DARK MOOR

Power Metal / Symphonic Metal / Hard Rock • Spain
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It was during the complicated crisis of the early ‘90s, in 1993, when Dark Moor is born under Enrik García's hand. In 1999, Dark Moor achieves its first contract. It is the right moment to record the first album of the band, “Shadowland”, thanks to the interest of Arise Records, which makes them loyal to this label to launch their posterior works. The record get better results than expected, reaching to the point of being edited in Central Europe or Brazil, and letting the doors open to make a memorable Spanish tour with Demons & Wizards.

In August 2000 the band recorded their international confirmation. “The Hall of the Olden Dreams”, and also started a faithful relationship with its producer Luigi Stefanini, who was behind most of their subsequent projects.

The next tour included with great success some festivals like Viña Rock and Mijas Rock. The band received some awards
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DARK MOOR Discography

DARK MOOR albums / top albums

DARK MOOR Shadowland album cover 3.00 | 7 ratings
Shadowland
Power Metal 1999
DARK MOOR The Hall of the Olden Dreams album cover 4.46 | 10 ratings
The Hall of the Olden Dreams
Power Metal 2000
DARK MOOR The Gates of Oblivion album cover 4.50 | 12 ratings
The Gates of Oblivion
Power Metal 2002
DARK MOOR Dark Moor album cover 3.50 | 6 ratings
Dark Moor
Power Metal 2003
DARK MOOR Beyond the Sea album cover 3.80 | 6 ratings
Beyond the Sea
Power Metal 2005
DARK MOOR Tarot album cover 3.60 | 5 ratings
Tarot
Power Metal 2007
DARK MOOR Autumnal album cover 3.75 | 4 ratings
Autumnal
Power Metal 2009
DARK MOOR Ancestral Romance album cover 3.58 | 6 ratings
Ancestral Romance
Power Metal 2010
DARK MOOR Ars Musica album cover 4.50 | 4 ratings
Ars Musica
Symphonic Metal 2013
DARK MOOR Project X album cover 4.86 | 3 ratings
Project X
Symphonic Metal 2015
DARK MOOR Origins album cover 2.50 | 1 ratings
Origins
Hard Rock 2018

DARK MOOR EPs & splits

DARK MOOR The Fall of Melnibone album cover 4.17 | 3 ratings
The Fall of Melnibone
Power Metal 2001
DARK MOOR Between Light and Darkness album cover 3.38 | 4 ratings
Between Light and Darkness
Power Metal 2003

DARK MOOR live albums

DARK MOOR demos, promos, fans club and other releases (no bootlegs)

DARK MOOR Dreams of Madness album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Dreams of Madness
Power Metal 1998
DARK MOOR Flying album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Flying
Power Metal 1998

DARK MOOR re-issues & compilations

DARK MOOR singles (2)

.. Album Cover
0.00 | 0 ratings
From Hell
Power Metal 2003
.. Album Cover
0.00 | 0 ratings
The Road Again
Power Metal 2013

DARK MOOR movies (DVD, Blu-Ray or VHS)

DARK MOOR Reviews

DARK MOOR Project X

Album · 2015 · Symphonic Metal
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
DippoMagoo
Sometimes there’s nothing more satisfying than that moment where an album finally finally connects with you for the first time after multiple attempts, when previous reservations are put aside and you’re just swept away by the music. I had one of those experiences with Project X, the tenth full length album from Dark Moor, one of my absolute favorite symphonic metal bands at this point. Most previous Dark Moor albums managed to impressive me right away, with their two most recent efforts Ancestral Romance and Ars Musica especially leaving strong first impressions, so I was a bit concerned when by the end of my first listen, Project X had left me scratching my head, wondering what in the hell I had just listened to. A couple listens later and I was already starting to get into it, and then by the end of my sixth listen I finally understood what the band was going for, and from that point onwards it has become one of my favorites by the band.

