HEILAGMANOTH

I was quite mislead with the band's profile and the comparison with the great "Renaissance". IMHHO, this has nothing to do with it. This album is quite bizarre. After an almost "Eternal Eclipse?" (title of their previous album released in 99), the band comes band with a totally new line-up (but one).

The music is still dark and at times it sounds folkish, or classical ,or heavy, or metal or gothic. Nothing too close from what I prefer to be honest. In their previous album, I compared their music to "Nightwish". The same feeling prevails for "Tales From The Ninth Wave". Very nice fluting though. "Beowulf" is pretty close as well.

My fave track is "La Casa Dell' Alchimista". A poignant song which mixes some of the influences I mentioned above. Still, I don't like very much the signing style of Francesca Naccarelli here. She has a beautiful voice but creates some excesses which aren't necessary. In this respect, the song which is the closest to the great Italian symph I like so much is the remarkable "Guardians Of The Treshold". The delicacy of the acoustic parts, the flute and the wonderful vocal harmonies are a very good moment, for sure.

After all, this is their best effort so far (but this was not a daunting task to release). Even if some parts of the album are pompous and somewhat metal oriented, it is compensated with fine and delicate instrumental passages of which the flute (of course!) conveys such a nice piece of emotion.

Their classical approach is felt during the first part of "Il Falso Principio"; after a while it turns into an orgy of vocals / choir that could lead you to drunkenness?Strange song indeed. Their earlier folkish style can be shared again while you listen to "The Flying Fear" or "Terra di Ambra Neve e Fuoco Nero". Some good Celtic flavour (quite strange from an Italian band, though). Very much "Iona" oriented.

This album combines several musical genres (but very little of the Italian one). From medieval atmospheres to heavy metal. Quite a programme!

Three stars.