A stunning album of sorrow, grief and melancholy made in Finland and Greece, dedicated to the loving memory of the grandparents of the band’s own vocalist and keyboardist Gogo Melone.
A project of Melodic Gothic and Doom Metal yet funeral and spiritual music that describes the eternal sorrow and misery above the earth, human nature and instincts under the ownership of grief and pain, Finland/Greece-based outfit Aeonian Sorrow has just unleashed upon us their sophomore full-length opus, entitled Katara. Produced, mixed and mastered by Saku Moilanen at Deep Noise Studios, and displaying a stylish and epic artwork by the band’s own vocalist, keyboardist and renowned illustrator Gogo Melone, the album was inspired by the Katara pass, a mountain pass in the Pindus mountains in northern Greece. According to the legend, Katara got its name from a despot who around 1800 set out from Ioannina to go to Trikala, but the bad weather in the area made it so difficult for him that he died on the way, and he cursed the mountain. There are more stories written about this pass; however, Katara is also dedicated to the loving memory of Gogo’s grandparents Georgia and Michail, with the album music being beautifully crafted by Gogo alongside Joel Notkonen on vocals, Taneli Jämsä and Jukka Jauhiainen on the guitars, Achilleas Papagrigoriou on drums, and guest Oskar Englund on bass.
Anemos sounds doomed, grim and pensive from the very first second, with the delicate keys by Gogo bringing a touch of finesse to the music while Achilleas dictates the song’s pace with his sluggish beats, resulting in a powerful Melodic Doom Metal aria that will darken your mind in a stunning way. The band continues their obscure, melancholic path in Elumia, where the bass by Oskar sounds menacing while Gogo embellishes the airwaves with her charming vocals, in paradox with the harsh roars by Joel; and featuring guest vocalist Alejandro Lotero of Exgenesis (and former vocalist for Aeonian Sorrow), Ashes and Death showcases another solid job done by Taneli and Jukka with their Doom Metal-infused riffs and solos. Her Torment is a massive, bold creation by the band where Achilleas crushes our souls with his heavy-as-hell drums, perfect for some slow, intense headbanging in total darkness, followed by the title-track Katara, where once again we’re treated to a gloomy, ethereal feast of Melodic Gothic and Doom Metal spearheaded by the stunning vocals by Gogo, keeping the album as melancholic and emotional as it can be. They managed to get even more doomed and somber in Forbidden Cry, with the guitars by Taneli and Jukka reverberating in great fashion accompanied by Gogo’s passionate vocal performance; whereas lastly, serene, lugubrious piano notes set the tone in Ikuinen Suru (or “eternal sorrow” from Finnish), presenting their trademark slow and steady beats, deep, touching vocal lines, and crying guitars.
“On a personal level, I’ve been through enough difficult changes in my life that it almost made it impossible to keep myself motivated to complete this album. I said several times that I don’t want to do this and I almost didn’t. What kept me going was the reason I started this band and the promise I gave to the grandmother I lost back in 2020 and said that ‘Katara’ album will be recorded in her memory and her husband’s memory too. It will be done for all the years I spent driving to those scary ‘Katara’ roads to go see them. It will be done for each song I wrote inside their empty house when they were gone, and I left to watch the walls and nothing more. On a music level, I think the band has also been through enough and faced the financial critical moments to where we had to take choices, a bit unusual for us, and find ways to make things happen without losing ourselves and our quality. The path to success is full of heavy stones and very lonely so we do what we can and continue writing music from our hearts,” commented Gogo about the album. Hence, you can feel in detail all the sorrow, grief and melancholy from Katara by streaming the album in full on YouTube and on Spotify, by following the band on Facebook and on Instagram, by subscribing to their YouTube channel, and obviously by purchasing Katara from their own BandCamp page or webstore, from Apple Music or from Amazon, joining Gogo and the boys on their doomed path through the Pindus mountains.
