REQUIEM - MEZZO FORTE

This is a beautiful album. I have never enjoyed (or even wanted to enjoy, for that matter) gothic music. It seemed too slow, too depressing, and just too boring to keep my interest. That is, until I found this little cd. At first listen, it can be described as a slow- paced, kind of depressing venture with a mix of death metal and classical (particularly Romantic-era) music. This cd sat in my iTunes playlist for quite sometime before I gave it another try. This time, something clicked. The soundscapes finally hit, and I was hooked. This is just beautiful music.

What we have is a perfect mix of past and present with a depressing yet still hopeful message. This is a Christian band (if you don't believe me, check out the lyrics). It seemed a little hypocritical to have a Christian band singing about many bleak and depressing things, but there is always hope left in the songs. It is more introspective that I had initially perceived.

The music follows almost an arch form, with similar first and last songs. Most movements of a Mass are represented here, including the gorgeous but lamentful Lacrymosa. The music is not very technical; the focus is more on beauty. The singing is almost all operatic, except for hints of death metal vocals scattered throughout. There is nothing overly spectacular about it, but it is strong nonetheless.

To dissect this album would be a disservice. As mentioned, there is nothing overly spectacular by itself, but put together as a whole, there is not a note out of place. Every song builds perfectly to a strong climax and my favorite for this is the second track, In Death. This is just the perfect musical journey to go on that may have its depressing moments, but ends hopefully. I don't know about anyone else, but this is an absolutely essential album in my music collection. It really takes me to another world., and that is the best compliment I can give a band.