Metal Overview: Moonspell (Part 1)

Metal Overview: Moonspell (Part 2)

Album Review: Devin Townsend's Infinity

I almost forgot about this fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

Today’s review was hinted at all the way back in 2015. Well, not exactly hinted at. More like alluded to. Though I had missed the exact day, this month marks the 20th anniversary of Devin Townsend’s last 90s release, Infinity (October 21st is when it came out). Quite possibly the most artistic of his 90s output, it came out at a time where HevyDevy overcame personal issues, and really embraced his inner mad Canadian artist. Infinity is the album that planted the seeds of curiosity in me before things bloomed a few records down the line (See my Epicloud review here for details), so let’s not waste anymore time shall we? This is my review for Devin Townsend’s 1998 classic, Infinity. Let’s begin!

Background
Taken from HevyDevy’s website:

“I remember once I had finished Ocean Machine and City, the idea of duality became a big thing for me. I began to find myself fascinated by the concepts of ‘this and that’ and ‘yin and yang’ (or whatever metaphors supported that idea). I realized that the things that were motivating me were (in hindsight) a relatively common ‘coming-of-age’ type of artistic view. I found myself engaging in drugs and relationships that were unhealthy, yet playing into the whole metaphoric nature of that period to the point where my whole world resonated with a very deluded sense of self importance that ultimately had much invested in the music itself. I felt a very arrogantly gratifying sense of martyrdom in ‘sleeping on the studio floor’, feeling ‘persecuted’, and ultimately winding myself up to believe that what I was doing was of some sort of great significance. At the time it was very romantic, but in hindsight, it was very obviously engagement in chemicals and drugs that I was unfamiliar with. These experiences threw me into a psychological tailspin that resulted in a chaotic, dense, (at times glorious), but mostly very confused statement. It was done on ADAT in my friends basement, and the recording was unfortunately a self-imposed hellish mess. Again, hindsight is 20/20 and currently it’s much easier to recognize what is legitimate drama from artistic gratification. At the time, I believed it was the last record I would ever make. Strangely, I feel that about most records I’ve done. Ultimately, Infinity is one of the most important records I feel I’ve been involved with, and it was a rewarding time for my process.”

Basic Description
A mess. A beautiful, glorious, odd, artistic, mind-altering, Canadian mess.

That’s not exactly an insult. I kind of alluded to this in my review for the EP of this album (Which you can read here), and I still stand by it today. It’s definitely disorganized, but I’ll get into that later. At the same time, Devin really gave it his all with Infinity. Some artists create dark masterpieces when dealing with advertising, but with HevyDevy he creates really unique music when going through adversity. In this case, it was coming out of a mental hospital after discovering he had Bipolar Disorder, and during his time there, him & his doctor’s came to the conclusion that his disorder is what led to his music being so unique. Devin grabbed his disorder by the balls, harnessed it’s power, and released the album you see before you.

Best Track
Also like I hinted in the EP review, Christeen is the best track of Infinity. Compared to virtually everything else, this is the most normal sounding thing on the album. There’s a little keyboarding used in the song, but everything else in the song is pure guitar & drums. Devin’s vocal work is actually the most versatile thing on Christeen: he knows when to go high & never lose clarity, he knows when to stay low but not at a whisper, and it’s seamless all around.

Christeen

The 2nd best track on Infinity has to go to the weirdly titled track Noisy Pink Bubbles. The concluding song to the base version of Infinity, it also is the only other track to have some aspect of normality to it. Not quite as much as Christeen however, as Devin definitely goes in a more weirder direction. There’s an odder style of guitarwork, the drumming seems disjointed at times, there’s keyboarding that just feels weird and HevyDevy’s singing gets loud, but it feels soft at the same time. Despite this weirdness, it somehow comes out normal, and never truly delves into the oddness of the rest of the album (More on that in a moment). A strange way to conclude Infinity, but an oddly fitting way at the same time.

