Independent Release
Review by Tony Cannella
From Greece comes Luna Obscura. The band play a dark style of gothic, atmospheric metal with some avant-garde elements thrown in as well. The band has two singers, the female vocalist is Gogo Melone and Aris Potonos handles the more extreme male vocals. The band is completed by Dimitris Papachristos on guitars and backing vocals and Stratos Kountouras on bass. The band has just released their full-length debut titled “Feltia” and I can say that it is 11-songs and 46-minutes worth of some of the most powerful and atmospheric music I’ve heard in quite some time. Getting right into, the CD begins on an interesting note right off the bat with the 2 and-a-half minute intro track “Enochian Chant”. This sets things up quite nicely some eerie music and a male spoken word section before the rest of the band joins in and the vocals of Gogo Melone come to the front. This song definitely creates a strong atmosphere and you can’t wait to see what is next. That is answered with the next track “The Burden Of Solitude”. Aris Potonos takes the lead early on and his voice is very fierce and when Gogo joins the fray you see how well the contrasting styles work together. I like both vocal styles a lot. I love the way Aris‘s vocals are produced, they are not too low in the mix and not too far out in front so that it overwhelms everything. They are done just right. Gogo‘s vocals are nice as well. She’s got a great range and a great deal of emotion and passion in her voice. “The Burden of Solitude” is a great song and one of the highlights for sure. The next song “Oronar” is another great song that features a cinematic element and again the vocals leave the listener breathless and in awe. “Ex Caelis Oblatus” is next and it starts off with a heavy riff and we are off and running again. The two vocals share equal time on this one, sometimes singing together. The next song “Symphony of Sighs” is probably my favorite song. It starts off at a slower pace but then really gets going. This is also one of the more aggressive songs. Other highlights include: “The Ancient One”, “Waltz into Darkness”, “Away” and the instrumental closer “5 Visions”. Luna Obscura are a very impressive band and “Feltia” is a tremendous debut. The songs, the feeling and attitude all combine to make it one of the better debuts I have heard in awhile. The song writing is also top notch with the lyrics evoking a poetic feel. Overall Luna Obscura come highly recommended.
Rating – 90/100
Tracklist
- Enochian Chant
- The Burden of Solitude
- Oronar
- Ex Caelis Oblatus
- Symphony of Signs
- Codex Daemonicus 1516
- Ancient One
- Waltz Into Darkness
- Away
- Dance of Forsaken Souls
- 5 Visions
Line Up
- Aris Potonos – Harsh Male Vocals
- Gogo Melone – Female Vocals
- Dimitris Papachristos – Guitars & Backing Vocals
Links