Reviews

Moonlight Haze – Animus Review

March 9, 2022

There’s been an avalanche of Symphonic Metal releases this year. Well, to be precise, from last year on. I do’nt keep count count but I remind having lots of bands to review. As I’ve been observing there are two ways Symphonic Metal can follow. One of them is to focus on the Symphonic features dosing the Metal features and the heavyness, or not. Those bands have more a balance between the symphonic features and the Metal ones. However, I’ve seen some of them to push the edge and get very near Extreme Metal or, even, having a foot on Extreme Metal with a dark symphonic facete. Other bands also dose the features, however, this dosage favor the pop facete of the symphonic with lots of keyboards and melodies. Most of them have a foot on what in the past was called Heavy Pop. I defend the idea that those bands are the modern version of the so called Heavy pop bands because they are some kind of point of entry to the world of Metal music.

Ok, then, this Moonlight Haze with “Animus” are on the second option. There are more Heavy pop elements in their music and the symphonic features are used to sugar the songs. Of course, all definitions have their exceptions and some songs in “Animus” are heavier than the average. Some tracks as the tittle track “Animus” and “It’s Insane” are very pop, to say the least with big guitars which however are obscured by the production. There is the feeling that the guitars were meant to be heavier but the production put them in the background. The same track though rises some mixed emotions. On the band’s behalf I have to point out and highlight the talent of vocalist Chiara Tricarico who has a very potent and versatile voice. She can go in a heartbeat from the highest notes to the lowest. In general, her voice is clean and melodic. A big hurrah to where she goes very low and does a gutural voice proving the versatility of the vocal chords and all the talent. The song gets very near a Modern Metal feature with it. The outcome I have to say is pretty convincing.

“Animus” is an album for Symphonic metallers with no doubt. Or for the ones that are about to Metal. There’ s a lot of Battle Beast and Metalite just to cite the bands we’ve have reviewed here in the recent past. The kind of mix that I know many metallers appreciate and cherish.

Moonlight Haze “Animus” will be released on March 18th via Scarlet Records.

Track Listing: