Whereas the upcoming release, Lullabies For the Dormant Mind from label mates The Agonist is a vital, powerful and stunningly good example of female fronted metal done right, the debut from Wisconsin’s Luna Mortis is little more than a mish mash of styles that while, has some promise simply does not do enough to justify the sudden signing to one of metals biggest labels.

While all members including front woman Mary Zimmer are competent pieces of their musical puzzle, the result is a polished mix of Nightwish/Lacuna Coil styled female Goth rock with injections of melodic death metal to give it a bit more of edge than the usual sugary Napalm Records affairs and it sounds slightly forced.

Zimmer is the requisite mix of sultry soprano and a few forced but unconvincing feral growls mixed in, but she lacks the sheer psychosis and tangible emotion and clout of Alyssa White Gluz, and other more extreme female vocalists. Musically, Luna Mortis try really hard to be more than a typical Goth rock band, and the occasional changes in tempo and Arch Enemy wannabe urgency such as opener “Ash”, standout “Reformation”, “The Absence”, “Never Give In” and “Last Defiance” while competently done and admittedly enjoyable at times, clash with the more expected operatics and Gothic, mid paced jaunts of “Ruin”, ballad “The Departure”, “Forevermore”, “Phantoms” and  “Embrace the End”. Despite the efforts and sometimes impressive galloping, NWSDM inspired guitar work of Brian Koenig and Cory Schieder who have a nice Oli Herbet/Mike Martin (All That Remains) and Coyle brothers (God Forbid) presence about them, their ability appears wasted on what is essentially trumped up female fronted, Goth/Power metal.

That all being said, Absence is certainly not a bad album and does have some moments and lots of promise wrapped within its Goth metal guise, namely the two guitarists.  However the band has to decide if they are a melodic death metal band or a Goth metal band, as right now the combination of both isn’t quite working yet.

[Visit the band's website]

---

Comments