Moonlight Haze - Lunaris

Updated: Jun 7, 2020

Label: Scarlet Records

Release date: 12th June 2020

Genre: Symphonic power metal

Related articles: Interview with an Artist - Chiara Tricarico

With more than a month away now, Moonlight Haze is making a fast return with a new album titled, "Lunaris". In their sophomore release, the band kept experimenting with electronic samples, folk music, and even more unpredictable sonic elements; deeper musical research, and a thoughtful inner exploration for a silvery dream, deep in the haze of the moonlight. Consisting of eleven tracks that will bring you through a timeless journey far away, enough to get trapped between frantic grooves, and addictive melodies with powerful lyrics that are very introspective yet confident and positive, even though they deal with tough themes sometimes, investigating the deepest abyss of our conscience and the complexity of human relationships. In addition, legends and tales from different traditions and cultures will fascinate your imagination and give you some time to think quietly over life and nature.

Moonlight Haze is still a young band emerging in late 2018, former Temperance members Chiara Tricarico and Giulio Capone welcomed new life this new band, where it grew into a group of talented and experienced musicians gathered together to write and perform powerful yet melodic metal songs with catchy choruses and folk elements that give them a very distinctive feel. Members who were from Elvenking, Sound Storm, Teodasia, and Overtures. No time wasted, their debut album "De Rerum Natura" was released the following year that took the listeners on a musical journey through magnificent landscapes about time and nature.

Tracklist:

Till the End

The Rabbit of the Moon

Lunaris

Under Your Spell

Enigma

Wish Upon a Scar

The Dangerous Art of Overthinking

Without You

Of Birth and Death

Nameless City

Enigma (English version)

The second chapter to their fast-rising career shouts with “Till the End”, entering the powerful playing of Capone’s drums and sonic keys creating this whirlwind of colorful and exciting music into a timeless journey. The captivating vocals of Tricarico smoothen her way in between the basslines grooves and thunderous drums, leading the listeners to where her fairy-like vocals become harsher with rock expressions, throwing us out into a power metal grandeur of an energetic vortex of guitar solos and a heavy progressive verse at the climax where it left me with jaws agape, trying to process what I’ve heard. The following track takes the band to a more cultural side titled “The Rabbit of the Moon”. Beginning with a melody coming from eastern strings (the Guzheng), this melodic folklore is given life with the sounds of the airy bamboo flutes, authentic vibes of the Far East as the song proceeds to become more catch and progressive with the funky bass and the chugging guitars, until being shined upon our ears with ethereal energy the chorus brings in with dreamy and majestic melodies that could activate the childlike imaginative mind to the story of the rabbit's selfishness act and sacrifice. Onwards onto the eponymous song “Lunaris”, we are introduced to a folk tune, where it’s the melody is transitioned into power metal, giving us a Celtic metal mashup. Bouncy rhythms going in a progressive matter while the vocals follow along, creating nightly energy from the moon to feel at peace. The band finally takes things at an easygoing pace in “Under Your Spell”, bringing us to a more acoustic setting. Posing as this dreamy ballad, it tackles the complexity of human relationships with metal elements, a song of conflict being a delicate track with aggressiveness as Tricarico shouts “send me to hell” in a slower yet melancholic environment. After that power-ballad, “Enigma” catches me off-guard with its suspenseful cinematic intro of whispers that seems to be taunting you, until being hit with a blast of thunderous riffs dancing along with the piano keys. The trills of the string give sensation as if one was falling to an abyss towards what feels like it's taking you to an intense waltz of your life of melodic metal rhythms spoken in their native language, into what feels like a space-opera movement with a classical display of Chiara in the celestial setting.

“Wish Upon a Scar” brings back the oriental sounds while being a classic take on the genre of flourishing keys and heavy harmonies while carrying an inspiring chorus line with their choir that can bring an uplifting spirit to an individual who faces the dark days that left them traumatized scars and tell you to be proud of them because you have endured that and not as a flaw in your character. With such a long title, “The Dangerous Art of Overthinking” sounds like it’s going to be an interesting yet complex one. An intro with a choir and chime creates an otherworldly atmosphere that goes into a symphonic orchestra that cannot help and remind me of the Century Child-era of the Finnish symphonic metal titans Nightwish. Leading into heavy harmonies of metal verses with bass gnarls and crashing drums, to the progressive noise of frantic guitars with melodeath dark growls that accompanies the operatic lead with the chorus line in this 7-minute arrangement. A space symphony orchestration begins “Without You”, that quickly washes you away under the waves funk progressive sound with the wirily noises of the bass and the ethereal choir. Sonic overlays and the drum’s power pounds takes the song to a straightforward aim as the choir creates a climax to the instrumental section that really makes the song shine with newfound strength. A short and sweet medieval tune, “Of Birth and Death” features guest violinist, Fabio Lethien Polo (Elvenking) who brings the raw sounds of folk music that can remind you of the Canadian Celtic-metal songstress Leah. Ending with the cinematic track, “Nameless City”, taking inspiration from the novel of the same name by H.P. Lovecraft. Middle Eastern sounds blended in with metal and a powerful choir creates such an adventure through the heat of the harsh desert searching for the ancient ruins, and with the addition of clean male vocals, it brings that storytelling concept by giving voice to the character in this journey.

Phew, I think I ranted enough about this album already, and I don’t know about you… but Moonlight Haze has outdone themselves once again in this album and I’m sure excited to hear reactions from other listeners about this album. If you’re a fan of symphonic hybrid bands like Temperance, Delain, and Nightwish, maybe even Within Temptation and Halestorm for its hard rock side, then this album will leave you some unforgettable memories of melodies that will urge you to spin the album a second time!