Moonspell

Sin/Pecado (Century Media)
by Scott Hefflon

Portugal’s answer to Type O Negative, Moonspell follow their majestic Irreligious with a 13-song, 60+ minute epic produced, again, by the talented Waldemar Sorychta. Sin/Pecado pushes even further into Gothic territories, yet retains hints of their folk traditions, and enunciation that lends itself well to darkly atmospheric music. Still “metal” in a doomy way, Moonspell uses melodies surprisingly uplifting and “poppy.” Not in the sense of puffy pop pastries, but in the sense that Moonspell’s melodies are intelligent and touch on something deep in the heart. A flair for grandeur, yes, but a deep baritone with an old-world romantic accent atop dreamy synths, heavily-echoed acoustics, or dramatic powerchords does have a tendency to strut its stuff. An odd moment or two of slick dance beats (empty Eurotrash fashion, not half-naked tribalism) and lighter-waving power ballads interrupt Sin/Pecado‘s flow, but bands are more than welcome to explore musical possibilities in a world with instantaneous track skipping.