Eleanor – Celestial Nocturne
Mighty Music
Release Date: 30/03/2018
Running Time: 56.15
Reviewer Tsarina Wilson
6.5/10
When I first asked to review this album, I had no idea that it would all be in Japanese, so it was a little bit of a surprise when the album first started. I have previously reviewed bands who sing in both their native language and English, but this was a first for me and unfortunately, I don’t speak Japanese…!!
Eleanor are a Japanese Melancholic, Symphonic, Gothic Metal band (phew, a little bit of everything), founded in 2006 by Ippei J Malmsteen (guitars) and Shiori Vitus (vocals) in Osaka. Their sound has been influenced by bands such as The Gathering, Sentence and Amorphis, and, in fact, their name Eleanor was a song by The Gathering.
Their debut album “A Circle of Lament” was released in 2011 in Japan by Black-Listed Records. Two years later their second album “Breathe Life Into The Essence” was released also by Black-Listed records and was highly rated, with lots of attention from overseas. As a result, Eleanor appeared on the Metal Female Voices Fest Vol 11 in Belgium as the only Japanese Metal band.
They then went on to perform as an opening act for Eluveitie’s Japanese tour in 2014. In 2016, their third album “Celestial Nocturne” was released in Japan by Rubicon Music and they played the largest number of live shows in their history.
In 2017, Eleanor signed an international deal with Scandinavian leading Rock/Metal label Mighty Music and on the 30th March 2018, “Celestial Nocturne” was released world-wide and included three bonus tracks.
The band consists of Shiori Vitus on vocals, Ippei J Malmsteen on guitars and keyboards, Neo on guitars, Lupin on bass, Carlos on drums and Jet Rumi on chorus and percussions.
So, as I couldn’t actually understand the lyrics of the album, this was quite a difficult review to do but you can hear so much passion in Shiori’s voice and the riffs are almost haunting. I can imagine some of these tracks being used as end title music for a film of dark heartache or mystery as they have that sort of sound to them. And then you hear ‘Buried Alive!’ This track is such a change from the rest of the album, it’s very upbeat and light, a refreshing change as everything else is very dark and melancholy. But dark and melancholy is what the band are noted for.
The album has a lot of instrumental sections and there is nothing better than a good guitar interlude, this album giving you plenty of them, especially ‘Thirsty’ and ‘Defying’, a track which has an almost Spanish flamenco hint. Most of the tracks have a strong drum beat which keeps the album bouncing along nicely and mixed with great harmonies, you have yourself a very interesting album.
TRACKLISTING:
01. Fall From Grace
02. Defying Gravity
03. Far Beyond Dystopia
04. Solitude
05. Eternal Moment
06. Empyreal Beauty
07. Buried Alive
08. Lazy Noise
09. Thirsty
10. War Cry
11. Mellow Ⅰ – Sleeping Water – (European Bonus Track)
12. Mellow Ⅱ – Far Beyond Dystopia – (European Bonus Track)
13. Mellow Ⅲ – Defying Gravity – (European Bonus Track)
LINKS:
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