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Review: Dark Moor - Autumnal
Dark Moor
www.dark-moor.com
Autumnal

Label: Scarlet Records
Year released: 2009
Duration: 47:22
Tracks: 11
Genre: Power Metal

Rating:
4/5


Review online: February 22, 2009
Reviewed by: Sargon the Terrible
Readers' Rating
How do you rate this release?

Rated 4.19/5 (83.75%) (32 Votes)
Review

I thought Tarot was one of the best albums of 2007, and I was glad to be able to put Dark Moor back on my ‘to watch for’ list after years of blandness. But the question remained: could they do it again? Yes, yes they can, and they have. At first spin I thought Autumnal was not quite as good as the last album, as it is not quite as instantly gratifying, but I can’t stop spinning it.

This is more of what you love Dark Moor for: neoclassical songwriting, catchy choruses, and sweeping symphonic arrangements. Opener "Swan Lake" is the longest song here, and it perhaps goes on a bit long, but after that things get catchier and more to the point with memorable songs like "Phantom Queen" "An End So Cold" "The Enchanted Forest" and "The Sphinx". This is smoother and less aggressive than Tarot overall, but the melodies are addictive and will keep you coming back. If this album has a failing, it’s that nowhere do we hear the band really pushing themselves either compositionally or performance-wise. As such this is a solid album that entertains throughout, but it never leaps out and smacks you in the face with awesomeness.

So overall this is not quite as good as Tarot, but still an enjoyable disc of Dark Moor’s signature sound. This band may never produce a real metal masterwork, but if they can keep making albums at least as good as this one, then I for one can live with that.

More about Dark Moor...
Review: Ancestral Romance (reviewed by Christopher Foley)
Review: Ars Musica (reviewed by Christopher Foley)
Review: Autumnal (reviewed by Larry Griffin)
Review: Beyond the Sea (reviewed by Ivan the Bludgeon)
Review: Dark Moor (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: Project X (reviewed by Bruce Dragonchaser)
Review: Tarot (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: The Gates of Oblivion (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: The Hall of the Olden Dreams (reviewed by Eddiethe'Ead)
Interview with Enrik Garcia on May 2, 2007 (Interviewed by Bruce Dragonchaser)
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