Victor Entertainment
2012
1. Prologue
2. Free Your Soul
3. Fountain Of My Pleasure
4. And Forever More
5. Black Fairy
6. The End Of The Beginning
7. Valhalla
8. Midsummer Eve
9. Hell
10. Kiri No Requiem
11. Land Of Spirit
12. Immortals
13. Oogon No Namida
14. Voyage
15. Free Your Soul (Reprise)
Not sure if Liv Moon is going for the most prolific artist award or what, but this is the second album I'm reviewing from her/the band this year. Between her releasing in 2009, 2010, and 2011 as well this is a pretty remarkable rate the band is writing and recording albums at. No real complaints since I have liked them all, but it does seem a little like this will be a hard pace to maintain.
After listening to The End Of The Beginning, my predictions from the start seem to ring true. This is a pace that's going to be impossible to maintain and the band might want to take a bit more of a break between albums/songwriting sessions. Nothing here is bad by any stretch, but this album does not quite have the same impact on me as the last two. A lot of what is here is good, but familiar straight up symphonic metal. It boils down to highlights for me and I don't really find an unforgettable tune here.
Certainly, there is good production, good singing, and some pretty solid melodies and instrumentation too. All in all though, this does seem like a slightly less interesting version of the past couple. This isn't a huge slip and certainly not an irreparable one. I just kinda listened to this without finding huge highlights and it's missing some of the quirky notes of the last couple. The only song that's a little bit different, The End Of The Beginning, doesn't really succeed. Funny that the title track should be my least favorite, but I don't like the weird blast beat sounding speed ups in this one at all. Just sounds kind of discordant and does nothing for me.
The best track on here is probably And Forever More which is a nice duet. Nothing I haven't heard before and it seems like every female fronted band does at least One of these, but it's catchy and well done. Think of Within Temptation's What Have You Done now and the like. The others I highlighted are pretty much above average symphonic metal. Nothing hugely Different, but the best tracks do have some nice flowing melodies. Unfortunately, these do come early and the album is a little front loaded.
The End Of The Beginning is basically a symphonic band doing well, but not quite finding those Special songs. All in all though, Liv Moon is still enjoyable and offers a good sound. I'd say if you're first checking out Liv Moon try Golden Moon, but this is worth it for her fans and serious fans of female fronted symphonic metal.
Highlights: And Forever More, Black Fairy, Fountain Of My Pleasure, Free Your Soul
Rating - 3.5/5
2. Free Your Soul
3. Fountain Of My Pleasure
4. And Forever More
5. Black Fairy
6. The End Of The Beginning
7. Valhalla
8. Midsummer Eve
9. Hell
10. Kiri No Requiem
11. Land Of Spirit
12. Immortals
13. Oogon No Namida
14. Voyage
15. Free Your Soul (Reprise)
Not sure if Liv Moon is going for the most prolific artist award or what, but this is the second album I'm reviewing from her/the band this year. Between her releasing in 2009, 2010, and 2011 as well this is a pretty remarkable rate the band is writing and recording albums at. No real complaints since I have liked them all, but it does seem a little like this will be a hard pace to maintain.
After listening to The End Of The Beginning, my predictions from the start seem to ring true. This is a pace that's going to be impossible to maintain and the band might want to take a bit more of a break between albums/songwriting sessions. Nothing here is bad by any stretch, but this album does not quite have the same impact on me as the last two. A lot of what is here is good, but familiar straight up symphonic metal. It boils down to highlights for me and I don't really find an unforgettable tune here.
Certainly, there is good production, good singing, and some pretty solid melodies and instrumentation too. All in all though, this does seem like a slightly less interesting version of the past couple. This isn't a huge slip and certainly not an irreparable one. I just kinda listened to this without finding huge highlights and it's missing some of the quirky notes of the last couple. The only song that's a little bit different, The End Of The Beginning, doesn't really succeed. Funny that the title track should be my least favorite, but I don't like the weird blast beat sounding speed ups in this one at all. Just sounds kind of discordant and does nothing for me.
The best track on here is probably And Forever More which is a nice duet. Nothing I haven't heard before and it seems like every female fronted band does at least One of these, but it's catchy and well done. Think of Within Temptation's What Have You Done now and the like. The others I highlighted are pretty much above average symphonic metal. Nothing hugely Different, but the best tracks do have some nice flowing melodies. Unfortunately, these do come early and the album is a little front loaded.
The End Of The Beginning is basically a symphonic band doing well, but not quite finding those Special songs. All in all though, Liv Moon is still enjoyable and offers a good sound. I'd say if you're first checking out Liv Moon try Golden Moon, but this is worth it for her fans and serious fans of female fronted symphonic metal.
Highlights: And Forever More, Black Fairy, Fountain Of My Pleasure, Free Your Soul
Rating - 3.5/5
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