Noisy Pink Bubbles

Worst Track
Ants is the only song on Infinity I’m not fond of. To give Devin credit, he really does manage to create the activity of an ant-hive & it’s denizens with frightening accuracy, and I actually commend him for that. At the same time, I consider this the most infuriating thing he’s ever made. Despite it playing for just 2 minutes, it felt like it went on for longer than that, and overall just came across as incredibly obnoxious. If there was 1 track on Infinity that is skippable, it would be this one.

Ants

Apart from that, the only other fault with Infinity is just how messy the album feels. Not sounds mind you, as everything apart from the previously mentioned song sound fantastic. All of the songs transition into one another with ease, but at the same time the tracks don’t come across like a cohesive whole. For a guy that had things clicked in his head while inside a mental hospital, this complete set of music seems like the exact opposite. The entirety of Infinity comes across like a man slipping further into a damaged mind, rather than a ascension into health.
                                   
Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, check out the link below:

Infinity

Overall Impression & Rating
Infinity is an album that’s all sorts of things. High, low, deep, silly, philosophical, stupid, you name it. It’s also one of the strongest releases of Heavy Metal in the 90s, and is yet another feather in Devin Townsend’s impressive plumage. It’s downright bizarre, but it’s also incredibly artistic while being quite metal at the same time. If you didn’t listen to anything else from HevyDevy’s 90s library, this is the one you can’t skip.

Infinity gets a 9 out of 10. It’s gets a 10 out of 10 on some days, but only when I manage to focus.

And that was a look at HevyDevy’s concluding album of the 90s, Infinity. Again, it’s a confusing mess of an album, but the craftsmanship behind it turns it into an artistically weird whole that’s pleasing to listen to. With that out of the way, there’s still a few days before All Hallows Eve. Seen you all then!

Anime Review: Ground Defense Force - Mao-Chan

Hello fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

I honestly had no idea what to put up this week. Listening to & putting down my thoughts on Moonspell’s discography took up a lot of time, and doing my second list on the top 5 chests for breast cancer awareness was a little tricky (Not that I mind.....teeheehee). So I was searching through my anime collection for something to cover this month, and I don’t know what it was, but I found a little cutesy series that seemed like it would be great to cover, and would work as a great counterpart to how Gothic everything has been this month. So hope onto your toy combat vehicle, steel yourself against the cute things of the world, and enjoy my review for Ground Defense Force: Mao Chan. Defense!

Story/Setup
Taken from MyAnimeList:

“Mao Onigawara is a happy 8-year-old grade-schooler and the granddaughter of Chief of Staff of Ground Defense Force. Equipped with her cloverleaf-shaped badge which enables her to transform (but gives her no special power whatsoever), Mao and her best friends (granddaughters of Chief of Staff of Air and Marine Defense Force, respectively) will defend Japan against the invasion from "cute aliens," who are way too cute to be dealt with by regular armed forces.”

That’s really the jist of Mao Chan. Cuteness is fought with cuteness in order to keep Japan & it’s landmarks safe from being taken by aliens. Along the way there’s a strengthening of friendship between the girls, and tons of silly hijinks. It’s incredibly simplistic, and really easy to get into. At the same time it’s not a very deep story, and anyone watching it thinking there’s some deep message or philosophical debate will be exceedingly disappointed.

Animation
If you’re watching this show for the first time, and you’re probably thinking “Hey, this looks a lot like Love Hina!”. You’d actually be quite right, as Ken Akamatsu was the creator of the original manga series, and had a hand in working on the anime as well. Putting Love Hina & this show side by side, you’d kind of have a hard time telling which is which as far as the animation is concerned. The only difference between the two is that Mao Chan is considerably more colorful than the more realistic Love Hina. Mao Chan opts for considerably lighter colors & lighting, and there’s an overall happier feeling to everything.

Voice Acting
The voice acting of Ground Defense Force: Mao Chan is pretty damn solid. Whereas a small few of the voices in Love Hina might be grating, everybody in this show is nothing to turn your nose to. Sandy Fox is just perfect for the adorable Mao Chan, who’s kindness & warm spirit shines through every time she speaks. Julie Maddalena gives the cool Sylvia a surfer vibe with her voice acting, and Michael McConnohie is equal parts serious & silly in his role as Mao’s Grandfather. Even side & smaller characters have good voice work, and there’s not a bad egg in site.

