Morrigan's Pit (Holandia)

Valinor hail from Poland and already exist since 1993. In 1997 they released their first record (EP) "Remembrance". The recordings for this full length CD, "It Is Night", already started in 1998 and were finished in late 2001. After some line-up changes the band signed with the Polish label Apocalypse Production: in 2002 "Remembrance" was released on a split-CD with Dira Mortis and in 2003 "It Is Night" was re-released. A while ago I received "It Is Night" to review, but since this release they have been writing new material and changed singers, finalny ready to get ahead with the band.

But for now this CD is the best way to get to know Valinor. And for everybody who likes atmospheric (and bombastic, epic) metal it's worth the effort to go to their website and check out their songs. Their style is a mix of melodic black, death and classic metal, with keyboards and choirs to build great atmospheres. The songs are diverse and the vocals too: clean, death and choir vocals. Now the choirs and the death vocals are really great. The low clean vocals of Jakub however are not, they are plain and sometimes out of key (but since this recording they've changed singers, so hopefully it's better by now). Despite that the songs stay interesting with all the variation, changes, hooks and great melodic riffs by guitarists Ernest Garstka and Piotr Rucki. All the songs have these ingredients, but "... God Or god?" stands out with the bombastic classical intro, "It Is Night" with its hooks, "In The Mist... Part III" with its Maiden-esque riffs and "Falseness And Struggle" has some awesome thrash and sluggish death parts. That song may be less atmospheric, but much more aggressive and in-your face and therefore my personal favorite of the CD :)

This CD makes me curious about their newer material and I hope that we will soon hear more (just with better clean vocals ;)) of these Polish guys!

Note: 4/5
submitted by Marlies 10.06.2006