WOLFHEART

Wolfheart is the debut album by Portugese goth rock/ dark metal legends Moonspell. I was introduced to Moonspell via this album and I remember that it was considered a very groundbreaking album in the metal community at the time of its release in 1995. There are 8 songs on the album while there is a bonus track called Ataegina ( one of a few songs on the album with Portugese lyrics. The other being Trebaruna) on the limited digi-pack version. The album was released on Century Media records and produced by prolific metal producer Waldemar Sorychta ( Tiamat, Grip Inc....etc.)

The music is a mix of death/ black metal and goth rock with a few hints to folk metal. A style of music that has since become very popular. Back then it wasn´t as normal though and as such this album is pretty original. The music is not very brutal and while Fernando Ribeiro semi-growls on the album he actually has more in common with Andrew Eldritch ( The sisters of Mercy) than he has with the brutal growls of a contemporary like Nick Holmes ( early Paradise Lost. They have a lot in common if you compare how Nick Holmes sounds on later releases from Paradise Lost). The music is very melodic and even when the death/ black metal elements are dominant the music is still melodic. I would put this album in the same catagory as the music played in the same period by bands like Paradise Lost, Cemetary, Tiamat and Amorphis ( there are differences of course, but it´s meant to create a picture of the kind of music style I´m talking about). At times the goth atmosphere reminds me of a band like Type O Negative too. All songs are well composed and this is quite dynamic music. Fernando Ribeiro theatrical vocal style suits the music very well. I always enjoyed the Vampiria song greatly but all songs are good. Female vocals and keyboards are included to help create the dark mood in the music.

The musicianship is good without being really impressive. This is not complex music.

The production by Waldemar Sorychta is professional and well sounding.

Wolfheart was a groundbreaking album in the goth rock/ dark metal genre, but while I always found it a good album I never really found it excellent. Fans of the genre will probably disagree and praise the album much more than I do though. To my ears this is a 3 star album.