Best moments of the album:Anemos and Katara.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2023 Independent
Track listing 1. Anemos 8:35
2. Elumia 7:07
3. Ashes and Death 6:55
4. Her Torment 7:39
5. Katara 9:22
6. Forbidden Cry 6:21
7. Ikuinen Suru 7:13
Band members Joel Notkonen – vocals
Gogo Melone – vocals, keyboards
Taneli Jämsä – guitars
Jukka Jauhiainen – guitars
Achilleas Papagrigoriou – drums
Guest musicians Oskar Englund – bass (session)
Alejandro Lotero – harsh vocals on “Ashes and Death”
Forged in this world… Chained to this earth… Forced to stay where I am… Evermore…
If you’re an admirer of the darkest forms of music and arts in general, I’m beyond certain you’ll have an absolute blast knowing more about our multi-talented metal lady of the month of May here on The Headbanging Moose. Not only she owns a powerful and beautiful voice, but she’s also a keyboardist, a songwriter, and an accomplished digital artist and graphic designer who has already worked with countless bands from the metal scene. I’m talking about Gogo Melone, the lead singer and composer for Aeonian Sorrow and Elyzia, and former vocalist for Luna Obscura, with guest appearances to bands such as ISON, Mercury Circle, IANAI, Ghostheart Nebula, As The Sun Falls and others, and having worked as a graphic designer for bands such as Xandria, Insomnium, Wolfheart, Omnium Gatherum and Vintersea, just to name a few. As you can see, Gogo Melone is an unstoppable force in heavy music, embellishing the airwaves with her voice while at the same time captivating our attention with her stunning graphic creations.
Born on July 17, 1985 in Ioannina (often called Yannena), the capital and largest city of the Ioannina regional unit and of Epirus, a region in north-western Greece, but currently residing in Helsinki, Finland, Gogo Melone began her career in music back in 2000 when she founded Greek Atmospheric/Melodic Death/Gothic Metal band Luna Obscura (Latin for “dark moon”) together with guitarist Dimitris Papachristos and vocalist Aris Potonos, inspired by the music by Draconian, Trail of Tears, Tristania, Theatre of Tragedy, Crematory, Paradise Lost, and all other bands with death and gothic elements. Gogo Melone mentioned in one of her interviews that there wasn’t any major plan to create Luna Obscura in the beginning, as it was just a musical experimentation, saying that she simply joined the band during the recordings of their demo Darcanda (released only in 2004). “The idea to have male and female vocals came easily, I guess that we all loved this combination at that time and somehow we felt it was the right direction for our music,” commented our diva, describing their sound as having atmospheric, death and gothic elements with harsh male and clean female vocals. “Our lyrics talk about death, human psychology and our transitions, the mystery, the unknown. All in combination with the music and the beautiful alternations of brutal and ethereal female vocals, create a melancholic yet strong-aggressive effect.”
Although the band was put on hold back in 2017 and has been dormant since then, and with Gogo Melone no longer being part of the band, there’s a lot to enjoy from their past releases, including the aforementioned demo Darcanda (as “Gwgw Melone”), their 2007 EP Evilyn, and their 2008 full-length opus Feltia, and you can enjoy several videos of the band on their official YouTube channel including Oronar, The Burden Of Solitude, and a live version of Dance of Forsaken Souls. Moreover, when asked about the importance of the visual part of the live performances by Luna Obscura, Gogo Melone said that all they cared about was delivering an emotional show to the crowd, focusing not only on the music, but also on the atmosphere surrounding it, as that was what their music was all about.
Fast forward to 2021, and there she is, the unrelenting Gogo Melone, starting another amazing band named Elysia (now spelled Elyzia), playing a stunning fusion of classic Black Metal and Experimental/Atmospheric Black Metal with nuances of Gothic and Doom Metal. She’s also the vocalist and keyboardist of the project, alongside vocalist, guitarist, bassist and drummer Jani Berney (of bands like As the Sun Falls, Tenebrae Aeternum and Chotzä, and who’s by the way engaged to Gogo Melone), having released their debut effort, the five-track EP Numinous, in August 2022. There’s an official video for the title-track Numinous, as well as official streams of the songs Veiled Fear and Onism on YouTube, and you can also find the full EP available for streaming on Spotify. Moreover, you can find more details about the band on Instagram, and purchase their music via BandCamp. Regarding the name change, switching the letter S for Z, the duo posted a short and sweet message on their Instagram explaining everything. “Some disrespectful idiots coming from the deathcore scene are spamming our social media with threats and hate because there is an old band using the name Elysia. Considering the fact that this other band has been inactive since 2008 and ever since they had no new releases or shows, it is a joke and a bit boring to have to read bullshit about a name when there are so many other names that have been used already three and five times. But let’s end this in a positive note. We are currently working on a new single and a new album which we plan to release in the next few months.”
