Check out: The Dark Side of the Moon

I would like to talk about The Dark Side of the Moon outside of a review, not because their debut was released last year, but mainly due to the fact that it is a very distinct case. The band is a side project of guitarist Hans Platz (Feuerschwanz) and vocalist Melissa Bonny (Ad Infinitum), who are accompanied by Morten Lowe (Amaranthe) on drums and Jenny Diehl (Feuerschwanz) on the harp.

The reason this release is special is that apart from three original compositions of Symphonic Power Metal, the remaining eight slots are occupied by covers of famous soundtracks from movies, series and video games. Metamorphosis can stand on its own as a metal album and it is good, but your relation with the covered franchises will dictate its incremental value to you.

Movies: Lord of the Rings (May it Be), The Hobbit (Misty Mountains), Harry Potter (Double Trouble/ Lumos), The Hunger Games (The Hanging Tree)

Series: Game of Thrones (Jenny of Oldstones), Vikings (If I Had a Heart)

Video Games: Witcher 3 (Priscilla’s Song), League of Legends (Legends Never Die)

You can find various metal covers of those songs online, so why should you bother with those versions? For starters, they are worked on to their last detail and the transition from original to metal is superb. What you will hear is not just the main versions with some guitars attached, but expect a quality result. Then we have the flow of the record, if you end up loving just the Lord of the Rings one for example, it is fine, but rest assured than you can also listen to Metamorphosis from start to finish, even if you have no previous experience with those franchises. Finally, the band members are on the frontlines of today’s metal landscape and are very experienced, which is reflected on the outcome.

The original compositions are the cherry on top, I specifically adored Gates of Time. Not that it matters much, but my favorite songs out of this album are the ones from The Witcher, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones and The Hunger Games.

If you also have a geek-y side other than your metalhead one, I think you would be interested in DSOTM. If not, but are a fan of the members’ main bands, you should still give them some of your time. I believe we will have a part two at some point, so you may find even more of your favorite franchises there.

Pavlos Pavlakis

On behalf of Metal Domain