Characters
Much like the story, the characters of Ground Defense Force: Mao Chan are incredibly simplistic. There’s never any grand personality change with these characters, no illumination of the mind, no grand philosophical debate, etc. The world of this anime is absurd, silly, and cute, so in turn the cast has to match with it. The main girls each take a form of cute, and run with it. Mao is the sickeningly sweet kind of cute, Misora (the Air Defense Force member) is the kind & proper style of cute, and Sylvia is the laid back/cool kind of cute. Their respective grandfathers try & act all tough and serious, but in the end are bumbling goofs who none the less care very deeply for their grandkids & their country. This kind of stuff goes on with everybody in the show, and even the bad guys really aren’t all that bad.

Funny Story: There’s 1 episode where the girls & their grandfathers (Along with their commander) happen to go to the hot springs where Love Hina takes place. Not only that, but Naru happens to be their hostess while they’re there. There’s further irony when you see that the commander for the girls looks incredibly similar to Naru, and has the exact same voice actor (Dorothy Ann Elias-Fahn).

Availability & Pricing
Much like the Love Hina OVAs, Mao Chan was a Geneon/Pioneer release, and like those OVAs, Funimation never picked it up for a re-release. Complicating things was the fact that it was never bundled into one packing, as it opted for individual volume releases instead. I originally bought it all on Amazon back in 2014, and the pricing for copies were actually pretty incredible. The first 3 volumes were only a little over a dollar, and they were brand new copies. The final volume was also new, but that one was closer to 20 dollars ($18.99 to be specific). Copies nowadays are incredibly rare on Amazon, but they’re generally cheap for the most part.

Overall Impression & Rating
Ground Defense Force: Mao Chan is cuteness to the highest degree. It doesn’t try to be anything grand & epic, nor is it trying to push some grand message. At the end of the day, it is just a cute & happy little show who’s only goal is to bring a smile to your face. It might be difficult to find nowadays, but if you can actually get your hands on it......prepare to feel the rainbow!

Ground Defense Force: Mao Chan gets a 9 out of 10.

So that was my review for Ground Defense Force: Mao-Chan. One of the most diabetes-inducingly cute shows ever made, it’s certainly going to warm your heart if you let it. With that said, it’s only a few days left until Halloween night, so I’ll see you then for the conclusion to Moonspell month. Until then, keep up that defense!

Metal Overview: Moonspell (Part 2)

Welcome back to Moonspell Month fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

At the very beginning of this month, we took a look at the band’s time in the 90s. Though it slipped up a little bit by the very end, everything else in that decade was fantastic, and showed the world that Moonspell was definitely deserving to sit at the table of the Gothic Metal greats. Would they be able to carry over this quality into the 2000s? Let’s not waste anymore time, and find out just what the group had to offer.

Darkness & Hope (2001)

With the dawn of the new millennium came a new age for Moonspell. The managed to make a name for themselves in the 90s, and despite a little hiccup towards the end they showed the world that they could hang with the big boys of Gothic Metal. Not wanting to start off on the wrong foot, they discarded much of their experimentation from the previous 2 records, and the result of this discarding was Darkness & Hope. Released on August the 27th, 2001, Darkness & Hope was a return to the full-blooded Gothic Metal forefront, with nary a hint of experimenting in any way. Reception for the album was a little mixed, with fans either liking it or not. I’m definitely a fan, but I have issues with it that I’ll talk about below.

Best Track? Kinda hard to say, but in the end I really liked Rapaces. Located a little bit after the midpoint of the album, it’s something of an oddball track. Though there is some screaming at certain points, it never turns into screeching in any way. The rest of the time we hear Fernando Ribeiro at the low but commanding softer end of the volume scale, and it’s perfect. The instrumentation is an even mix between heavy & soft, and we get a little bit of keyboarding thrown in to spice things up. Definitely the highlight of the album.