You can also find Gogo Melone as a guest vocalist or keyboardist to several amazing underground bands, metal or non-metal, by the way. “So far I have met so many great musicians and bands and have done amazing collaborations worldwide so I guess the thing that counts the least is the genre of music. Although I would like to experiment more in Gothic Metal, Doom and Death Metal but the most important is to keep making good collaborations and gain more experience,” said our diva, who not only could be seen singing live with Atmospheric Doom/Death Metal band Clouds back in 2018, but she also recorded vocals for the songs In This Empty Room, from their 2017 EP Destin, When I’m Gone, from their 2018 album Dor, and an acoustic version of that same song, from their 2020 compilation Clouds Acoustic; the re-recorded version of Suffer in Darkness, released as a single in 2022 by Finnish Symphonic Death/Doom Metal band Depressed Mode; Underworld, from the 2005 EP Skotos, by Greek Black/Death Metal act Empathy; Ascension Pt. I Cosmic River, from the 2021 album Ascension, by Italian Melodic Doom/Death Metal band Ghostheart Nebula; Scaling the Summit, from the 2023 EP Scaling the Summit, by Greek Symphonic/Melodic Death Metal band Neperia; a partnership with Greek Gothic Metal act Sorrowful Angels in the cover version for Moonspell’s classic Scorpion Flower, from their 2012 EP Reborn: A Tribute to Moonspell; A Light Year Breath, from the 2020 album Empire of the Void, by Italian Death/Doom Metal band Tethra; and Where the Sun Turns to Grey, from the 2021 album Echoes of Winter, by Italian Progressive Doom Metal band Veil of Conspiracy.
Other guest appearances include the songs Drink the Effect, from the 2008 self-titled EP by Greek Industrial Black Metal band Rheinkaos; Scary Place, from the 2014 self-titled album by Vita Nova; and Winter Is Coming, a solo single released in 2014 by Stream of Passion’s Eric Hazebroek. There’s also a solo album that Gogo Melone mentioned she started working in the beginning of 2012, which should be called Black Silent Vision (or something like that), and she even mentioned in one of her interviews that a digital single was almost ready to be released that year in the summer, but so far nothing has been released maybe due to all her responsibilities as a graphic designer, which undoubtedly consumes a lot of her time.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Speaking about her passion for arts in general and her work as a graphic designer and digital illustrator since 2007, Gogo Melone mentioned that her favorite styles are emotional, dark and surreal, nurturing a deep passion for red, black and white, as well as for digital art, photography, music and film. “I can’t be myself without freedom and creativity and with art you can have both at maximum. My work is a mixture of dark digital art and photography, highly influenced by films, dark and gothic fashion, fairytales, the beauty of fragile souls and dreamy places,” said our diva, who’s also worried about the future of album covers and booklets due to the vast majority of physical albums being replaced by their digital formats. She has already worked with countless bands in her career, being responsible for the artwork, design or layout of their albums, including for example the bands Xandria, Ablaze My Sorrow, Lutharo, Red Moon Architect, Stormbound, As the Sun Falls, Delusions of Reality, Eye of Solitude, Gallia, Mythodea, White Empress and Wolfheart, just to name a few, plus of course her own bands Aeonian Sorrow, Luna Obscura and Elyzia. Furthermore, inspired by her favorite types of music or bands, a good movie, a documentary, a walk in nature, her past memories, her fears and her dreams, Gogo Melone said in one of her interviews that it doesn’t matter the quality or technique behind an image if it captures the essence of the message that’s being sent. In addition, she also mentioned that although she can’t be considered a photographer, she finds it very inspiring to see the works of both classic and modern photographers such as Cecil Beaton, Philippe Halsman, Steve McCurry, Allan Amato, Tim Walker, Nicolas Guerin, Winter Kelly and Natalie Shau.
