Many who have heard this band before usually draw similarities to Chthonic which is understandable as Crescent Lament comes highly recommended by Doris Yeh, this particular album was produced by Jesse Liu (Chthonic guitarist), and both bands incorporate the traditions of their native Taiwan into metal music. That does not draw up though that Crescent Lament is a duplicate of Chthonic or anything of the like as this band definitely has their own sound. They do draw a few likenesses such as a generous use of palm muted riffs and hoarse, rhythmic growls but Crescent Lament’s sound is a lot more melodic, symphonic and softer with more focus on symphonic and melodic.
Land of Lost Voices is the third full length by the group and continues a very epic and saddening story. This album continues where the previous, Elegy for the Blossoms, left off telling the unfinished romance between A-hiong and her lover. From the beginning to the end of this album, you will feel this is more of an opera that happens to have metal instruments accompanying it. It is hard to not notice right off the bat Muer Chou’s soaring vocals that range between beautiful, soft singing and pitches that rival that of some the best Chinese operatic singers. The track 初霜花 (Frosty Flower at Dawn) is a prime example of her otherworldly vocal skills.
The perfect blending of melodic metal riffs, traditional instrumentations, Muer’s unbelievable vocals and symphonic landscapes make Land of Lost Voices a truly amazing listening experience. The band have truly perfected making you feel as if you can truly imagine this story playing out on a grand stage. I have always had a special place for any band that can tell a great story, no matter the language, genre or anything else and this album checks all those boxes. The lyrics are all in Taiwanese but that just adds to how impressive this album is as unlike music in English, there are different techniques to make a different language flow with the music and that is executed flawlessly here. If you are a fan of gothic, folk, symphonic and/or operatic metal that will make you speechless, this album is for you.
Overall Score: 10/10
Review by Neil Andersen