Rapaces

Worst Track? The lack of experimentation is the only bad thing I can say about Darkness & Hope. While it was getting overwhelming when it got to The Butterfly Effect, I found it cool that the band was trying new things with their music. A little bit of the keyboard they were using does manage to stay around in some songs, but the Industrial aspect that they were tapping into is effectively gone. For those that didn’t like that experimentation I can see you being glad about it, but as a fan of Industrial Metal, it’s a missed opportunity.

Darkness & Hope. Not bad by any stretch of the imagination, but I can’t put my finger on why I don’t like this as much as all of the prior Moonspell releases (Including The Butterfly Effect). Recommended, but not recommended as much as everything that came before it. Next album!

The Antidote (2003)

Though Darkness & Hope was a fine start to the new millennium, it had some softer parts that may have irked a few fans, but just 2 short years later those irked fans wouldn’t be so upset anymore. Released on September the 29th, 2003, The Antidote saw Moonspell return to a heavier form than before, yet it still had some uniqueness to it that was seen previously on their prior release. Niclas Etelävuori from Amorphis was a session musician on the bass guitar during the recording for the Antidote, so there’s a hint of that band’s style on the record. The Antidote was also unique in another way because it was released with a (limited) book named O Antídoto (The Antidote, in Portuguese) by José Luís Peixoto. They both share a single concept and the same story, as each song on the CD is sister to a chapter in the book that enhances the story in the lyrics. The CD contains the book in electronic format, so if the book is lost you have a backup.

Best Track? This was a bit harder than the best track on Darkness & Hope, but I kinda liked Capricorn At Her Feet. There’s a little bit of a Blues vibe going on, as Fernando Ribeiro keeps his voice at the low end of the spectrum for the most part, and some guitar portions have a hint of twang to them. It never forgets the metal, as the rest of the song is nice & heavy. If there’s a track to not avoid on this album, it’s this one.

Capricorn At Her Feet

Worst Track? While the band pretty much stay away from experimenting again, when they do decide to go that way it seems completely at random. One moment it’s delicious Gothic Metal, and they next minute some keyboarding will pop up out of nowhere. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I wish the experimental parts were more deliberate than random.

The Antidote. Fundamentally the same as their previous release, but I’m finding myself having to chew down harder with this record. Not a bad release & definitely recommended, but a little less than Darkness & Hope in both cases. Next album!

Memorial (2006)

As the 2000s went on, Moonspell seemed to be going further & further away from the experimenting of the late 90s & early 2000s, and decided to return to their Gothic roots as a way to anchor themselves so as not to stray anywhere. Boy was I surprised when I decided to give Memorial a go! Released on April the 24th, 2006, Memorial finds the back once again back in the experimental seat. Not only were they experimenting a little bit with Industrial, Orchestral parts & even some Operating vocal work can be found on this album. It was perhaps this experimentation that managed to get the album Gold On January 16, 2007, by the Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa for selling 10,000 copies in their native Portugal. I’m happy for the band, and I have to admit I’m kind of fond of how & what they experimented on this album.....despite my issues.

Best Track? Bit of a tough one to decide on this time around. Memorial is a pretty intense album, and with the experimentation coming back in force, makes things just a little overwhelming. Ultimately, I think Upon The Blood Of Men is a good song. Moonspell really seems to be conjuring the wrath of God in this track, as the atmosphere comes across as incredibly apocalyptic. Outside of one part, Fernando Ribeiro keeps his voice at the high end of the volume spectrum, and the rest of the band does the same. Definitely the highlight of Memorial, and it’s one you shouldn’t ignore.

Upon The Blood Of Men

Worst Track? To be honest, I genuinely think this is a more conflicting that bad/worst, and it’s the experimentation. Despite staying firm in the realm of Gothic Metal, Moonspell decided to bring back Industrial elements to spice up their music, and for the most part I actually enjoy this alongside the symphonic & operatic parts. The big problem is that the experimenting seems out of place for a bad that’s trying to walk away from that part of their career. Whether it’s a case of old habits die hard, or maybe it actually helps them, I’m not sure. Maybe it’s a case of my ego coming through on this. That’s always possible.