Regarding her idols and influences, she said that her introduction to the metal scene happened when she bought the Black Album by Metallica, leading her to take some basic non-professional vocal lessons, participating in her school choir, and starting to sing in different bands during her high school years. Among her favorite bands we’ll find some incredible names such as My Dying Bride, Theater of Tragedy, Katatonia, Anathema, Draconian, Novembers Doom, Daylight Dies, Trail of Tears, Swallow The Sun, Shape of Despair, Paradise Lost, Moonspell and many more, being a diehard fan of all things doom, gothic and death. She was also asked to list her top five albums of all time a few years ago, and if her taste hasn’t changed since then her list is formed of The Silent Enigma, by Anathema; The Angel And The Dark River, by My Dying Bride; Viva Emptiness, by Katatonia; Velvet Darkness They Fear, by Theater of Tragedy; and Arcane Rain Fell, by Draconian.
Although Gogo Melone might have never taken professional vocal lessons, she doesn’t encourage people to follow the same path. “Everything is better when you have technical knowledge and when you know how you can use your voice without destroying it,” she said, also mentioning that she warms up her voice with simple techniques and rest it for long periods. “I don’t smoke, I’m not a big alcohol drinker, I drink a lot of water, I work out a bit and I sleep well as much as possible. Thankfully I didn’t do any damage to my voice so far, but after some years, maybe many years, my voice will change anyway so I guess that a few professional lessons will help to maintain it.” She obviously loves to use her voice live, and being onstage is extremely important to her as a musician and as a person. For instance, her most memorable live performances happened during the European tour that Aeonian Sorrow did with Swallow The Sun and Oceans of Slumber in 2019, also saying that one of the best concerts she has ever witnessed was Anathema when they played in Thessaloniki, Greece in 2005.
When asked if she prefers focusing on her career or her family, as several female singers have already mentioned they would rather concentrate in their careers, Gogo Melone said she would never sacrifice her family for her career, saying that there’s no point in spending most of the time away from your family or having kids you won’t see growing up, complementing by saying that not having a family when you’re in your 20’s or 30’s might be fine, but definitely not when you turn 40 or 50. A member of Eve’s Apple, a community (that might not be active anymore) focused on uniting female metal and rock singers to share their experiences, get to know each other, chat about a variety of topics, and promote their music without any sort of competition, Gogo Melone believes that the metal scene is no longer a male-dominated space, with all female-fronted bands showing metalheads they are no different from men, deserving nothing but respect from the scene. Hence, when questioned about her favorite female singers of all time, she listed Vibeke Stene (Tristania), Liv Kristine (Theatre of Tragedy, Leaves Eyes), Anneke Van Giersbergen (The Gathering), Lisa Johansson (Draconian) and Cathrine Paulsen (Trail of Tears) as her top ones, saying that list will never change for her.
Greece has always been an amazing source of metal music, but Gogo Melone believes the scene is even stronger now, with many bands having started to act more professionaly, therefore helping the local scene grow in a healthier way. “Of course the metal music industry has the normal ups and downs but people are always interested to discover new bands and artists,” she commented about the scene in Greece, also saying that due to having lost contact with her homeland in recent years she doesn’t follow a lot of Greek bands, apart of course form renowned acts such as Rotting Christ and Septicflesh, but that she knows all bands in Greece are putting a lot of effort into their music and they definitely need the support and attention from fans worldwide.
She also mentioned in one of her interviews that working as an independent artist is more in line with her goals, as she doesn’t like the standards such has “1 album every 2 years” or “you have to go live”, relying more on the online support she receives and on crowdfunding campaigns. “The internet and especially social networks are obviously the new way of bringing people together from all over the world. So, in regards to work and how you will promote it, I think it’s one of the best and most clever ways which can give you fast results. I like to use it very often, sometimes more than I should and even if it has helped me a lot…. I believe we must be very careful. It’s very easy to fool around instead of doing serious work, so be careful.” Well, we can all agree she’s been using the internet properly, as we’re all very lucky to be able to access her music and her art from anywhere in the world, bringing endless joy to our dark and gothic hearts.
