Requiem - Mezzo forte

Virgin Black has remained underground with their first two full-lengths. Could they have made a bigger impact on the world of music those years with those two releases? Maybe. Sombre Romantic and Elegant... and Dying can be hard to digest if one doesn't really "feel" them, yet their music is thought through and so powerful that they probably could have reached a different audience or a higher awareness amongst the metal crowd if things had played out a bit differently for them. Regardless, this time, Virgin Black puts the bar higher than before as this is the first release of their Requiem-trilogy in collaboration with Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and Stamford Academy Choir... and their very own Death Choir! Once again, Virgin Black will (maybe more than ever) mesmerize their audience and demand our attention as they have orchestrated an epic and hauntingly beautiful requiem.

A Requiem. Of cause, it is obvious that such a dark and melancholic band as Virgin Black should do a requiem. And just as obvious, they should do it on a grand scale together with a symphony orchestra! Virgin Black has since their first full-length sounded just as much as a metal band doing classical music, as a minor orchestra venturing into metal-territory. In that sense, Mezzo Forte (and its following releases) is almost inevitable.

Band and orchestra seamlessly blend together into a massive portrayal of separation and death in this first requiem-release. There are moments when the two does their own thing, and then there are some great moments where it all blends together. And the changes from one into another is so beautifully done, it sounds like these two "groups" have been playing together forever. The orchestra is mainly playing their string instruments that gives a great sorrowful mood to the music. Rowan London doesn't play as much on the keyboard or piano as he has on earlier releases, but the band mainly does the really, really crushingly heavy parts. Samantha Escarbe delivers once again! She also has some lengthy melodic parts, especially on "... and I am Suffering" and "Lacrimosa".

There are some nice flash-backs to older Virgin Black material. Motifs from Sombre Romantic are all over the place on Mezzo Forte, and repeated throughout many of the songs. It really gives the impression that it is a huge classical piece, and is entwined with the past of the band as well. One could imagine that this would become repetitive and boring, but it never is. It really works and adds up to the experience of listening to this music, as the motifs are portrayed so differently each time.

Rowan London's vocal performance has always been a staple of the band. He still has an amazing voice and it is haunting, sad and beautiful all at the same time. And his growls are perfect! Not performed often, but when they are, wauw, do they feel powerful. Speaking of growls, Virgin Black presents us - the Death Choir. Never before or since have I heard of such an idea. A choir of growls. It sounds as powerful and glorious as the name implies!! So not only does the band use a regular choir, they add this truly great idea for a requiem - something we'd hear a lot more of on their next release! And finally... Virgin Black spices all of their magnificent vocal performances up with that special something that might have been lacking a bit in the past. Female soprano Susan Johnson! And oh my god, does she add even more depths and power to the already epic sound of Mezzo Forte. This album simply wouldn't been nearly as good as it is, if they'd left a (female) soprano out! I also love that she is introduced in the opening track "Requiem, Kyrie" before London is. London's voice kind of sneaks in behind hers, and they accompany each other very nicely, not just on this song, but the whole album.

Virgin Black has really outdone themselves regarding their scale of their music! This again proves, that metal and classical music are very related in atmosphere and dynamics and fits very well together, especially in a doom/gothic genre. The band is more straight-forward in their performance and it feels like a natural evolution from Elegant... and Dying, only more focused and epic in its scale. A great part I in a trilogy that is all together dark and melancholic as only Virgin Black can do it!

A band doesn't necessarily have to be original to be good and while Virgin Black's third effort "Requiem - Mezzo Forte" (the first of the as of yet unfinished "Requiem" trilogy) might not be unlike anything you've ever heard, it still manages to be different enough to where it stands out from the crowd, but not so much so that it severs itself from the genre it preforms. That said, the album was nothing short of stunning when I first heard it and still remains a very much loved addition to my album collection.