Memorial. A big improvement over their last two album, but for some reason this is the hardest album to get into, simply because the experimentation seems out of control in a sense. Highly recommended over their last two releases, yet it’s still not a favorite of mine. Come on Moonspell, give me something!!

Night Eternal (2008)

Now we’re talking!

While the past 3 albums were definitely fun to listen to, they didn’t seem quite as strong & likable to me. By the time I got to Memorial, I was afraid that I wouldn’t enjoy the band as much as I used to, but a savior in the late 2000s came down from the blackened skies to grace me with it’s presence, and it’s name was Night Eternal! Released on May the 16th, 2008, Night Eternal is the album that harkens back to their earliest year. After 2 albums that tried to get away from experimenting, and 1 album that went balls to the wall with experimenting, Moonspell finally managed to get back to their roots, where Gothic, Black, and Death Metal were their bread & butter. Though a little bit of experimenting remained on the release, it was obvious that it was highly scaled back, and was used in a supplementary manner.

Best Track? Dreamless was one of the first songs from Moonspell I discovered over half a decade ago, and much like Full Moon Madness off of Irreligious, this tune has become one of my personal favorites from the band. Fully titled Dreamless (Lucifer And Lilith), this is an example of a slower paced song that does it right. Filled to the brim with tragic romance & Gothic overtones, at just over 5 minutes in play time this a perfect song. Fernando Ribeiro just entices you into the depths of the song with his heavy yet sensual voice, while the rest of the band creates an incredible atmosphere. My only complaint is that it’s not the ending track of the album (It’s no. 7 on the main album), but it’s definitely the highlight! 

Dreamless

Worst Track? Absolutely nothing! Like I said above, Night Eternal finally gets it. Though there’s experimentation in some songs, they’re used to give the music character, and not to try & take over the record. This is an album that goes right back to Moonspell’s roots, while simultaneously sounding considerably newer & fresher thanks to recording & production technology of the late 2000s. The end result is Gothic Metal of the highest caliber, and I don’t mind getting shot by it.

Night Eternal. The album that finally gets it right after 3 albums that try to do too much. If you got disenfranchised by the rest of the band’s 2000s material, then their concluding release of that decade will ease your pain. Easily recommended, and it’s my favorite Moonspell release of that decade!

So that was part 2 of my look at Moonspell. Definitely shakey for the most part, it ultimately is capped off by one of the best album’s in their career. This isn’t exactly my favorite period of the band, but luckily there’s 1 more we have to look at. Join me after next week, when we’ll be in the band’s 2010 period. See you then!


***
If you’re curious about listening to these albums, then click on the links below:

Darkness & Hope

The Antidote

Memorial

Night Eternal

The Top 5 Greatest Anime Chests (For Breast Cancer Awareness) No. 2

It’s that time of year again fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

In addition to being the month of candy & spooks, it’s also the time in which the topic of breast cancer comes up. Many of us known someone that made it through the ordeal, and many of us knew someone who tragically succumbed to the disease. Last year I made a list of the top 5 greatest anime chests of all time as a tongue-in-cheek post, while simultaneously trying to get people to donate to the cause of supporting breast cancer research. Subtly, but I was trying to do it. I had a lot of fun doing it in 2017, but I figured “Why Not” and make this into a yearly series! So with that out of the way, here are the top 5 greatest anime chests of all time......version 2.

5) Urd - Ah My Goddess

Though I will always be a fan of bouncing breasts that turn my brain off, even I have days where I want a woman to turn my brain on as much as.......down there, and one of the best examples of a character like this is the eldest of the 3 goddess sisters, Urd. An absolutely gorgeous woman, she oozes sex appeal: whenever she enters a room, heads turn towards her direction. Whether it’s something as simple as a pose, or something more obvious like putting her chest in front of somebody to get a reaction. At the same time, there’s a surprising amount of subtly to her appeal. She knows how to use her appearance in an obvious manner, but also knows when to take a subtle approach. Definitely one of the greats!

