Album Review: Moon Chamber – Lore Of The Land (No Remorse Records)

Marta Gabriel, the front woman of heavy metal stalwarts Crystal Viper – and respected session musician, with a vocal range of more than four octaves – is considered to be one of the finest singers of her generation. Rob Bendelow is the founder and original guitarist of the legendary British rock band Saracen – as the composer of albums such as “Vox In Excelso”, “Redemption”, and most notably “Heroes Saints And Fools”, Rob is a truly respected contributor to the history of classic rock.

So what might the result be if those two were to join forces, and combine their obvious passion for music? The answer is Moon Chamber. The quintet’s debut opus, entitled “Lore of the Land”, will be released on October 25th, 2019 on No Remorse Records.

The album comprises ten tracks, deeply rooted in the classic rock of the ’70s and ’80s, whilst drawing inspiration from the wealth of English folklore, history and legend.

The feeling of folklore and legend is what really comes across immediately with the opener De Temporum Ratione. An earthly showcase of Marta Gabriel’s vocals before it’s rocked up a bit with pacey riffing and plenty of good-time groove.

There’s a bit of spill into a more symphonic style with Only which works as a continuing great showcase of the vocals. When Stakes Are High brings high energy bouncy rock and Ravenmaster is that little more moody and with deeper guitar chug. A high-whining guitar solo really sends things back to the older days of rock and metal.

A varied set of early tracks, the only thing that’s really lacking so far is that killer hook. The sort of thing that grabs you and forces you to sit up straight through the sheer power of it all.

That’s not to be found on We’ll Find A Way but the melodic ballad is still an exceptionally strong listen. The Nine Ladies is also pretty mellow at first but delivers the hook we’ve been waiting for with a wicked bit of guitar work around the halfway point.

Goodwill retained; The Goddess and the Green Man ups the rock ante quite a bit, Crystal Wind shakes, rattles and rolls before The Plague takes us on an epic journey that culminates with Knight Errant (My Son).

A little bit of a time capsule, Moon Chamber lovingly recreate the sound of early rock and give it a much needed fresh coat of paint.

Moon Chamber – Lore of the Land Full Track Listing:

1. De Temporum Ratione
2. Only
3. When Stakes Are High
4. Ravenmaster
5. We’ll Find A Way
6. The Nine Ladies
7. The Goddess And The Green Man
8. Crystal Wind
9. The Plague
10. Knight Errant (My Son)

Links

Facebook | No Remorse Records