Found these folks through their first instalment, “Requiem”, about three years ago; very atmospheric operatic, church mass-like stuff that made me think that they were representatives of the Christian metal movement, also due to the strongly God-oriented lyrics… music-wise, however, they exercised fairly effective epic doom of the more laid-back, quasi-balladic type.

Three years later things are on a different scale; this isn’t music strictly for the church goers anymore although the delivery remains within the epic doom metal confines, truly compelling elegiac sorrowful stuff that will bring to mind early When Heaven Wept (think “Of Empires Forlorn”, above all). The approach is more dynamic than the one from the debut, and one should be fully satisfied with the bouncy veneer of “How Heavy Do I Journey” which marches seismically guided by excellent clean emotional vocals, a steady near-hypnotic performer who never stretches his vocal cords towards the high parametres, but exudes passion and authority all over. The sombre academic clout of this masterpiece is the main building block here, with only the playful stoner-y “Will” and the energetic faster-paced “Why” diversifying the setting the latter welcoming a supreme doom opus after another, with near-funereal trips (“No Longer Mourn for Me”) respectfully making way for a tad more optimistic jumpier numbers (“Thine Eyes”), the gorgeous lyrical balladic procession “No! Time” enhancing the instilled gravity with its dark gothic grandeur, a most poignant saga that alone makes this album a must-listen for doom metal fans, not to mention the brilliant keyboard-ornated “Love's Not Time's Fool”, a dropout from Theatre of Tragedy’s “Aegis” due to its more intense, more overtly doomy character and its bewitching melodic lead guitar work .

Totally arresting music, a feast for the fans of the antediluvian slow-motion tactics although quite frequently the band reach the mid-paced trajectories here; this is far from the dirgy and the ponderous, it’s vivid and mournful at the same time the guys seeing more than just the obligatory light in the tunnel at the end of their largely morose journey, spicing their dark repertoire with brighter strokes but always making sure they don’t blind the grief-prone audience. I can totally see the Moon trading its mortal status for an immortal one under these heavy, majestically stomping sounds… how many more sorrowful elegies of the kind the band will need before toppling over Moon… sorry, Mirror of Deception from the throne of German doom, that no one can tell for sure. One thing is for certain, though: this team are on the right track to reaching there… a few more lunar strains should get the job done.

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