Ferrum Site (Litwa)

VALINOR "Hidden Beauty" - the beauty is hidden too deep?

Four years passed and Polish VALINOR reminded about their existence. The reality is the second album named "Hidden Beauty". I just remember my enjoyment when I listened to the previous creation then. The effect was so strong that I just expected to see the bands' live show in Lithuania once. But everything changes and today VALINOR seems to be not so potent and interesting. Maybe charm of compositions according to the title is masked somehow? Just look at those.
Prologue is not exclusive in any point. The music is clearly lacking of previous voyage to bewitching wilds of darkness, folk music, death and melody. The first impression is also supported by second track holding mix of traditional black and death metal ordinary and dry if not to say trite. Where disappeared former colorful, attractive, quite original sympho-black sounding? Title track should be exclusive in some view, isn't it? Next 3 compositions are also not special so what a shame that really perspective band was affected by certain impact and just turned to quite unimpressive act.
The situation moderately changes to better side in 6th song that is instrumental analogue of the title one. It appears to be melodic, lyrical and really fresh, in contrast to routine first side of the album. Sure enough "Requiem" is also more exciting although here you can find almost standard death metal after rather technical guitar passages. I even could note there is some touch with AMON AMARTH. And that's argue to little chance to the band wishing to be distinguished among dozed Polish metal commands and to navigate to wide water. Symphonic intro to "The Bloodless Face" promises pretty impressions. And really, eventually you can feel the track to be one of the most exciting and assorted in the whole album taking into account both the sounding and the turnover of instruments. But suddenly you hear an epilogue and you bloodless face makes you to conclude in general "Hidden Beauty" to be so-so step. It seems to be too little mature and chaotic for the long living band. Maybe there come to face the lack of ideas or the attempt to imitate famous bands in order to rise themselves? Anyway such formula cannot help today if not even disturb.
Epilogue is so angry, combative, seems like carrying lightning and thunder. Consequently the album is finished and it is too short in the modern scale. One should be confused as the formerly much promising band decayed in 2.5 points instead of the progress. Unhappily but that's true.

Value: 6.5/10.