MOONLIGHT HAZE
Beyond
Scarlet Records
“Beyond” is the eagerly awaited fourth studio album from Italian symphonic metal maestros MOONLIGHT HAZE. With their impressive portfolio already home to 2019 debut “De Rerum Natura”, 2020’s “Lunaris” and 2022’s “Animus” we are sincerely hoping for and anticipating more of the same great songs that we have all grown to love.
So, having already set such a very high standard with their previous three albums, can MOONLIGHT HAZE once again raise the bar a couple of notches or is it “Beyond” them? Well, as is usual we at Female Fronted Power go above and “Beyond” to investigate for you!
For fans of modern metal with its rapid quick-fire delivery and a hard pop edge there are staples like “Untold”, “D.N.A. (Do Not Apologize)”, and the sugary sweet “Crystallized” to appease the masses. These catchy tunes will be devoured with relish, enticing the listener to come back time and again for an extra serving or two.
Connoisseurs hunting the world high and low in search of some mighty fine modern power metal will absolutely love tracks like “Chase The Light” with its wonderful harmonies or the awe inspiring, fist pumping “Would You Dare?” which firmly grab your attention right from the off. On the other hand, you may prefer the brooding symphonic elements of “Tame The Storm” with its superb injection of operatic vocals or the luxuriously indulgent “Time To Go” which even has a morsel of brutal vocals thrown into the mix for those who like something with a bit more bite.
The standout tracks on the album for me are title track “Beyond” which plays out like a dreamy Disney fairytale with its lovely piano melody and angelic vocals, giving it a cinematic musical feel. Sung in their native language “L’Eco Del Silenzio” is a heavenly alchemy of stunning vocals, acoustic guitar and violin which is simply magnifico! Then there is banging earworm “Awakening” which has been on repeat every day on my stereo since I first heard it. If you haven’t ever checked out MOONLIGHT HAZE before then by listening to this track you will have an awakening to exactly what this band can do and how good they really are.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to hear or review the two bonus tracks that are being released with physical copies of “Beyond”, but judging by the rest of the album I am pretty sure that “A Brand New Sky” (CD) and “Alive Again” (vinyl) are going to be excellent quality songs too.
“Beyond” is an absorbing and enjoyable blue-ribbon album that demonstrates to the whole of the symphonic metal world that MOONLIGHT HAZE are right up there with the very cream of the crop in this superbly competitive genre. Fans of not only symphonic metal but power metal and modern metal too are all going to find something on “Beyond” that resonates with them and draws them to it. So not just for that reason, but also because I believe it is their most accomplished work to date, I think the stars are now fully aligned for “Beyond” to do exceptionally well for MOONLIGHT HAZE, propelling them on to even bigger and better things in the future! Highly recommended!
Mark Waight