After the good but not great "Sombre Romantic" and the disappointing "Elegant... and Dying", Virgin Black had drifted off my radar a bit and I didn't purchase "Mezzo Forte" until several years after its release. But upon my first listen, I was pleased to hear the band had drastically improved their sound, increasing the classical elements to a much higher degree, and to a point where calling this a classical album with metal elements wouldn't be totally wrong. So instead just a violin, cello, piano or brief choir cropping up once or twice in a couple songs, there is an entire orchestra that is present from start to finish and makes up half the entire sound created, with many songs relying purely on it's saddened classical influence to carry the sound. Incluing the opener "Requiem, Kyrie" which itself is purely a classical piece, with a perfect but not overdone emotional touch of depression and gloom.

The classical influence is added even more by the vocals. Rowan London's voice has improved alot, as his tenor, which was not used as much and when it was sounded a bit strained in the last two releases, sounds much more natural and, save for the occasional death growls (see "Domine") are what he sticks to. It sounds even better when Susan Johnson (guest vocalist) steps in for female soprano vocals to sing on her own or as a duet with Rowan.

Guitars (done by Samantha Escarbe) are thick and moody while the drums (done by Dino Cielo) are brooding and heavy. I have to compliment Samantha's work here in paticular though, as she plays very minimalistic yet captivating riffs that showcase alot of emotion and coupled with the heavy use of symphony and choir add alot to overall memorability of the songs.

"Requiem - Mezzo Forte" is V.B. best effort to date. A emotive and beautiful release that I would say has something that everyone to enjoy.

Recomended songs: "Lacrimosa (I Am Blind with Weeping)", "Requiem, Kyrie", "In Death"

Stunning is the only way to describe this album by Virgin Black. At first I was reluctant to even give the album a listen because of the strange genre labeling they received. Then, I remembered that Draconian also has a similar genre label and I love their music. Also, when an album is being praised so highly and unanimously like Requiem – Mezzo Forte it raises my interest a lot. To be honest, Virgin Black has many classical elements to Requiem – Mezzo Forte and I wasn’t exactly expecting that. My first listen through, I was wondering to myself, where is the metal in this album? Of course, I usually don’t have any idea what is going on through the first listen of a new album. It feels so awkward to me to get used to a new album, almost like meeting a new person. I suppose that is why it takes me so long to get through new albums, because I’ll be fixated on a new one that I like for weeks.

Anyway, I’m digressing quite a bit. Moving on to the actual analysis of the music. The album opens classically giving a melancholic melody and a very slow drum beat in the background. I believe this gives you a good idea of what you will be experiencing, a very dark and emotional album. The singing is absolutely captivating on Requiem – Mezzo Forte and you will experience this very quickly in the first song. There are basically two singers, a female operatic singer and the staple singer of the band, Rowan London. The two singers share the spotlight and alternate throughout the album, which is wonderful because of their great ability to complement each other, and of course for their fantastic voices. Actually, Rowan London’s singing style reminds me of Christofer Johnsson from Therion quite a bit. In fact, Therion in general reminds me of Virgin Black in some ways. Therion also uses a classical/operatic style, however, they tend to shift toward a rock sound at times and Virgin Black certainly doesn’t do that (Virgin Black shifts to a doom metal style). However, the vocal and riffing styles of the two bands, on occasion, sound similar.

The guitar riffing on Requiem – Mezzo Forte is an important part of the album and I think the highlights involve Samantha Escarbe’s riffs, especially on “…And I Am Suffering” and “Domine”. These two songs are the strength of the album in my opinion, and are just beautifully mesmerizing. The middle section of “…And I Am Suffering” is stunning, with a slow melodic riff and drumming. “Domine” is by far my favorite song on this album. This song is just captivating to me, and it never loses my attention through its 8 minute duration. The riffing on this song is just spectacular, with layered sections. The opening riff is a mid-paced up/down shifting riff that almost sounds like a warning beacon. At about 2:20 it introduces a new riff that is the most memorable on the album for me. A faster pitch shifting riff that fits seamlessly with the opening riff. This song is also where Rowan London’s vocals shine the most, using an operatic vibrato style.

The songs on Requiem – Mezzo Forte are lengthy, with the exception of Midnight’s Hymn and Rest Eternal, but Virgin Black do an excellent job in creating many varying sections. The songs seem to always be moving in a forward direction, rarely looking back or repeating anything for too long, which keeps the listener interested without becoming boring or repetitive.