4) Himari - Omamori Himari

Now it’s time to throw subtly out of the window!

Okay, maybe that’s a little unfair. Much like Urd, Himari knows how & when to use her appeal and body. Perhaps the biggest difference between the two girls is that Himari is nowhere near as subtle: right away she goes straight to her charge Yuto in an effort to show love & affection, and will use any means to do so. Chief among her tactics is the clever usage of her breasts. Yeah that sounds a little out there, but trust me when I say that she’s just as comfortable with getting what she wants with her words as much as getting in up close.

3) Lucoa - Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid

Are any of you surprised by this?

I hide nothing when I say that the first reason I like this dragon woman is just how full she is. Butt, thighs (Something I’m normally not into), legs (Something else I’m normally not into), etc. Even her eyes are a drawing point, as the contrasting colors give her a mystique alongside her sexiness. However, for guys like me, the biggest drawing point as far as physical features are concerned is her glorious chest. A lot of humor between her & Shouta (The boy she lives with) revolves around her breasts, and trust me when I say that a lot of it is genuinely funny. Even when she wears less revealing clothes, the sight of her chest is beautiful to behold.

2) Asterio - 12 Beast

For a little bit I had this adorable minotaur at the number one spot, and could you blame me? Coming in at a monstrous O cup, this incredibly busty blacksmith immediately charmed me with her physical features. In a funny twist, Asterio where next to nothing apart from some incredibly basic armor....and what I can only describe as a cow-patterned bikini that’s likely to slip off at any moment. However, that would somewhat do a service to Asterio: she’s fan-servicy to the 10th degree no doubt, but she’s the strongest of the group, is incredible’s kind, and is dependable in a fight thanks to that massive hammer of hers. Yes, this girl was number one for a bit.....but another person like herself revealed themselves.

1) Cathyl - Monster Musume

Q Cup. In reality or fiction, never in my entire life would I ever see a character with breasts that reach into the Q cup range, but here we are. To be honest, I could have put just about any of the various minotaur women from Monster Musume here, but that honor goes to the very first we ever see. Cathyl is an odd character: despite being a milk minotaur (A type known for producing bounteous quantities of milk, and are gentle & good natured), she’s actually a bit more aggressive & shorter tempered than most other minotaurs of her kind. However, she can actually blush rather easily, and is actually kind of cute when she’s ill tempered or embarrassed. Sometimes big breasts means a kind heart & loving personality, and other times it means being tough, strong, and maybe a little grumpy. I can deal with that sometimes.

And these were the top 5 greatest anime chests, number 2. If you can appreciate these fine 2d bounce pads, show some love to the real things and take the fight to breast cancer itself! See you all next week, when we’ll get to part 2 of my look at Moonspell. Definitely going to be some interesting stuff in that.


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If you’d like to look at last year’s list, click on the link below:

The Top 5 Greatest Anime Chests (For Breast Cancer Awareness)

Metal Overview: Moonspell (Part 1)

Happy 1st of October fellow Otaku & Metalheads, and welcome.....to Moonspell Month!

That’s right, Moonspell! What Type-O Negative is to the United States, Moonspell is to Europe (Portugal, to be more specific). This was a band I’ve been looking forward to covering for a while, and since they put out an album as recently as November of last year, the time was right to take a look at one of the masters of Gothic Metal from across the sea. Since the mid-90s, Fernando Ribeiro and the rest of the crew have crafted & released some of the finest Gothic albums in metal’s history. However, I could not contained their entire discography to just 1 day during this month, and much like my look at Kreator back in February, I’ll be splitting this overview into 3 separate releases. So with that out of the way, get yourself a cup of tea, get on your most comfy sweater, and take a look at the first entry of my Moonspell overview. Enjoy!

