Personally, Big Daddy here never had any kind of respect for the label "Gothic Metal", because it doesn't make sense. Musically, this style is just an elegant and tender evolution of Doom Metal, with the use of keyboards, sometimes with female vocals, but the musical melancholy and introspection don't come from Gothic Rock. To be honest, Gothic Rock has nothing to do with Metal (but my words don't mean the style doesn't have value). So, bands as DARKWELL couldn't be label as "Gothic" in any sense of the word, even more on their new album, "Moloch."

Their musical insight is truly elegant, rich in orchestrations of keyboards, but is also really aggressive and heavy. Yes, they got a very good technical level, with excellent guitar riffs, and the rhythmic section is perfect, creating a very good rhythmic basis. The keyboard parts are very good as well, and the female tunes of Alexandra are excellent, knowing how to use her voice. Although this musical formula was used many times before, they try to revitalize it by the use of some Industrial touches on keyboard, and with very aggressive tunes on the guitars, but without tearing apart the elegant atmosphere of "Moloch."

The sound quality of "Moloch" is very good, a fine work done by Stefan Graf and Roland Wurzer (both worked on the production and mixing of the album), and Eike Freese made the mastering. The result is that the songs are sounding both clear and heavy, respecting their musical identity. The art of Jasmin Elisabeth Wannerfor the cover is really very good as well, using simple contrasts of red.

Musically, the album is very good, and the band is doing great. The aggressive tunes are making the difference. The very good guitar and keyboards passages on the heavy and accessible "Moloch", the excellent and elegant tempos used on "In Nomine Serpentis" (the drums and bass guitar are very good, giving weight to the song, without destroying the elegant feeling of it), the musical accessible scent of "Save My Sight" (the sweet and melodic vocal tunes contrasts in an excellent way with the abrasive tunes of guitars), the melodic aggressiveness shown on the rhythmic changes of "Bow Down" and "Loss of Reason" (this one with an excellent chorus and good orchestrations), and the long and Progressive "Awakening" can be labeled as their best moments. But "Moloch" is good to the point that the band will keep their old fans, and gain new ones.

It's very good, indeed.