I thought every song was fantastic and had something to offer, from the dark shorter “Midnight’s Hymn” to the epic “…And I Am Suffering”. Each song fits well into the album and feels like it has a purpose for being there. This album is perfect for what it is, absolutely fantastic compositions by Virgin Black. Top notch material, if you have the slightest interest in symphonic or doom metal, you should give this album a listen.

Virgin Black is an Australian doom metal band that was formed in 1993 by Samantha Escarbe (guitars) and Rowan London (keyboards and vocals). The band first came to my attention with their seamless melding of classical and doom metal styles on their superb Elegant… and Dying album but it was only earlier this year that I stumbled upon the first release of their planned Requiem trilogy.

The trilogy is made up of Requiem: Pianissimo, Requiem: Mezzo Forte and Requiem: Fortissimo in that order. However, Requiem: Mezzo Forte was the first album to be released in 2007 with Fortissimo coming out earlier this year and Pianissimo set for release later this year. All three albums were written and recorded together and the staggered release date is the work of the record company.

Requiem: Mezzo Forte, the first album to be released in the trilogy, is pretty much in the same vein that the band has come to be known for. The duo of Escarbe and London continue to mix symphonic elements in their gothic doom sound.
The album opens with the majestic Requiem, Kyrie and the choirs, female vocals and superb melody lines pretty much ensured that this was going to be a bit special even for Virgin Black’s admittedly high standards. The consistency in songwriting is maintained right through the album. Again, a song by song review is pointless for this kind of album because I think the songs need to be heard from start to finish and preferably on a really good setup.

Like their best work up to this point, it’s the dynamics between the softer classical influenced pieces and the soaring epic sounding heavy parts that make Virgin Black so special. Case in point is the superb In Death with its soft, brooding opening before it goes off into this heavy section that retains all of the melancholy while attaining a truly epic and majestic feel.

I struggle to describe this music properly. I could call it symphonic gothic doom but it’s not exactly early Lacrimus Profundere or early Theatre of Tragedy. It’s a lot better than anything My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost have done in years. It’s bombastic, epic, completely over the top and at times sounds like a film soundtrack but all of this is achieved without once losing out on the crushing melancholy that is the hallmark of the best doom metal.

Samantha Escarbe and Rowan London are terrific composers and these songs just flow seamlessly till you’re done with the album. While the duo's knowledge of classical music certainly comes to the fore on this recording, it's their superb sense of gothic romanticism mixed with the occasionally heavy dirge like riffing that takes Requiem: Mezzo Forte to a whole new level for the band.

Requiem: Mezzo Forte is a stunning album and essential listening even if you only have the slightest interest in doom metal.

Originally written for http://www.kvltsite.com

Virgin Black's fourth album takes the long established sound of Virgin Black, but instead of being the same record all over again adds a few new, but great twists. Firstly, the long keyboard sections that dominated the tracks of their previous albums have been eschewed in favour of full blown classical arrangements making this very much a classical music album as well as a great doom metal album. The transitions between the metal arrangements and the classical music arrangements flow very well and sound and feel very natural. Secondly, Requiem - Mezzo Forte isn’t just an album, but is the second instalment of the Requiem trilogy.

This album bursts to the brim with some great musicianship, first off, the guitars are very skilful and don’t overpower the vocals. On the track …And I am suffering, they are sorrowful and capture the sound of doom metal well. Bass is great as the music retains the right heaviness. Rowan London’s vocals are as usual up to scratch , and there are female vocals in this aplenty too. Virgin Black have also really thought outside the box , with the addition of a death choir. For me, the drumming is a special highlight in this album. Whilst not being too technical, I find that very often they have gripped me because they sound so wonderful, particularly on the track Domine. Virgin Black are a band that won't be pidgeonholed, and with each new release constantly evolve. Overall this album flows much better than the previous albums, highly recommended for fans of melodic doom metal and even fans of classical music!

