Moonspell
The Antidote (Century Media)
by Martin Popoff
Maintaining their reputation as artists above category, Moonspell create an album that contains yet eludes comparison to their sprawling, panoramic body of work. Suffice to say that The Antidote is a record of high relief, offering crunching, sinister chords jarred by modern gloomy passages that recall the Paradise Lost albums of recent years. Two prominent characteristics occur, however. One is the warm, thick, high volume rhythm section of Mike Gaspar’s often tribal drums and the front-in-mix guest bass work of Amorphis’ Niclas Etelavuori. The second being Ribeiro’s array of vocal personalities, especially his oft-used and very intimate and resonant David Sylvian croon.
(2323 W. El Segundo Blvd. Hawthorne, CA 90250)