For longtime Dark Moor fans, their previous album Ars Musica may have seemed like a big departure from their normal sound, toning down the power metal elements which had been dominant on their earlier albums and taking the band in a much lighter, more dramatic direction with an even bigger focus on symphonic elements and choirs. I was curious to see whether the band would continue with this style or go back to their older sound, so I was somewhat caught off guard when the brief intro track of Project X started off with modern sounding keyboards, and the rest of the album only proved to be even more surprising, on first listen. I will say it right now, to get it out of the way: Power metal fans hoping for the neoclassical symphonic power metal style of their early days will probably want to avoid Project X, as at this point that style seems to be a thing of the past and the band is clearly moving on to new things. For anyone else, though, and especially for fans who prefer their epic symphonic arrangements and choral sections, the album is a must hear.

After that rather surprising intro, the first full song “Abduction” is a fun little opener that mostly sticks to the band’s formula of upbeat power metal with symphonic backing and choir vocals, and in comparison to the rest of the album, it feels like a more modernized take on the usual Dark Moor sound, complete with cheesy but fun sci-fi lyrical themes, which carry on throughout the album. After this point, though, the album takes a turn for the weird with the super theatrical track “Beyond the Stars”, where the choirs are in full force, and along with the piano and symphonic elements, they overpower the guitars, making for a much lighter track than one would expect so early on the album, though the melodies are fantastic and Alfred Romero’s dramatic vocals work incredibly well with the choirs, which have more of a gospel choir feel to them than usual. Yeah, you read that right: At times the choirs sound like they’re coming straight from a church and this feel is only heightened as the album goes on, and is one of the things that initially left me feeling confused. This song also serves as a great example of where the band is now, as the music is constantly driving along at a reasonable pace, so much so that calling it slow or mid tempo would be wrong, but it certainly doesn’t match the speed or energy of classic power metal, either. It’s more of a light symphonic infused brand of melodic metal, which works very well for the band.

The next track “Conspiracy Revealed” is a bit faster and the guitar riffs at the beginning give it a slight edge, which carries on throughout the track. Which brings me to one element of the band I’ve always appreciated, that is very much a factor on Project X: The guitar work of Enrik Garcia. As always, his guitars can be very understated, allowing room for the keyboards, vocals and symphonic elements to be the main elements, but on every track he allows himself to shine for brief periods, and he does an amazing job of it. Songs like “Abduction”, “Beyond the Stars” and “Bon Voyage” have some fantastic melodies and melodic solos, while on “Conspiracy Revealed” and“Gabriel” he injects a bit energy to the songs with some great riffs. The latter in particular starts off with the heaviest guitar work on the album, and it turns into one of the faster, more power metal oriented tracks, as well as one of my favorites.

Most tracks have at least occasional heavy sections and bursts of speed, but it’s the vocals and symphonic elements that win out most of the time. Another personal favorite is “I Want to Believe”, a ballad where the early sections allow Alfred to showcase his ever improving vocals, and then as the song goes on the choirs become more and more central to the song, until it turns into something incredibly epic and larger than life. Some of the songs have a bit of a broadway musical vibe to them at times, as well as some Queen influences, where everything just gets insanely over the top and cheesy, but in delightful ways.

I especially notice this on “Bon Voyage”, which starts off as more of a laid back mid tempo track, until about halfway through when the choirs kick in and it turns into something very theatrical and super cheesy. I was initially put off by this, but over time I’ve found myself blown away by just how impressive the arrangements are and just how epic the whole thing sounds, in a delightfully cheesy sort of way. Likewise, the closing track “There’s Something in the Skies” initially turned me off, as after its soft piano driven first half, it suddenly takes a turn into musical like territory, with an end sequence that may bother some people with its rather odd and unexpected lyrics, though after several listens the song has grown into one of my favorites, even though I’d consider it about as far away from usual Dark Moor as they could possibly get, without outright trolling their fans. If anything, it just shows the band fully willing to evolve and take risks, as this track in particular, as well as much of the album in general, is certainly not something I would have imagined the band doing around six years ago when I first heard their music, but in some warped kind of way it just works.

