VIRGIN BLACK: Requiem – Mezzo Forte

Choice Of The Month May 2007
Cover	Release	Style
	2007-04-27	operatic doom / orchestral gothic metal
	Label
	www.massacre-records.de / www.truemusic.de
	Website
	www.virginblack.com
	Contact
	-
	Playing Time	Cat. N°
	51:14	MAS-CD 0551
	Review by / Translated by	Rating
	Vera	9,5/10
nederlands	Review
While Virgin Black in Australia embarks on its preliminary sole concert on European soil with this new material, (in Zürich at the Elements of Rock festival) I got a first encounter with the music on ‘Requiem – Mezzo Forte’. It is silent around me, as if every living creature has fled for the magisterial impression of this prestigious epos. As an explosive Kyrie Eleison, this album has overwhelmed me from the very first listen. ‘Requiem – Mezzo Forte’ is the first part of three simultaneously recorded albums that will all reach the music lover this year and together they are good for a requiem of two and a half hour. They chose to release the second part firstly because it is the transition from the completely classical ‘Requiem – Pianissimo’ to the heaviest material the band ever recorded on ‘Requiem – Fortissimo’. This Australian band with Rowan London and Samantha Escarbe as main composers does not avoid any challenge. The album is recorded with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and has a very classical nature with massive, solemn choirs. Only in the second song we hear a (metal) guitar for the first time, soon followed by clean male vocals and an incidental growl. In the ten minutes long ‘…And I Am Suffering’ the doom influences come to the surface in monumental riffs and glowing melodic lead parts of Samantha, invoking a My Dying Bride mood. No hectic arpeggio’s but drawn out notes that echo in your soul and personalize the peaceful, nearly resigned confession of a requiem. In a fluent way they add more and more metal elements towards the end. The impressive entirety of three albums deals with somebody who turns to God in a moment of heavy loss and despair. This is put into intense music on a dignified, almost Saviour Machine alike way; sometimes pious and dramatic, a bit later turbulent and vigorous. This is music in superlative. I am keen to hear the other parts of the trilogy, now already, and especially the fortissimo part when the contrast between classical music and extreme metal will surely reach a summit. Those who have an open mind for a blend of classical music, opera, doom and gothic metal should be sure to purchase the limited edition, because it includes a bonus CD with earlier material and a video. This is one of the greatest surprises of 2007!
Musicians
Rowan London: vocals, piano, songwriter Samantha Escarbe: guitar, songwriter Grayh: bass, vocals Luke Faz: drums Adelaide Symphony Orchestra Mark Kelson: session guitarist live (The Eternal)
Tracklist
Requiem, Kyrie (7:41) In Death (8:00) Midnight’s Hymn (4:56) … And I Am Suffering (10:55) Domine (8:05) Lacrimosa (I Am Blind With Weeping) (9:59) Rest Eternal (2:29)
Discography


Beekstraat 1 - B-2640 Mortsel - Belgium