“Music is an amazing way to express your emotions and have fun all the time when you don’t take things so seriously. I prefer to sing whenever I want to and enjoy it in a way that makes me feel something instead of making albums every year with amazing productions but without soul, which obviously no one will remember after.” – Gogo Melone
Enjoy this breathtaking album of Symphonic Metal infused with sheer epicness and storytelling, masterfully crafted by an up-and-coming four-headed outfit from Belgium.
Creating Symphonic Metal with an amount of epicness and storytelling that would fit a dark fantasy trilogy on the big screen, leading to what the band itself likes to call “Cinematic Metal”, Stevoort, Belgium-based four-headed outfit Gallia is unleashing upon humanity their first full-length opus, entitled Obscura, building on the story that was set in place by their 2019 EP Everflame, which was about the band’s fight against the dark. Produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by Yarne Heylen at Project Zero Studio and displaying a beautiful artwork by Gogo Melone, Obscura tells the story of the band finishing their duty with the Everflame and returning to a life of freedom, and finding a different world than the one they left behind, presenting noticeable influences from Symphonic Metal bands such as Nightwish, Epica and Xandria while at the same time the theatricality of big composers such as Hans Zimmer and Danny Elfman, all meticulously crafted by frontwoman Elyn Vandenwyngaert, guitarist Yannick Maris, bassist Laurens Vandebroek and drummer Ties Jehoul.
The clock is ticking in the intro Aperture, inviting us all to join Gallia in their cinematic, metallic journey to the sound of the heavy and melodic Return of Time, already starting in full force to the massive drums by Ties in a beyond thrilling exhibit of modern-day Symphonic Metal, with Elyn stealing the spotlight with her powerful voice. The fantastic Blackout Queen feels like the soundtrack to an epic movie, with Laurens kicking some serious ass armed with his thunderous bass while Yannick brings sheer Heavy Metal awesomeness to the sound through his sharp riffs, flowing into the whimsical Mirage, starting in an enfolding way to the sound of the piano before evolving into a very theatrical composition where Ties pounds his drums in a classy manner. Then an eerie, wicked intro suddenly morphs into another Metal Opera titled Reflection, showcasing the incendiary riffs by Yannick intertwined with a dark and beautiful vocal performance by Elyn; whereas Path of the Nomad is even more imposing, epic and dense than its predecessors, bringing forward an amazing job done by all band members and consequently taking the song to a whole new level of magic, with of course Elyn being flawless on vocals.
Then adding elements from Folk Metal to their core sonority, the band delivers the symphonic interlude Free Me, setting the stage for Spirit of the Sea, showcasing a catchy chorus (“Spirit of the Sea, hear my plea, hear my plea / The balance of my life lies in the hands of thee / You decide my destiny / Hear my plea, oh Spirit of the Sea / Let me return to land and tree / I call to you: let me be free”) and a mesmerizing pace and atmosphere; whereas guided by the classic, hammering drums by Ties the band offers our ears the also melodic and vibrant Chaos, with its background elements sounding absolutely majestic. In Euphoria we’re treated to poetic lyrics declaimed by Elyn (“The road is long / but our destiny is straight ahead / We march in faith and think of lands / that we have left”) amidst a multi-layered, melodic Symphonic Metal feast, and their second to last lecture in symphony and heavy music comes in the form of Tears of Gold, presenting over seven minutes of dark passages, rumbling bass lines and crushing riffs. Lastly, it’s time for Eryn to shine on vocals one final time in the stunning ballad New World, growing in intensity to the stylish riffs by Yannick until reaching a climatic, ethereal finale.
