Moonspell - Hermitage (2021)

Portugese legends Moonspell mark their return with a very unique and captivating release titled “Hermitage”. Featuring over 52 minutes of very emotive and dreamy music, the band will surely surprise their fans with this melancholic Gothic/Dark Metal release. With a darker edge to their sound, this release takes a bit to sink in, but once it does, it delivers some of the finest musical moments the band has ever produced.

The release kicks off with the mysterious “The Greater Good” and its crafty drumming alongside enigmatic atmospherics and subtle layered guitars. Fernando Ribeiro’s signature deep vocals give that extra element of mystery to this track as he goes from clean passages to harsh sections. The enigmatic atmosphere continues with the hard rocking opening of “Common Prayers”, a song that slowly introduces additional atmospheric elements and a very epic bass guitar line.

In the mellower and more experimental realms, tracks like “All or Nothing”, “Solitarian” and “Entitlement” have a certain psychedelic edge to them, while the band’s traditional catchiness and aggression are perfectly balanced in the brilliant album title track. Our favorite track has to be the epic “The Hermit Saints” and its lush vocal arrangements perfectly overlaid on top of the band’s signature melodic guitars. This track certainly blends both the uniqueness of the release’s different elements, and the band’s timeless sound.

Closing the release with the killer guitar leads of “Apoptheghmata” and the lush atmospheric mellowness of “Without Rule”, Moonspell manages to show a different side to themselves while retaining the band’s signature elements. While it might be hard to get into this release at first, all elements masterfully come together to create a very moody release that is both introspective and quite aggressive. If you are a fan of the band, and don’t mind their daring experimentations, “Hermitage” will be one of your favorite releases from them.

Label: Napalm Records

Release: February 26th, 2021

Genre: Gothic/Dark Metal

Country: Portugal