Mara
Symphonic Metal is dead. Or isn‘t it? ShadoWhisperS creates a fusion genre combining powermetal and elements of orchestral classical music with the dark atmospheres of gothic rock
Who is Mara ?
Mara is our first full-length album, released in 2019.
When the Mara comes to visit, you feel a heavy weight - it might start at the feet, but it always settles
on your chest - Paralized! Mara, maere, mahr, mahrt, mårt - by any name, it was and still is a terrifying visitor bringing nightmares.
The album deals with dark thoughts, dreams and nightmares, horrifying, unpleasant, sexual, healing ideas in our subconsciousness...
Reviews
Lëtzebuerger Journal - Progressiv abgeliefert
Imperative Music - The Greatest Revelation of European "Gothic" "Metal"! - perfect female vocals, melody and harmony of all instruments is amazing, reminding NIGHTWISH to AFTER FOREVER
SoundChecker Köln - Was bei Nightwish oder Within Temptation perfekt funktioniert, das klappt auch bei den ShadowhisperS!
My Revelations - Zunächst überzeugt das anspruchsvolle Booklet, das Detail verliebt in die Geschichte von Mara, der unheilvollen Überbringerin von Albträumen einführt und mit minimalistischen Zeichnungen den Handlungsstrang begleitet.
moien.lu - Mat emotionaler Däischtert geet ShadoWhisperS den epesche Kampf tëscht hell an däischter, Liewen an Dout a banneschte Kricher un. Wat op de Weltbühnen Within Temptation ass, ass op nationalem Terrain ShadoWhisperS!
Lyrical Spell Magazine - Having an ethereal, otherworldly atmosphere, Shadowhispers creates a fusion genre combining power metal and elements of orchestral classical music with the dark atmospheres of gothic rock and Diane Frisch’s operatic vocals.
powermetal.de - Alle Instrumente gehen eine sehr homogene Symbiose ein und sorgen für eine einstündige Reise in ferne Welten.
Orkus - "Mara", ein Album, das mit seiner Emotionalität immer
wieder für Gänsehaut sorg, dem es aber nicht an
einschmeichelnden Harmonien fehlt.
Sonic Seducer Magazin - Die Gruppe um Vokalistin Diane Frisch bewegt sich lässig souverän in den Gewässern des symphonic Metal, lässt gleichermaßen Elemente der Klassik, orchestralen Opulenz als auch traditionellen Metal sowie Gothic Komponenten in das Soundkonstrukt fließen.
Generell ist "Mara" ein dynamisches Album geworden, das wunderbar facettenreich anmutet, viele spannende, experimentelle Glanzpunkte sowie eine angenehm eigenständige Note besitzt.
The ouverture "First Shadows" is unmistakably not played by an orchestra, hut orchestrated as a soundtrack. You can tell by their use of melodies that guitarist Soni, singer Diane (full, variable vocals) and keyboarder Laurent love classical music. To Laurent's taste, a great affection for dutch prog can be added - as you can hear in the soli and sounds of "Guardians of the Shadows", more precisely the Arjen-Lucassen-Universe around Ayreon.The quintette cannot keep up with such a bombastic production, even if the national cultural budget might have been sollicitated as with their previous demo. "Monster" begins as a ballad, the voice sounds like filtered from far away. "Dishonour" starts heavier, with a staccato-drumming and pounding orchestration. Here, Dream Theater and Symphony X can be regarded as connecting factors. Anyhow, Soni delivers very tight and baroque riffs. The Iron Maiden fan has no guitar companion for twinleads, so he leaves the melodies mostly to the keyboards. Piano, discreet classical choirs and Diane's voice determine the intro of the title track, before the orchestration gets ostentatious , with a proglike displaced drum rhythm. If you want to make a comparison to Nightwish, only considering the orchestration, then to the Anette-Olzon-era, as the lead vocals only change to operetic singing for a few embellishments. A tour with Edenbridge would be a perfect fit, "The Reign" should enchant their fans! As a piano supported powerballad, the dramatic and heavy "Poisonous Lips" sounds really good. As a bonus track "Slow Death" concludes the one-hour opus. The album is available for 15€ plus post & package via [our website]. (Eule)
11 point (out of 15)