In summary, Obscura is one of those musical voyages that make Symphonic Metal so interesting and thrilling, thanks of course to the extreme focus and hard work invested in the making of the album by the talented members of Gallia, positioning them as one of the must-listen names of the current scene. Having said that, in order to support Elyn and the boys and fuel their inner fire to keep delivering first-class music to all of us, let’s all follow them on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tour dates and so on, subscribe to their official YouTube channel and stream more of their music on Spotify, and of course grab a copy of Obscura from the band’s own BandCamp page sooner than you can say “Cinematic Metal”. Heavy music cannot get any more theatrical than what Gallia have to offer us in their new album, leaving us eager for the next chapter in their promising path of heavy music infused with a huge dosage of fantasy.
Best moments of the album:Blackout Queen, Path of the Nomad and Chaos.
Worst moments of the album:Mirage.
Released in 2022 Independent
Track listing 1. Aperture 1:19
2. Return of Time 4:44
3. Blackout Queen 3:34
4. Mirage 4:42
5. Reflection 5:05
6. Path of the Nomad 4:13
7. Free Me 2:35
8. Spirit of the Sea 4:04
9. Chaos 4:21
10. Euphoria 4:13
11. Tears of Gold 7:32
12. New World 5:13
Band members Elyn Vandenwyngaert – vocals
Yannick Maris – guitars
Laurens Vandebroek – bass
Ties Jehoul – drums
Behold the first full-length album by this fantastic Canadian Melodic Death Metal band, balancing hauntingly beautiful atmospheres with raw power and aggression.
Following the success of their 2020 EP Wings of Agony, Hamilton, Canada-based Melodic Death Metal outfit Lutharo (or Lutharö, if you prefer) is back into the battlefield with their first full-length opus, entitled Hiraeth, a Welsh word that has no direct English translation but that means an intense form of longing or nostalgia for a place long gone, or even an unaccountable homesickness for a place you have never visited. Recorded and mixed by Tyler Williams at Monolithic Productions, mastered by Lasse Lammert at LSD Studios, and displaying a classy artwork by Gogo Melone, Hiraeth launches into an epic exploration of the technical, musical and compositional abilities of frontwoman Krista Shipperbottom, guitarists Victor Bucur and John Raposo, bassist Chris Pacey and drummer Duval Gabraiel, balancing hauntingly beautiful atmospheres with raw power and aggression, and therefore, representing a huge step in the right direction for such talented Canadian band.
The sound of a beating heart ignites Lutharo’s metal machine in the intro Introspection, setting the stage for Victor and John to kick some ass with their riffs in the high-octane To Kill or to Crave, where Krista already showcases all her talent and fury through her sick, demented roars, sounding like a modern-day version of Angela Gossow during her unforgettable Arch Enemy years. Duval keeps hammering his drums frantically in What Sleeps in Your Mind, accompanied by the rumbling bass by Chris and the always sharp axes by the band’s guitar duo in a flawless display of contemporary Melodic Death Metal, followed by Phantom, slightly more symphonic than its predecessors but still venomous and heavy-as-hell, bringing forward another round of the band’s unrelenting music spearheaded by the she-wolf screams by Krista, and Worship Your Path, where the band’s stringed trio generates a massive atmosphere for their unstoppable frontwoman to shine once again, not to mention it’s epic NWOBHM vibe.
Lutharo Hiraeth Box Set
In Hopeless Abandonment the skillful Krista and the boys show no sign of slowing down, with Duval being on absolute fire with his crushing beats and fills, not to mention the always incendiary riffage and solos by Victor and John. Are you tired already? Because Krista is ready to slash your damned soul with her wicked roars in Valley of the Cursed, displaying a brutal performance by Duval on drums and, consequently, adding an extra touch of aggression to the band’s first-class musicality; whereas In Silence We Reign sounds and feels more epic than the rest of the album, a pounding tune that will work perfectly if played live with Duval making sure we break our necks headbanging nonstop while Krista gives a vocal lesson from start to finish. Their second to last explosion of Melodic Death Metal comes in the form of the breathtaking Eclipse, very intricate and progressive at times, with the guitars by Victor and John exhaling electricity and harmony, and last but not least, the band invests into a darker sonority in Lost in a Soul, putting a climatic ending to the album to the blast beats by Duval and the crisp riffage by Victor and John, until everything fades into an enfolding darkness.
