CONCERTO MOON is a Neoclassical Metal band from Tokyo, Japan. This is their 15^th studio album in 25 years of existence, which is absolutely mindboggling. They have had major success in Japan but they are not well known elsewhere unfortunately. This is also the second album to feature Watashi Haga as lead vocalist as he replaced the departing Atsushi Kuze that left back in 2018.

Japan is home to some of the most passionate fans of music in all the world. Every band would like to play the Tokyo Egg Dome or Budokan because of those fans. Some say if you play these venues, it shows the whole music world that you made it as an artist. Japan is also home to a lot of great bands that nobody ever heard about or sparsely known elsewhere like LOUDNESS, CHTONIC, SIGH or X-JAPAN. Going out of your way and making a name for yourself is no easy task and as a listener it's fun to discover some hidden treasures in their booming Metal scene. I have read about the band in the past in some Metal Magazine but this is my first taste of the band.

One of my bigger pet peeves as a listener and fan of music is pronunciation of words but this time I can really put it to rest and just enjoy the album as a whole. Watashi Haga does happen to butcher the English language at times but I felt it didn't hurt the overall album. At times I feel that it can hurt so much the effectiveness of the songs but this time, I felt you got used to it by the time you are at the second song.

The production value is top notch especially the keyboards and drums, I felt they were at the forefront of the album. They were really mixed well with the guitar playing and the vocals. Nothing seemed to overthrow any other instrument. The mix is perfect and you don't have any instrument drowning another one which is a great thing especially in Neo-Classical Power Metal. The production is on par with some of the great Power Metal bands like STRATOVARIUS, SONATA ARCTICA amongst countless others.

I was expecting something along the lines of SYMPHONY X when I first heard that these guys were a Neo-Classical Metal band but it's safe to say that I was only half right. You absolutely have that old school SYMPHONY X feeling but you also have a lot of Power Metal elements, elements from the twilight of that particular genre. It's really a mix of mid 90's Europeran Power Metal infused with some Neo-Classical elements torn from TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA perhaps. The song that reminded me the most of SYMPHONY X was ''Burnt Society'' by far, if the album would have sounded like this I would have probably given it a better score overall obviously.

''Run for the Light'' and ''The Night Tells Thousand Lies'' have a lot akin to early NIGHTWISH, it has that Power Metal, yet operatic feel about it especially at the beginning of the song then it becomes more of a standard European Power Metal song but you can see that they pick influences here and there from various sub genres and they do mix them well together. I think homogeny is the key in their style and consistency.

''Waiting for You'' does pack a punch with the guitar work and being a more mid-tempo song, Watashi Higa does show a much softer side and range on this one. You have the more classical approach to songs and you have this one that is quite a departure. I am happy they show another side of what they can do and it's a nice change of pace after the first few songs. ''False Confidence'' could have been on an early Yngwie Malmsteen album, it has the guitar work and the structure that people love about his first few albums. Obviously you don't have the same quality singer in CONCERTO MOON but the song really reminded of that period in the Swedish axeman's career.

I think it's a good album but it's not something I would listen again and again, maybe sometimes here and there but the vocals and lyrics are almost indiscernible and can be quite frustrating at time. The music is excellent and it's really a nice mix of old school Neo-Classical (think Yngwie Malmsteen with his first few albums) and mid 90's European Power Metal. The vocals might be annoying at times but the quality of the music compensates 10 times for it and it's a rather nice surprise. A Hidden Treasure no more, showing the whole world that Japan is not only known for bands like X-JAPAN and LOUDNESS!