Even the weird extended intro and outro of “Imperial Earth” work, and the itself is another excellent mid tempo symphonic track with occasional heavy bursts and an extremely awesome chorus. The one other song I haven’t mentioned yet is “The Existence”, a super melodic mid tempo track that would have fit in great on “Ars Musica”. It’s less theatrical than some of the other tracks, but it’s an excellent track and it fits in well with the overall modern style Dark Moor is going for nowadays.

While I was initially disappointed by Project X and its experiments with gospel choirs as well as its increased emphasis on a more theatrical sound, several listens have left me blown away by what the band has pulled off, and if anything I now consider it one of my favorite Dark Moor albums. Fans of their earlier albums may be in for a rude awakening, but fans of symphonic metal and melodic metal in general are highly recommended to give it at least a few listens, as it’s proven to be by far my biggest grower of the year.

originally written for myglobalmind.com: (http://myglobalmind.com/2015/10/30/dark-moor-project-x-review/)

Note: This is actually an old review I wrote a couple years ago, yet somehow never got around to publishing here until now, which is odd for me.

DARK MOOR Ars Musica

Album · 2013 · Symphonic Metal
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
FemmeMetalWebzine
(Originally published @ FMW http://smarturl.it/DarkMoor)

Review by Tony Cannella

Remember when the Spanish symphonic metal band Dark Moor had a female singer? It seems like ages ago since the band released their last album “The Gates of Oblivion” with Elisa C. Martin on vocals. Actually it was 2002 and it was such a great album, as were the two that preceded it. Unfortunately Elisa departed soon after the release of “The Gates of Oblivion” and was replaced by the male vocalist Alfred Romero and he has remained a fixture in the band ever since. That is not to criticize the band. Alfred Romero has added his own unique style to the Dark Moor sound and he has been with them long enough to carve his own niche as their lead singer. Plus, he does a damn good job. Now the band returns with their 9th album “Ars Musica”. On this album Dark Moor utilizes female singers on background vocals and it gives the material some richness and enhances the music and songs.

The intro “Ars Musica” sets an eerie, cinematic vibe and segues into the bouncy, power metal drive of “First Lance of Spain”. This song has an extremely memorable chorus and a strong melody. The guitar harmonies begin the ultra-melodic mid-tempo number “This Is My Way”. This song has a high accessibility factor and could appeal to a wide audience. The tempo picks up with the next track “The Road Again”. This is one of the best songs here and the presence of female opera singers on background vocals only enhances the song. “Together As Ever” is another melodic masterpiece and just a great all around song. Other highlights include: “The City of Peace”, “Living In A Nightmare” and the Spanish language “El Ultimo Rey”. Dark Moor is truly one of the most symphonic bands out there and they really are enamored with the whole symphony thing and they do get a lot out of it. The whole thing is completed with the final two bonus tracks, and acoustic version of “The Road Again” and the orchestral version of “Living in a Nightmare”.

In my opinion, “Ars Musica” is the best album that Dark Moor has done in many years, certainly the best that they’ve done with Alfred Romero on vocals but I am sure that can be debated amongst their fans. Wherever your loyalties lie, Dark Moor has always and will continue to supply symphonic metal majesty with their music.

Rating – 85/100

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Kassimatis wrote:
more than 2 years ago
An excellent power metal band!! Make sure you grab 'The gates of oblivion', 'The Hall of the Olden dreams' and 'Beyond the Sea'. Great melodies, great energy, great vocals, great solos. There are no dull moments, I promise!!
aiylyn wrote:
more than 2 years ago
Holy crap! The Gates of Oblivion came out of nowhere and blew me away! I was already familiar with the more popular (stateside) powermetal bands like Guardian or Rhapsody, but this lesser-profile band is just as good as any of the big names! You can do no wrong with this album, everything is as it should be: epic songwriting, tight musicianship, and great production. There's not a whole lot to say; if you're familiar with power metal, you really need to get to know Dark Moor!

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