(Melodic Heavy Metal) Mooncry - Rivers Of Heart - 2010, WavPack (image+.cue), lossless

Wow, what a difference a few years can make. German Metal band MOONCRY released their debut, “Legacy Of Hope,” back in 2008. The album was a fairly tepid affair that straddled the line between Gothic Metal and Power Metal. It was a well-thought-out attempt at marrying aggression with depression, but in the end, the album simply ended up being as exciting as watching paint dry. However, this is 2010, not 2008, and “Rivers Of Heart” is certainly not the limp-wristed affair that “Legacy Of Hope” was.

Probably the biggest change from “Legacy Of Hope” to “Rivers Of Heart” is the dramatic improvement in vocal quality. Sali Hasan seems to have really found his voice on this record. Rather than singing in the sort of neutral register he used on “Legacy Of Hope,” Hasan seems to have opted for a deeper tone, one that’s almost a growl. At times, he even sort of sounds like Joakim Broden, the mohawked SABATON vocalist. At any rate, Hasan’s sharpened vocal prowess gives the music an edge that it very desperately needed, turning songs like the album opener “Seconds In Time” into ball-crushers.

Speaking of “Seconds In Time,” the song details another interesting change from the previous album: most of the songs are pretty damn heavy. There’s less of a focus on soft, introspective passages this time, and the music sounds much more forceful. Stylistically, the overall sound is very similar to Power Metal, but Hasan’s growly vocals sometimes evoke tiny bits of Thrash, while the keyboards and lyrical matter are both distinctly Gothic. Even a song like “Ghosts Of Mind,” which starts off with a moody Goth passage, quickly turns into a blistering double-bass-fest. The injection of both speed and chaos is fantastically welcome.

Fortunately, the best thing about “Legacy Of Hope” makes a triumphant return. Guitarist Berti Miller lays down the notes like he was born to do it, setting up “Ghosts Of Mind” with a pretty neat main riff, shifting to a set of proggy rhythms, then ripping up a blazing solo halfway through the song. He even breaks out the ol’ acoustic guitar for the intro of “Hopeless Play,” creating a calm, GRAND FUNK-ish melody that makes one yearn for green pastures. The guitar line proves its versatility when Hasan begins singing; it no longer sounds like old-time Classic Rock, but rather like normal Goth Rock. A littler airer, and it could’ve sounded like PINK FLOYD; add a few violins, and it could’ve sounded like NIGHTWISH. Once again, Miller proves that he’s got chops to spare.

“Rivers Of Heart” can rightly be called MOONCRY’s turnaround album. They’ve deftly fixed everything that was wrong with “Legacy Of Hope,” creating a sophomore effort that’s heavier, more emotional, and far more interesting than its predecessor. Power Metal fans who are tired of falsetto vocals and lyrics about dragons may find solace in MOONCRY’s dark embrace.

Sali Hasan: vocals
Berthold Miller: guitars
Enrico Hahn: keyboards
Alexander Schwenk: bass
Peter Zimre: drums