Klasma Zine # 11 (Niemcy)

Okay, now some older material to the ears. VALINOR is a polish band which started the career back in '93. Several line-up changes obstructed the growth, that's why just two appreciable releases were created. If I read the info sheet the right way, VALINOR are now writing new songs for an album to come and are attempting for a record label. The search will be hard one. What is delivered via "It is night", is simply average food (on the other hand record companies don't fear this). Although I can attest to VALINOR, that they are able to create catchy songs. Nine tracks are on this album. It's not easy to give them a simple drawer. the basic frame is a combination of Power and Black Metal. Especially in the first half at "... god or god?", "The world and the dream" and the title track this mixture was used. Also the final "Your love" can be put in this drawer. Furthermore there is "In the mist...", subdivided in part 1 to 3, in which VALINOR bring in epic choirs and much influences of Viking Metal. The keyboard, sometimes two of it, is almost permanently present in the compositions of the polish guys. Just the entire combination which is delivered with "It is night", is even too mazy and tries to be liked by too much tastes. Clean vocals, epic vocals, Black Metal shrieking, Gothic-like alternating voices and eunuch wailing are to hear, as well as sweetish guitar solos and heavy Black Metal shredding. Neither fish nor flesh after all, even there are are many hooks. Some of the whole stuff acts unfitting. To the end VALINOR really surprise me a bit. "Chasing the moral's luxury" and "Falseness and struggle" are quite cool skull breakers, mostly rumbling in Black Metal fields. The drums get more space, the guitars become more direct, the vocals lesser clean. If I had my way, I wish that VALINOR just put tracks on the new album like the mentioned last two.

Micha.