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Review by Karl Magi
Overall Album Impressions
Maestro Eternal’s “Requiem" is full of horror and threat looming out of the darkness, but those feelings are leavened by the themes of hope and perseverance that add contrast. The journey upon which one is taken moves from bleakness to defiance as each track unfolds.
Layering synths with melodies that generate intense emotion from terror to nobility, “Requiem" creates music that reaches out to grab hold of my soul. The evocation of the lurking, sinister feelings that slip out of the dark is engaging and Maestro Eternal has a knack for putting together sonic portraits using intertwined tones and timbres to create sensations which are difficult to ignore and draw me in.
Atmosphere oozes from every pore of “Requiem" and drenches me with its moods and power. Images of towering ancient castles and black voids opening to swallow me whole are balanced with feelings of struggle, determination and vindication. It's a mixture that works well here. It takes me on a quest as it unfolds.
My Favourite Songs Analyzed
“Revive” swells with umbral weight below a staticky sounding pulse before a swirling mist of sound drifts above the steady rhythm as elevated tones carry a spectrally delicate melody out through the darkness. Hints of worry and discomfort tug at me as the music unfolds, an eldritch choir of sound echoing while the delicate notes generate a feeling of disconnected discomfort. Ticking percussion adds subtle shape while shadowy emotions are pierced by blinding brilliance and the theme calls out with a creeping feeling before silence falls.
Like a vast dark void, a synth looms with terrifying strength as “R O T” expands into a pit of blackness that echoes with desolation before the clean drum beat is joined by chimes lifting up with growing confidence. Spooky sound permeates the chiming tones while the percussion cruises in a silken line, beneath the shimmering light.
Gloom is conjured before the echoing tones shine like feverish stars, moving into a warmer feeling that injects hope into the seemingly impenetrable night. The main melody gains optimism despite the threatening depths that vibrate below, becoming majestic before the track comes to a close.
“Requiem” grows into being with lugubrious shadows that rise in haunting motion as an unholy choir cries out and the drums patter in a steady but strong line as a deeper chant gives a demonic weight to the proceedings. The elevated choir cries out like a thousand spirits in pain while the underlayer marches on, as inevitable as the grave.
A pipe organ unwinds in a theme which is majestic but troubled, exuding menace that mingles with the choir to produce feelings of unending terror. Once the orchestral strings come in, a sense of possibility shoots through the music, still supported by the vast choir but giving way to something brighter.
Sliding percussion continues while the climbing orchestra paints images of resistance, contrasting with the melancholy that spills from the wordless vocals. The accelerating beat gives support to the orchestra as it sings with a feeling of relief and respite before stopping.
Violins levitate above the gigantic void that opens below them as “Reverie of Nightmares” is joined by hissing percussion and a pounding kick drum while the string section carries a melody full of sadness and eerie tenderness. Active underpinnings throb as a raised synth transmits a theme which summons both nobility and hurt, capturing adventure in a dark place.
I enjoy the evocation of atmosphere by Maestro Eternal as the higher notes shine with astral beams above the darkness roiling below. Luminescence stabs as sounds move with spectral elegance, sped along by the low end as the rumbling vocal synth drifts and the track falls silent.
“Revenge” opens with sinister sensations, a choir calling down a curtain of dread punctuated by crushing static before the whirling theme generates force while the shadowed voices create dramatic strength.
A secondary melody undulates while the choir calls out before the main theme moves with nobility and a feeling of growing strength in the face of the evil around it. The choir has faded and a sense of positive progress rises before the returning chorus creates ominous sensations.
The way in which a path forward opens through the uplifting melody draws me inward while the drums burst with great force and the dramatic synthesizer carries the track to an end.
A marching line of militaristic synthesizer moves with disjointed notes twisting as “Reckoning” establishes forceful forward motion while the main motif is one of terrible muscle and absolute fear. Gritty underpinnings churn while the synthesizer exudes awful, creeping danger while a glimmering melody transmits defiance and resistance, carrying the battle to its final stage.
Climbing sounds soar above the growling underpinnings before a bending note pattern generates unsettled impressions. The orchestra descends in slow notes, filling me with an increased sense of portent before the track pours out its shadows and the melody lifts in a contrasting, defiant line before the music stops.
Conclusion
“Requiem” is a powerful and compelling exploration of survival and triumph against the odds, speaking of ancient fear and overcoming it with hope and persistence. I feel myself uplifted by the listening experience.
