Independent Release
Review by Tony Cannella
For those who love melodic Symphonic metal with ultra operatic vocals, then the Romanian band Whispering Woods should tickle your fancy. The band has previously released a 4-song demo in 2010 (which was reviewed here) and now they return with their debut full-length, “Fairy Woods”. Fans who were lucky enough to get their hands on a copy of the 2010 demo will notice the inclusion of all 4-songs from said demo on “Fairy Woods”. After a brief intro “Well of Dreams”, “The Call of the Trees” starts and to be honest with you, it is not your typical adrenalin fueled ‘here we are’ opener. It’s a pretty slower song and one that is also quite good and showcases the operatic style of Alexandra Burca, who is bound to remind listeners of Tarja Turunen on more than one occasion. Next we have the 8-minute “Ode to the Leviathan” which changes tempos at times and Alexandra really goes for it on this song. “Ghost in the Monastery” is next and could previously be heard on the original demo. This is definitely one of the heavier tracks and a change of pace from the previous material. Whispering Woods includes a pretty cool cover of the Darkwell track “Realm of Darkness”. My favorite track was “Black Wedding” with its wedding theme opener which transforms into something more ominous sounding. Other highlights include: “Fairy Woods” and “Death of a Beautiful”. While “Fairy Woods” may not shatter any new ground, Whispering Woods has done them proud with a good debut.
Rating – 75/100
Tracklist
- Well of Dreams
- The Call of the Trees
- Ode to the Leviathan
- Ghost in the Monastery
- Realm of Darkness (Darkwell cover)
- Black Wedding
- Queen Medusa
- Curse of the Nightingale
- …Of the End
- Fairy Woods
- Sleeping Angel
- Death of a Beautiful
Line Up
- Alexandra Burcã – Vocals (Soprano)
- Doru Cailean – Guitars
- Cora Miron – Keyboards
- Catalina Popa – Flute
- Radu Vatca – Bass
- Alex Dascal – Drums
Links
MySpace * ReverbNation * BandCamp * Facebook * Site