Mons Lunae – Seven Winds

The Portuguese Mons Lunae (or MONS LVNAE - Mount or the Moon) exists already since 1998. They originally played a mix of black/death/doom. But ten years, three demos and some line-up changes later they evolved into a more goth/folk sound. Of course one can wonder if this was a natural "evolution" or whether this was a more commercial move. The supplied press bulletin does not lie about the fact that this album is sent out to get the attention of record companies.

The description goth/folk is still somewhat vaguely and you might wonder where those influences can be heard. The goth part is especially to be heard with the singer. Okay, she may not be Tarja Turunen, but she does her very best to achieve the utmost traditional sound. Sometimes she does sound like it's not coming naturally for her to sound this way but that she has to try just a little too hard; and that can become somewhat tiresome to listen to. However her voice is not bad at all and I think a little more experience will bring just that little extra on this part.

The folk influences are a little harder to pinpoint except one instrument: the flute. They have taken a separate flute player into the band and apparently they wanted to make sure they would get their money's worth. Not that the playing is bad but one can hear the flute almost every single minute of the total 36 minutes playing time, and well, I could have settled for a few minutes less, but that might just be me. The most positive side on this album I think is that it's pretty clear that the band members each master their instruments very well: not so strange after 10 years of playing of course. Especially the guitars sound very strong and the incidental male vocal makes me want to hear more of his voice. Then there is the production: of course the budget was limited and there's room for improvement on that part: but I have heard much worse and a little tweaking with the equalizer makes it sound pretty decent for such a "homemade" product and good enough to let the neighbours enjoy along with you.

So we can safely come to the conclusion that Mons Lunae does a pretty decent job with this album. Sometimes the songs sound a little more of the same: a little variation or a little more "own sound" might be welcome. However I would not be surprised (also with the current popularity of this genre) if there's gonna be a record deal soon: This Seven Winds demo might not be enough to get every single metalhead running to the record store but I think they certainly deserve more and I am very curious how they would sound on their next album with some professional guidance. (Ben Holster for www.metal-experience.com)