*. Ebony Ark *

Album: When the City Is Quiet (2008)(+ 2 Bonus EP 2004)
Genre: Progressive Metal (Symphonic Metal)  /  Spain

Before I started listening to this album I searched for some info about the band so I could be prepared what to expect. Through my search I found that EBONY ARK come from the capital of Spain (non a traditional Metal country) and move around the Gothic Metal territory while setting foot on the Symphonic Metal one. When I discovered that the Spanish act was also female fronted, the following thought came to my mind: not another NIGHTWISH-wanna be band and actually stayed there for a while stalling me from completing this review. One again, I was being mislead by the music tags that I hate so much! I know that many times I have written where I stand with music labelling but I keep falling to their trap. Nevertheless, EBONY ARK don't want to be NIGHTWISH in the place of NIGHTWISH like Isnogood who wants to become a caliph in the homonymous comic. The album kicks in with If Only… bearing an almost EPICA Symphonic intro and a groovy tempo to go with. The first surprise comes with Beatriz Albert's vocals that during the bridge give the impression that are out of tune especially in the higher pitches. If you hold your position without pressing the stop button then you will discover some pretty good stuff about EBONY ARK. Things become more straightforward with Ecstacy that reveals the band's strong Gothic Rock foundations that make the resulting sound quite interesting. Don't be frightened by the term 'Rock' in my description because there are some heavy songs here like the guitar driven Endless Road the staccato We're Here Now that also brings some aggressive male vocals. While keeping the Symphonic arrangements in the back EBONY ARK use the keyboards (see Redemption for example) to bring a modern profile to their songs making the entire album sound really enticing. After a couple of CD spins you will eventually understand Beatriz Albert's voice and will agree with my saying that it takes the album to a higher level. Overall, I can say that even though EBONY ARK do not re-discover the wheel they have created a interesting album with some very good ideas. If you are into the female fronted bands then this album will eventually earn you without any doubt; if you are not then it's a good place to start or don't bother and read the next review. Below you can take small taste of their music from the Thorn Of Ice video clip that comes from their previous album Decoder. Review by "Dimitris Kontogeorgakos" (www.metal-temple.com).

RATING:  7.5 / 10

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