When I was a child, I loved power Metal. It had beautiful majestic melodies, fantasy lyrics, well most of the times, and made me headbang like a maniac. DARK MOOR started as a power Metal band and I liked some of their work, but as time passed by they changed their sound and I couln't say their music is pure 'Power Metal' these days.

The band formed fifteen years ago in Madrid Spain, by Enrik Garcia. From 1999 since nowadays, the band had lots of lineup changes and released six full length albums, two EP's and a single. After the recordings of their new album Autumnal, bass player Daniel Fernandez left DARK MOOR for personal reasons and was replaced by Mario Garcia.

I didn't know what to expect from this release. Their previous album Tarot didn't leave me with the best of impressions so I was wondering what the new album would sound like. Unfortunately I did not find out. A mixture of KAMELOT-like melodies with a NIGHTWISH-ish way of orchestration and Gothic melodies in some of the songs, like in The Enchanted Forest. There are some nice ideas in the album, likes some melodies in When The Sun Is Gone that has a sense of Egypt in some parts and Phantom Queen where there is a Celtic like melody,  but the majority of the compositions didn't attract me and sometimes found them, in my humble opinion, childish. There is also a guest appearance in the album, by soprano Itea Benedicto (NIOBETH).

This album didn't say anything to me. I never liked listening to Power - if you can say this is Power - Metal with a NIGHTWISH aesthetic and some Gothic and classical elements. Let's just hope that the band will find it identity soon and release a better album. Oh, and I left the 'cover' version for the end. Why on earth do you put as the first track a cover of the Swan Lake? Not the best way to start the album since it doesn't have anything to give.