After the good debut A World Afraid Of Light, full length dated 2015, return the Greek Moaning Silence, gothic doom band led by Christos Dounis, with this ep entitled Fragrances From Yesterdays. Compared to the previous release should be recorded a change of line up anything but marginal, since it concerns the female voice, now entrusted to Eleni Kapsimali that goes to replace Emi Path; although the latter is endowed with a good timbre, I believe that the new entry offers that something more to enhance the best melodic afflatus that the gothic metal of Moaning Silence offers with increasing continuity. As said for its predecessor, the sound of the Hellenic band is absolutely anchored to the stylistic elements of the genre, but this is done in such a competent and pleasant way that you can not help but appreciate the melancholy pace enslaved to a song form always well defined. Each song, so, enjoys its own precise physiognomy, both when the rhythms become more intense and the voice of Christos becomes harsh in the duet with Eleni (Before The Dawn and Just Another Day), both when the sound becomes more lulling and the melody takes over (Flaming Fall and Summer Rain, tracks kissed by really beautiful chorus). Some doubt is left only by the choice to cover Yesterday, performed very well and made in a fairly faithful way, especially because going to confront certain musical monuments always has some drawbacks, if only for the fact that, at the limit, the operation can only take away and not add something to those who try. That said, Fragrances From Yesterdays is a short but exhaustive demonstration of further growth by the creature of Christos Dounis, assisted this time by drummer Vaggelis X and, above all, by the well-known Bob Katsionis to oversee the production and to provide its active contribution as bassist and keyboardist. The secret of Moaning Silence, after all, lies in an apparently elementary recipe, that is the one that provides an approach to the genre linear and aimed at going straight to the heart of the listener, without resorting to special artifices but just taking care to create beautiful songs. Easy? If it were so, everyone would succeed…

2017 – Independent