Artist: Mournful Moon
Country: Greece
Label: His Wounds
Formats: LP
Year: 2025
Those who heard the band’s previous two outings will testify that Mournful Moon is truly something special. With 2020’s ‘...As Shadows Fall Over Zenitheaen’-EP and especially the ‘Rose Velvet Dynasty’ debut album from 2022 the Greek band laid something exceptional to the table. Although the musical recipe isn’t something that hasn’t been done before, but the way the band weaves it all together is what makes them feel like one of a kind. Their dreamy and melodic blend of Dark Ambient, Dungeon Synth with Black Metal on the one hand and the rough-as-sandpaper vocals on the other is pretty much unparalleled. Great, then, was the excitement at the announcement of a new album, which eventually materialized in ‘Twilight, My Passion’, wrapped in yet another beautiful cover.
And just as there was an evident step taken in terms of progression and musical finesse from the first EP to the debut album, there’s another one that leads unto this sophomore record. Those were very much enamoured with the rough and crude vocals, contrasting the otherwise dreamlike music, do have something to adjust to though. Although, the basic building blocks of Mournful Moon’s music are very much present, the intensity and overall outlook of some have changed a bit.
Those trademark vocals have been changed for a milder way of singing, not only are they less prominent in the mix, they certainly also are significantly rough. That means the rawer side of the band, as shown on the previous recordings, have diminished greatly. That leaves quite a bit of space open, which is filled with an even more prominent use of keyboards and atmospheric elements. Consequently, ‘Twilight, My Passion’ is a far more melodic and I daresay accessible record than the band’s preceding offerings. It is not all too surprising to see the first reactions to be a bit hesitant, as the band somewhat gave up their uniqueness with ditching these signature rough vocals.
Still, this new album is another example of strong song crafting, even so much that it is hard to tell the different songs apart. On the one hand that results in a very coherent record that really feels like one piece of art, on the other hand, though, the album feels like one long track and as a result the attention span is challenged. Fortunately, there is a bit more dynamics put into this recording, mostly in a more diverse use of rhythms. Which is no luxury, as also the guitar tone feels less sharp and textured as before. Add to this a more clean production and, there you have it, an album that is rather easy to digest. Yet, it is also an album that, thanks to being more light-hearted, is rather easy to listen to a few times – even in succession, to let it grow on you.
As a whole, ‘Twilight, My Passion’ is a great record that offers much to those who are into well-composed and Atmospheric Black Metal, yet I think it is a “listen first”-album for people who were heavily into ‘Rose Velvet Dynasty’. Regardless of your personal taste, Mournful Moon proves to be a very talented duo and it sparks the curiosity of where the band will develop further.
