CoC : Morrigu - The Niobium Sky : Review

Morrigu - _The Niobium Sky_
(Dark Balance, 2009)
by: Quentin Kalis (6.5 out of 10)

Morrigu may attract attention due to their connection with Swiss folk metal overlords Eluveitie (they share a drummer) and it need not be said that they would only be able to retain such attention on their own merits. Unfortunately, this is lacking. This is not due to the musicianship or song-writing -- _The Niobium Sky_ is literally bursting with infectious choruses and melancholic rhythms that fully justify the "dark emotional metal" tag. Perhaps a bit unadventurous, but solid and enjoyable -- at least until the vocals kick in and the overwrought and overly dramatic singing overrides the music. Such pomposity would be bearable in smaller doses, but the singer does not let up, not for a single song, turning what is supposed to be "emotional" into the laughable and the theatrical. To be fair, he does appear to have an expressive and comparatively powerful voice; it's just overdone. This is the major flaw of this album, and if he turned it down a few notches this might comfortably compete with the likes of Sentenced.

Contact: http://www.morrigu.ch

(article published 2/4/2010)