The first contact has lon with this new album, this is the cover, again signed Seth Siro Anton (Behemoth), with this character who resembles a mangled version of women broken the cover of "Night Eternal" ( 2008) that it was also realized. One could imagine this artwork by judging that this new record will be even darker than the last, especially as the theme (the extinction of different life forms), he is. But beware of deceptive appearances!
"Breathe," the first song, play with hot and cold. The gothic side is well ahead of the verses. Fernando sings in her clear voice, it's like back Back then of "Sin Pecado". The chorus is by far more upset against (in dark voice) on more aggressive guitars and the central part of the song is faster. There was a small eastern side of the melody brought by orchestrations. A very good first song but rather disconcerting because we sattendait that slap more than that, as the first pieces of the three previous albums.
With the following titles, things become a little clearer.
On the title track, while keeping a fairly strong melodic line, Moonspell harder line. The guitars are forward, the riff is nasty. The song is aggressive Completion chorus in clear voice, very catchy. There are still quite abundant on the instrumental orchestrations (which has of a great solo) and end of the title. Orchestrations that lon also found on the next song, "Medusalem". The symphonic arrangements are omnipresent on this album, this is fairly new (at least at this point). This piece was again a strong Middle Eastern feel. No dark voice, Fernando speaks more that he sings on the verses. The chorus is very melodic. "Domina" is softer (not bad acoustic guitars) and more melodic, especially on the end of the title with more choirs and again a beautiful guitar solo.
At this point, we begin to identify raw 2015 Moonspell. If lon was questionable whether this new album would be "Alpha Black" or "Omega White", he finally nest or lun or other. "Extinct" will be different altogether.
This is confirmed with the following titles. "The Last Of Us" is again very gothic, guitars remind me of Paradise Lost, period "One Second". No voice still dark on this piece and the orchestrations are always present, as on the following title, "Malignia" which is a little more aggressive at the edge.
On "Funeral Bloom", I found the atmosphere of the album "Irreligious". "The Future Is Dark" a little further is again thinking about the pieces of the times "Sin Pecado", with the singing of Fernando and placed next to the title enough. No doubt now, it looks like Moonspell decided to reconnect with its Gothic period of the late 90s on the new disc but as the Portuguese are not the kind to repeat, there are things more as orchestrations (with many strings like "Dying Breed" piece with the most aggressive chorus of the album) and some modern sounds here and there ("Extinct", "The Future Is Dark").
The last song, with piano as the main instrument, is completely sung in French. First for the group. We appreciate the emphasis Fernando. The atmosphere is quite shifted between cabaret 20s and funeral march. An amazing piece to complete this album that no less ballast.
Although lon recognizes no problem paw of the group, Moonspell still may surprise his entire world with this new album. Although less dark than "Alpha Black" (but suddenly, much more varied and, from my point of view, more distracting) "Extinct" still shows the Portuguese group in another of its facets, more gothic and symphonic. A very good album in the discography of over Moonspell!
17/20
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