Wolfheart (1995)

Original

 

Re-Release

Our story begins in the late 80s. 1989 to be exact. Originally called Morbid God, then changed it into the name that fans now know & love in 1992 (In the same year they release the promo track, Serpent Angel). Comprised of Fernando Ribeiro (Vocals), Miguel Gaspar (Drums), Pedro Paixão (Keyboard), Mantus (Guitar), and Aires Pereira (Bass), the group’s first success was the mini-CD Under The Moonspell, which was released back in 1994. Shortly afterwards, the band signed to Century Media for a 6-album deal, and Wolfheart was the first of this deal. Released on April the 1st, 1995, it was recorded from January the 29th to February the 13th in the same year, Wolfheart has little to no recognition at first, but in the years since it has become a fan favorite release. Unfortunately, during the tour Mantus had quit the band, and was replaced by Ricardo Amorim.

Best Track? Wolfshade (A Werewolf Masquerade) is one of the best examples of a fantastic starting song. An ode to one of the most iconic myths in the history, it’s also coupled with a heavy dose of gothic romanticism & wit that many might recall from a tune that was conveniently released on October Rust just a year later (Click here to see what I mean). Though there are plenty of songs not just on this album & many other, Wolfshade is solid proof that Fernando Ribeiro is the Portugese equivalent of Pete Steele. Able to soar like a titan, and just as easily able to tone it down for quieter & possibly introspective crooning & swooning. The rest of the band also mirrors their American counterparts, as the guitar work, drums, and even keyboard really give it their gothic all. Definitely a solid hit!

Wolfshade (A Werewolf Masquerade)

Worst Track? While undeniably an awesome album, it’s only fault is that it does come across as maybe a little dated. I say “little” because it’s managed to weather the near 25 years incredibly well. Many of the songs still hold up, but a couple seem to be a little too 90s. Whether it’s because of the recording technology, or because of some of the effects used, I’m not sure.

Wolfheart. A great way to start out a career, and while it does have a wrinkle or two on it’s face, it’s still a gorgeous thing to look at & listen to. Next album!

Irreligious (1996)

Original

Re-Release

Wolfheart, while sadly going under the radar at the beginning, definitely planted the seeds of desire in those who liked it. Though it leaned a little more in the Black Metal direction, it was obvious from the first few notes that Moonspell were destined to be Gothic Metal kings. So, they put their nose to the grindstone, and cranked out the iconic 90s masterpiece, Irreligious. Released on the July the 29th, 1996, Irreligious is a considerably more professional record than their equally iconic starting album. Moonspell gave this release more polish, better recording, you name it. The end result is an album that’s aged considerably better than it’s predecessor, let has plenty of 90s Black/Gothic Metal nostalgia.

Best Track? It gotta be Full Moon Madness! The closing track of Irreligious, this classic Moonspell song closes out their concerts (Most of them anyway), and rightfully so. Creating the sign of the moon, Fernando Ribeiro practically enchants the entire audience with his ethereal-like voice (Whether it’s soft or loud), and the rest of the band provides instrumentation that lends itself to yet another wonderful ode to lycanthropy. It might feel like a long song at first, once you listen to it a few times you get used to that feeling.

Full Moon Madness

Worst Track? Raven Claws is about the only song on here I could call bad. Even then I actually can’t call it bad, but rather I just dislike it. I don’t know why, but no matter how many times I’ve listened to it, for the life of me I can’t put my finger on what makes me dislike this song. It’s a mystery I may never solve.

Raven Claws

Irreligious. Further improving on what their beginning record established, it’s widely considered to be one of Moonspell’s best, and I’m definitely one of those people that think this. Next album!