Standout Tracks: Requiem Kyrie, Lacrimosa, In death and Domine

"Breathtaking". That's the only way I can think to start this review. I've used that word to describe music before, but never really in a literal sense. Virgin Black's newest epic masterpiece, "Requiem – Mezzo Forte", is just that... breathtaking. This album is what I believe to be one of the most important releases in metal (and perhaps all of music) in the past decade. And I can honestly say, when I first heard it, I didn't breath for about 20 seconds. This work of art truly is breathtaking.

Simply put, this album is 52 minutes of gothic beauty. This album is a gorgeous meeting of metal and orchestral music. It features the music of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, whose depressing mournful sound bleeds perfectly together with VB's harsher metal element. Some sections are all symphonic, while others are pure metal, but the two shining together simultaneously is what really makes this album so special.

The vocals on this album really are top-notch. Rowan London's tenor voice sounds better then ever. And when he's not singing with his amazing full-voice, he is growling with his guttural death metal vocals. While his growls are extremely rough, they don't come across as violent, but rather desperate and grief-stricken. Virgin Black has also added Susan Johnson as a soprano vocalist. This woman is capable of not only reaching amazing range of high notes, but also conveying awe-inspiring amounts of sorrowful emotion with her voice. This album also features a large amount of choir vocals. From a strong majestic choir, to a dark sounding choir whose style almost sound like Gregorian chants, to a death choir. That's right, A FREAKIN' DEATH CHOIR; a group of death metal vocalist growling in choir fashion… a truly breathtaking sound to behold.

Virgin Black's guitarist, Samantha Escarbe, is truly amazing on this album. From her lamentful soaring melodies, to her crushing metal riffs on "In Death" and "Domine"… she's got it all.

Requiem is a concept album, following the concept of an actual funeral mass for the dead. Because of this, the lyrics on this album are by far Virgin Black's darkest. It's basically a sorrowful 52 minute lament to God. It's hard to believe anyone with a soul could listen to this music and not be emotionally affected by such depressing lyrics.

Another thing I love about this album is the inter-album references. ie. small phrases are repeated subtly throughout the album. This is a reference to how "classical" music develops its themes. This creates the effect that the album is one piece of music, rather then individual tracks. Another example would be the final track Rest Eternal, which is basically a stunning reprise of the first track with added guitars to create a grand and epic closure to the album.

Perhaps one of the greatest things about this album is that it is part of a trilogy. So I still two more pieces of art in this vein to look forward to. If they are half as breathtaking as this album, they will instantly be in my top-ten. Virgin Black is definitely one of the most important bands in all of music.

I could go on and on about how much I love this album, but I think I'll just end it here.

In conclusion:
If you ever buy another CD in your life, buy "Requiem – Mezzo Forte" by Virgin Black. It really is breathtaking.

I received Requiem Mezzo Forte in the mail from Samantha and I must say that I never listened to any Virgin Black before that. But this album is something else. I compared it to Sombre Romantic and Elgent and Dying and this is by far an amazing album. The orchestra is fucking powerful, Rowan's operatic and death vocals are outstanding, the drums sound good, the guitar is meancing, and the female vocals are beautiful.

The sound is deeply depressing (in a good way since they're doom) the orchestra enhances that feeling, Rowan's voice leaves you in a realm of sadness. Reqiuem, Kyrie and In Death are very good examples. Midnight's Hymn is a softer gloomier version of Drink the Midnight Hymn off Sombre Romantic. While Virgin Black fans are familiar with the song, the remake of this fits the mood of the album. And I am Suffering has very memorable guitar parts. Domine is the heaviest song on the album, with the guitar and drums adding the brutality if you will, making you want to slowly bang your head, Rowan's death vocals are eerie and dark. Lacrimosa is a solid beautiful piece. Ending the record with Rest Eternal, you can just feel the sadness close in on you with the depressing female vocals and choir doing its dark and unforgettable job. If you listen closely, the songs seem to connect.

Virgin Black has out done themselves, and they're officially one of my favorite doom acts in the world. Requiem Mezzo Forte is just one album out of two in the Requiem trilogy. If you haven't listened to this yet, do yourself a favor and do so.