Armed with a love of Beethoven & a continuation of the European fascination with keyboards, Dark Moor offers Tarot as their 7th recording. This is a conceptual release whereas each song represents a particular card in a tarot deck and its resulting implication on everyday life is foretold. This evocative theme is delivered in a thoroughly modern & expansive production with clean style vocals and a sonic bombast more dramatic than progressive. At times, the sound can be a little Peter Pan like with its whimsical symphonic flourishes and tingly theatrics, but there is a level of depth to the arrangements undeniable, particularly in the vocals. The song 'Devil In The Tower' comes to mind because its filled with everything you can think of vocally from rounds to harmonies; culminating in a dramatic breakdown that finds both male and female vocals singing "The Devil!", "The Devil!!", The Devil!!!". I guess its not all bad, but if you can imagine ABBA going heavy metal you're getting close. In that I mean-- there is a certain harmonic aspect that is melodically and technically worth a measure of respect, but the catch is… It's accompanied by an underlying aspect of cheese that's hard to forgive if you are not so inclined. In the bands defense-- there are some really good guitar solos found here and in spite of some of the peculiarities, the playing effectively navigates the tribulations of the "ups and downs" of everyday existence; while making more effective/constructive use of the trendy female vocal style that cause many others to falter in mediocrity. Overall, there is also a little more thought being put in here than you're average digital bitch and for the most part, I would call this a success. However, those not indigenous to the power metal tradition would be wise to hearken and listen to a few songs before diving in.
Track Listing
1. Magician
2. Chariot
3. Star
4. Wheel Of Fortune
5. Emperor
6. Devil In The Tower
7. Death
8. Lovers
9. Hanged Man
10. The Moon
11. The Fool (Bonus Track)
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