Ivory Moon uses several vocal leads, male and the female, and also makes use of choral components, there’s a lot of singing over the symphonic base and the metal framework. All those vocals are outstanding, in fact, the male, at times, actually sounds a bit like Kamelot, the outstanding Symphonic Gothic band from Tampa, Florida. And that’s a high complement. The female lead is Cecilia Serra, a strong presence who has been replaced since this recording by another Italian, this time a brunette, which makes me feel somewhat better. The male vocals are carried, for the most part, by Sandro Manicone, he’s the one with the fine tenor, and he sings a number of parts, many of them sounding quite different. The instrumental components are compliments of Davide Calisse and Fabrizio Zucchini on guitars, Fabrizio Sciano on bass, Filippo Natloi on keyboards and Emanuele Valabrega on drums.

The music is described as epic symphonic metal and it is that. There is a lot to this music, a strong symphonic component, various vocal lines and a strong metal tone that drives many of the individual songs. But there is also a strong technical basis to the music, these guys don’t just crank the metal up, they spend a lot of time on the composition and the interaction of the different parts. It really gets quite complex at times. If you’re looking for straightforward rock and roll, you’re going to get really confused here; this is classically oriented with a diversified approach to the music on most numbers.

And finally, I have to make an assumption here, this is Christian Gothic, if such a thing exists. I understand that several of the musicians are believers and, a cursory review of the music and the lyrics can lead to no other conclusion. If that seems a little hard to digest, well, I’m with you there. This is a new one on me. But, why not? It’s just a wrinkle that takes us in a somewhat different direction and new ideas and directions are what life is all about. The most overwhelming evidence of this deduction is the epic Golgota, a strong description of the Passion of Christ, the final hours before the Crucifixion and the events that took place around that event. It takes us back to the Jesus Christ Superstar opera from the last century, only with better music. The song is an interactive work with a multitude of characters involved including Jesus, Judas, Caifa, Maddalena, Erode, Pilato, and crowd vocals. It begins with an epic musical structure, a symphonic moment that takes us to the vocals:

Clearly not a topic we deal with on a regular basis. I generally do not move in Christian directions, although I have certainly heard some good Christian rock, but this music tends to deal with the topic in some formats that I can actually appreciate. Phantom Ship is another song that can stray between the Gothic and the Christian. Keyboards provide an interesting intro here but we quickly move to a more symphonic tone with a choral component that again takes us to the epic. The opening lines suggest the Gothic:

But, as the song progresses, mainly over a male vocal line augmented by the female vocal, the message is altered:

One thing is consistent. . . the music. The keyboards tend to hold a strong sway over the music, but the vocals revolve between the operatic female lines and the male tenor. Both are equally strong.

Other songs take another tact. Overflow is more of a traditional metal sound with strong guitars supporting a metal vocal line by the combined talents of the two primary vocalists. There is an interesting use of the double bass here and it keeps the music up-tempo. The keyboards are searing, they take us to a mid point where the song drops down to a ballad with the female vocals lulling us to a quiet moment. . .but this moment ends and we are again driven by the drums and guitars to a harder perspective.

Clown in the Mirror is another up-tempo sound. It features the male vocal, as does much of this work. There is a political component to this song, a truly interesting perspective for a group known for it’s Christian influence. But the music is more metal oriented; even the female vox is metal oriented instead of the operatic approach utilized in other songs. A killer guitar highlights the later part of the song; these musicians can kick the metal up as well as anyone when the occasion calls for it.

In the Deep Forest, a song that features the operatic vocals of the female vocalist, contrasts this hard metal approach. There is a hard metal component here but this song features the instrumentals as well as the operatic. Again we get the epic tone, and, again, we get the subliminal Christian perspective:

The song is a highlight, the keyboards pound out a thundering base for the operatic vocals and serve to best represent the Ivory Moon sound.

Ivory Moon is a complex music, a complex message and a complex combination of ideas. But it is great music. If you want the symphonic, it’s here, if you want to pay attention to the lyrics, there’s enough here to keep you busy for a long time. The vocals are world class as are the musicians. It’s hard to imagine a more worthwhile package, and one that meets all the needs of the listening audience.

9.5 / 10