Nucleus Torn – Andromeda Awaiting (2011)

As the last part of a trilogy, “Andromeda Awaiting” closes of the band’s previous two albums “Nihil” and “Knell” with a very melodramatic sound of beautifully constructed neo-classical/neo-folk pieces. Produced and written by Fredy Schnyder, this album has the same cinematic feeling that the band’s previous releases have presented us and provides a peaceful closure to a 4 year writing period.

The beautiful vocals of Maria D'Alessandro adorn this release since the opening track and provide a very solemn performance that at some points (like on “II”) will give you the chills. On the other side we have some male vocals on here and there that give that extra touch to this release to make it a very personal and emotive.

Other tracks like “III” need no use of vocals to create beautiful imagery and showcase the band’s musical abilities in creating songs that transmit something to the listener. “IV” features a faster pace and makes this very ‘chaotic’ at some points giving the feeling of distress in this song. “V” calms the listener once more with crystal clear sounding guitars and hypnotic passages.

The closing epic “VI” lasts 15 minutes and is a complete emotional rollercoaster from beginning to end. The cellos work majestically with the piano and the minimalist drumming. Both male and female vocals are excellent and the slowdown section helps to keep the listener at peace for a while until the climax of the release.

Overall, we have to say that for fans of Neo-folk/Neo-classical music, we can’t get any better than “Andromeda Awaiting”. The band has set a new standard on how their future work will be measured, and will be quite hard to surpass such a lush release. “Andromeda Waiting” is a definite must buy album for all the fans of the bands that Prophecy and Lupus Lounge release.

Release: Janurary 11th, 2011

Country: Switzerland