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To the growing number of gothic doom metal bands who follow in the footsteps of pioneers like Theatre Of Tragedy and Tristania we can now add Via Mistica. After having formed in 1998 and with two demos behind them this Polish band have now signed a deal with their native label Metal Mind Productions for the release of their debut album. Not unlike many other gothic themed bands they have decided that a latin title would make their album more attractive to like-minded people and they are probably right about that. The label wants to compare "Testamentum" to the early material from Theatre Of Tragedy and also claims that the use of cello makes their sound "unique and immediately" recognizable. They are wrong on both counts. First of all this is much more in the vein of the "Lake Of Sorrow" album from The Sins Of Thy Beloved with that dark, brooding atmosphere and the slow, driving guitar walls paving the way for tender female vocals. There are of course growling male vocals as well to give the so famous beauty vs. beast contrast but neither these, nor the female vocals reach the same quality as their Norwegian colleagues in passion and despair. Second, the cello doesn't make them sound unique since several other similar bands have already incorporated cello parts in their music. Only if you are a hardcore fan of the genre will Via Mistica offer you something of relevance. Most of the album is still comprised of pretty enjoyable music and I hope that this young band will develop further in the future. Stand-out tracks: "Sacred Whisper".
| Tracklist |
| 1. Intro (In Hora Mortis Nostre) |
| 2. I Would Die... |
| 3. Sacred Whisper |
| 4. Valley of Fear |
| 5. Lost Desires |
| 6. Blaze |
| 7. Eternal |
| 8. When I Die |
| 9. One Bridge Too Far |
| 10. Gold Dust |
| 11. Outro (In Hora Mortis Nostre) |
: 57.27
| Buy other Via Mistica albums |