Sin/Pecado (1998)

Despite the success of Irreligious, there was trouble on the horizon for Moonspell. Due to lawsuits, original bassist Ares left, and was subsequently replaced by Sérgio Crestana. Once he was fitted into the band, it was time to crank out their 3rd album, and in 1997 the band did their work in Woodhouse Studio, located in Hagen, Germany. Then, on the 3rd of February, 1998, Sin/Pecado was released. Translated as Without/Sin (Pecado is the Portugese word for “Sin”), the album was something of a departure from their previous 2 releases, as Moonspell went for a more experimental route. There was little in the way of their Black & Death Metal roots, as their Gothic aspect was heightened, and the usage of keyboards brought in something of a Electronic/Industrial component. The end result almost comes across like a precursor to Kreator’s Endorama, which would be released a year later. Personally, I like what the band has done here: while some of their early stylings is gone, the new pieces added create something radically different from what first came out. This would actually hurt the band in the next year....but I’ll get to that in a bit.

Best Track? Second Skin hand down! If their was one thing that Moonspell was always good with (Maybe even more so than Type-O Negative), it’s knowing how & when to be erotic. From the beginning guitar notes, to the final thunderous drum beats, you feel like a snake is coiling around every inch of your body, or you’re embraced by the most gorgeous of women in a fancy bedroom. Fernando Ribeiro also adds to this eroticism, as his vocal work comes across as more serpentine than Lord Voldermort. Though he has a few moments where he screams, for the most part he keeps his voice in the lower audio range to keep the listener thoroughly enchanted. Definitely a song you shouldn’t skip!

Second Skin

Worst Track? In the ensuing process to experiment with different genres, Moonspell accidentally made the music on Sin/Pecado sound & feel must more crisp & clean when compared to their first 2 releases. Don’t get me wrong: it’s nice to hear the band clean up their music & user better recording technology, but at the same time it was that datedness that made Wolfheart and Irreligious more intimate when it came to the listening experience. Ironically, this touching up actually made this one of the well aged albums from their run in the 90s, so maybe it’s not as bad as I thought.

Sin/Pecado. A bit of a cleaner release sound wise, it none the less is a great album to listen to. If you like Moonspell that’s cleaned up more in terms of production value, this might be what you’re searching for. Next album!

The Butterfly Effect (1999)

Recorded in June of 1999 & released on September the 13th of the same year, The Butterfly Effect is a massive departure for Moonspell. With the music recorded almost exclusively by the band’s keyboardist, the experimentation & usage of Industrial Metal elements were doubled down, and they decided to go with a “Chaos Theory” theme (Hence the name of the record). A lot of metal critics weren’t fond of this experimentation, but as for me.....I’m conflicted. On the one hand, I love me some Gothic & Industrial Metal, and I love it mixed together on some occasions. I definitely enjoyed it on their last album, and on here......I’m not sure. I’ll explain it a little more in detail below, but suffice it to say I don’t look at this release as highly as some fans do.

Best Track? I Am The Eternal Spectator is an infectious song. Easy & simple beats, coupled with thunderous drum work & Fernando Ribeiro going for an ethereal approach to his music, it feels like something is watching you as you listen. It goes by a little fast, but in the time that it’s playing, you won’t forget it.

I Am The Eternal Spectator

Worst Track? Really the overexperimentation on The Butterfly Effect is it’s only flaw. On their last album they used just enough experimentation to make Sin/Pecado sound unique & special, but on here they used way too much of it, and in the process made it feel like a lot of other Gothic/Industrial Metal albums of the late 90s. It’s a bit of a shame as there’s plenty of awesome moments throughout the record, and it has the same well-aged quality as Sin/Pecado does.

The Butterfly Effect. The weak point of Moonspell’s run in the 90s, it theoretically could have been just as great if not better than Sin/Pecado, but it’s bogged down by heavy experimentation. Recommended heavily for diehard Moonspell fans, as well as diehard Gothic & Industrial Metal fans, but recommended less for everybody else.

So that was part 1 of my overview on Moonspell. Their inaugural albums of the 90s are still talked about to this very day, and are yet again proof that Heavy Metal further flourished in the last great decade. See you after next week, for now it’s time to see what the band was capable of in the 2000s.


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If you’re curious about the albums in question, click on the pink words & enjoy:   

Wolfheart

Irreligious

Sin/Pecado

The Butterfly Effect