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Okay, the first half of them are. We’re taking a look at the other two next month, but for now we got some Moonspell to cover for May. I’ve spoken pretty highly of Portugal’s biggest ever since I started covering them all the way back in 2017 (Read Here), and I’ve been listening to them since 2013. Today’s review was one that technically didn’t come out in 2020, but re-released in late 2019. The 13th of December, to be exact. Because of such a late release, it seemed appropriate to grandfather it into the most plague-ridden year of recent memory, and I’m glad I did in hindsight. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy my review for Moonspell’s 1998 classic, Sin/Pecado. Let’s begin.
Background
Taken from Part 1 of my overview on the band. *
“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.”
*: My description in this review is somewhat different than how I first described it back in October of 2018.
Basic Description
90s Goth Goodness.
Goth music might have had it’s roots in the 80s, but it was in the 1990s where the flowers bloomed. Type-O Negative’s heyday was from that time, and Paradise Lost showed off some of their best work from that time as well, and Moonspell is no exception either. They already showed off what they could do with Wolfheart in 1995, and proved that they were willing to improve & diversify their music with Irreligious. Sin/Pecado, obviously, is an advancement of the previously mentioned record: there are similar vibes for sure, but the band try a few new things here so the album doesn’t completely sound like their prior work. There’s the Extreme Metal and the Goth & Progressive rock elements they’re known for, but they also experimented with stuff like Electronica, Industrial, and even Folk if you can believe it. Metal Archives reviewer Lukretion describes Sin/Pecado as an album that has a “unmistakable Mediterranean warmth in the sound”. He goes on to say that “It is one of those fully immersive records that take you by the hand and transport you in a completely different universe where you can lose yourself for a while, marveling at the strange sonic creatures you encounter along the way”, and I completely agree. There’s just some kind of exotic warmth all over this release, and it somehow stays with you for a while after you’re done listening to the record.....which is always a plus if you ask me.
Best Track
I stated this when I did part one of my overview of the band all the way back in October of 2018, but Second Skin was just a perfect track. It had the right pacing, the right instrumentation, the right atmosphere, incredible vocal work from Fernando Ribeiro, and thanks to the touches to the recording, it sounds better & even newer somehow. Even if the music wasn’t touched up on for this re-issue, it’s still a powerful and sensual song that just hits all the right notes from beginning to end, and doesn’t let up at any point.
Second Skin
Worst Track
Really, the only fault in Sin/Pecado’s name would be the dated 90's vibes. Now, I’m a huge sucker for stuff like that, regardless of whether or not the album in question has been remastered or not. This is a fault that’s only going to make people who aren’t exactly a fan of 90s metal react, and in which case why would you have listened to this album.....or read this review for that matter.
Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, then click on the link below:
Sin/Pecado
Overall Impression & Rating
Sin/Pecado was just fantastic back in the day, and is still great now. The band were still comfortable in their gothic wheelhouse that they established in 1995, but they weren’t afraid to experiment with new things in an effort to grow & diversify their music. While the 90s vibes are off-putting to only a handful of people, the nostalgia vibes of that era come in hard for those that love it. If you missed the album back in the day, or you just want a nice slice of late 90s Gothic cheese, Sin/Pecado will be quite the tasty slice.
Sin/Pecado gets a 9 out of 10.
So that was my review for Sin/Pecado. A wonderful advancement from their previous 2 releases, it showed that Moonspell was comfortable in trying new things while staying their path. With it’s re-release from 2019 (That I grandfathered into 2020), a new generation of fans that might have missed it back in 1998 get to experience it for the first time. So, join me at the end of May for the other release of Moonspell that came out in 2020. Until then, take care!
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