Dark Moor

The Hall Of The Olden Dreams (2000)

Amongst Metalheads it is not uncommon to find mostly negative sentiments towards European Power Metal due to its perceived "flowery" nature. Outside of the most diehard fans, a lot would describe the sub-genre as 'cheesy' due to the high volume of faux-classical keyboard interplay. They may also find it feminine due to the lack of, for the most part, headbanging guitar riffs and aggression, and also due to the overwrought fantasy lyrical themes so over-the-top that they make even Manowar seem somewhat normal. 

Whilst some of these criticisms naturally find themselves attached to Dark Moor by way of association, there is something that feels different about their music. There are a few things that immediately stand out. The music itself has a fun sense of adventure and also a great sense of melody. The melodic work has a few different modes and whilst there is some of that fast 'pingy' neo-classical keyboard work over power chord riffing and double-kick drumming, this is not over-used to the point of tedium. There are tempo changes and also periods of melodic interplay between the keyboards and guitars and the band avoids that 'one-paced' nature that plagues the lesser bands in the genre. As a result the song-writing is memorable and avoids blurring together. 

The jewel in their crown is the strong female vocal performance. She has a great feel for the music and is able to switch her voice to either shape or fit the mood. There are times when she takes on a more aggressive attitude and really lets fly. In contrast there are also plenty of ballad-like sections where her voices glides across the music. Generally her voice is classy, and completely avoids the shrill 'nails on chalkboard' style. Instead she has the knack of creating an additional melodic layer with her voice, that is constantly shifting against the music. For the most part she absolutely carries these songs and gives the band their own distinct personality. 

The song-writing discipline on The Hall of the Olden Dreams is especially strong, and mostly any virtuoso displays are used to further advance the song or add emotional complexity, and do not come across as wishy-washy adornment for their own sake. The melodies are tasteful, and as a result it is a delightful and surprisingly good brand of Power Metal.