This beginning of the year 2025 has given us two very good symphonic metal albums, 'Pearl Hunting' by 'Belle Morte' and 'Rhapsody of Life' by 'Worlds Beyond' and, it's still symphonic metal with the Germans of 'Morla Memoria' who release their 3rd studio recording, after 'Follow the Wind' from 2014 and 'Mine of Pictures'. Led by siblings Leandra and Theo Johne, they have concocted twelve new original compositions, the whole presenting a beautiful diversity of moods showing influences from several major groups of this style. After taking us into the fantasy novel 'The Neverending Story' by the German writer 'Michael Ende', they take us on a journey through different stories featuring modern-day explorers, for example with different expeditions to remote places on our planet, such as the Franklin expedition from 1845 to 1848 ('Lost Expedition') or Sigi Löw's expedition to Nanga Parbat in 1970 ('Brothers') or with scientific discoveries such as the work of 'Marie Curie' on radioactivity ('Radium')
The first three compositions set the scene for a classic symphonic metal that takes us back to the tenors of the genre: we are welcomed by 'Lots Expedition' which highlights the lyrical singing of the soprano 'Leandra Johne' in a well-marked tempo conducive to headbanging, reminiscent of the deployed atmospheres of Leaves' Eyes', then 'Reckless Game' continues in this very muscular atmosphere with beautiful rhythmic variations and intensities, and 'The Unknown' deploys its catchy refrain on a new melodic hit. The rest, unlike the first three rather conventional titles, shows a remarkable diversity: 'The March' is the perfect example, with an introduction to oriental sounds, and continues with a vocal joust between the two brothers and sisters, with, on one side, Théo's growls, and, in response, Leandra's lyrical singing, recalling once again, the duet between 'Alexandre Krull' and 'Elina Siirala'. With 'Nordwand', still very accessible melodically, we are taken into remarkable alternations of intensity and tempo in a style that can recall 'Imperia', then, in the department of originalities of this album, 'An meine Witwe' is a classic instrumental that cuts the album in two, which brings a very appreciable break.
Here we go again with 'Das Klirren der Tränen' which delivers a remarkable mid-tempo in which 'Leandra Johne' offers us a new vocal performance of great beauty and who also shows us all her talents as a flutist. 'Brothers' is also a very beautiful title with a beautiful piano introduction which gradually gains strength and unfolds a beautiful catchy melody with very original rhythmic alternations, then, 'Radium' continues with tempo changes within the title itself and shows an epic face with rich instrumental and vocal arrangements. Followed by 'Der letzte Gruß', which is introduced by a very calm section and which quickly hardens the tone with, again, an exchange in the style of 'Leaves' Eyes' between 'Theo Johne' with his angry growls, and 'Leandra Johne' with her high-pitched singing, the whole being very catchy and presenting an immediate melodic accessibility, then, 'Top Of The World' takes us into a title that could very well have been composed by 'Christofer Johnsson', the leader of 'Therion', the epic atmosphere, the vocal arrangements and the melodic lines being quite comparable to what the Swede usually offers us (we find the singing of 'Lori Lewis' in that of 'Leandra Johne'). And to conclude, we leave for Sunday mass with the Christian chorale 'Nearer, My God, to Thee', performed a Capella (originally composed by the American 'Lowell Mason' and written by the British 'Sarah Flower Adams' in the 19th century), and which brings us out of this album, in a very beautiful way, in the sweetness and serenity after all the energy deployed by the electric instruments throughout the album.
In summary, the Germans of 'Morlas Memoria' release an excellent album and, even if most of the compositions can remind other bands of this style, 'Adieu' brings a nice diversity of atmospheres and an immediate accessibility thanks to catchy melodic lines, which should please a large audience of symphonic metal who like the bands mentioned in this review... | |