As I like to say, it’s an absolute pleasure seeing bands like Lutharo taking their music to a whole new level and showing the entire world the quality, strength and diversity of the current Canadian metal scene, and with Hiraeth they not only more than succeeded in that, but they also placed themselves as one of the driving forces of the Canadian scene. Hence, don’t forget to give them a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, to subscribe to their YouTube channel (like I’ve already done) for more of their awesome music and beautiful videos, to stream all of their creations on Spotify, and of course to grab your copy of Hiraeth from their own BandCamp page or from their Big Cartel (where you can find a fantastic box set containing the Hiraeth digipack CD, a logo patch, a Hiraeth flag, a logo keychain and a signed photo), as well as from Apple Music. It will be interesting to see if Lutharo will be capable of delivering something more powerful and dynamic than Hiraeth in their future releases, but based on the talent of all musicians involved I wouldn’t be surprised if next year Krista and the boys stun us all once again with their undisputed metal music.
Best moments of the album: To Kill or to Crave, What Sleeps in Your Mind, Valley of the Cursed and Eclipse.
Worst moments of the album:Phantom.
Released in 2021 Independent
Track listing 1. Introspection 1:42
2. To Kill or to Crave 4:51
3. What Sleeps in Your Mind 5:19
4. Phantom 5:01
5. Worship Your Path 5:03
6. Hopeless Abandonment 4:23
7. Valley of the Cursed 4:31
8. In Silence We Reign 4:50
9. Eclipse 4:07
10. Lost in a Soul 7:03
Band members Krista Shipperbottom – vocals
Victor Bucur – guitars, backing vocals
John Raposo – guitars
Chris Pacey – bass
Duval Gabraiel – drums
Guest musician Elliot Vernon – orchestral arrangements
A project of Melodic Gothic and Doom Metal yet funeral and spiritual music that describes the eternal sorrow and misery above the earth, human nature and instincts under the ownership of grief and pain, Finland/Greece-based outfit Aeonian Sorrow has just unleashed upon us their sophomore full-length opus, entitled Katara. Produced, mixed and mastered by Saku Moilanen at Deep Noise Studios, and displaying a stylish and epic artwork by the band’s own vocalist, keyboardist and renowned illustrator Gogo Melone, the album was inspired by the Katara pass, a mountain pass in the Pindus mountains in northern Greece. According to the legend, Katara got its name from a despot who around 1800 set out from Ioannina to go to Trikala, but the bad weather in the area made it so difficult for him that he died on the way, and he cursed the mountain. There are more stories written about this pass; however, Katara is also dedicated to the loving memory of Gogo’s grandparents Georgia and Michail, with the album music being beautifully crafted by Gogo alongside Joel Notkonen on vocals, Taneli Jämsä and Jukka Jauhiainen on the guitars, Achilleas Papagrigoriou on drums, and guest Oskar Englund on bass.
“On a personal level, I’ve been through enough difficult changes in my life that it almost made it impossible to keep myself motivated to complete this album. I said several times that I don’t want to do this and I almost didn’t. What kept me going was the reason I started this band and the promise I gave to the grandmother I lost back in 2020 and said that ‘Katara’ album will be recorded in her memory and her husband’s memory too. It will be done for all the years I spent driving to those scary ‘Katara’ roads to go see them. It will be done for each song I wrote inside their empty house when they were gone, and I left to watch the walls and nothing more. On a music level, I think the band has also been through enough and faced the financial critical moments to where we had to take choices, a bit unusual for us, and find ways to make things happen without losing ourselves and our quality. The path to success is full of heavy stones and very lonely so we do what we can and continue writing music from our hearts,” commented Gogo about the album. Hence, you can feel in detail all the sorrow, grief and melancholy from Katara by streaming the album in full on YouTube and on Spotify, by following the band on Facebook and on Instagram, by subscribing to their YouTube channel, and obviously by purchasing Katara from their own BandCamp page or webstore, from Apple Music or from Amazon, joining Gogo and the boys on their doomed path through the Pindus mountains.
THE HEADBANGING MOOSE 