Review Summary: Released in 2003, Missa Mercuria is a progressive metal opera project featuring many talented singers and musicians. It differs from most metal operas because of the focus on instruments, rather than vocals, and does so in a great way.
Fans of progressive metal, of great vocals and of metal operas such as Ayreon, Aina, Consortium Project and Avantasia will love this album. Released in 2003, Missa Mercuria is a progressive metal opera project featuring many talented singers. The songwriting was taken care of by members of the bands
Silent Force,
Vanden Plas and
Pink Cream 69, which should of course guarantee some high expectations.
The album opens with two short instrumental songs, featuring great keyboards and guitars, before moving on to 'Divine Spark (Firegod)'. The song immediately hits you in the face, not in the least because of the awesome and intense vocals of D.C. Cooper and the nice drums. Halfway through the song has a nice interlude, including acoustic guitar work, before returning to the energetic theme with which it started.
Next is 'Whisper of the soul (Watergoddess)', sung by Sabine Edelsbacher of
Edenbridge. A song which starts of with some nice mellow keyboards and gradually builds up a bit in intensity, while maintaining a more quiet feel which really fits the title of the song.
'Mother Earth (Earthgoddess)' is also a more mellow song, with more heavy female vocals, done by Laurie Williams, and more of a 'back to nature' feel, which is enhanced by the backing vocals. The keyboards are very strong in maintaining the feel as well.
The final song of deity's is 'Spirit of wisdom (Airgod)', song by Vanden Plas vocalist Andy Kuntz. It starts out with a nice mellow piano riff, followed by the drums and bass, after which the song launches by picking up speed and intensity and a nice keyboard solo. The song goes back to a nice muted rhythmic guitar riff then, when Andy's great vocals commence, augmented by answering backing vocals. The choruses are more melodic and allow Kuntz to use a greater part of his vocal range.
Basically, the first six songs are the best on the album. Nevertheless, the other ten songs have a lot to offer in the same vein as well. There are some great instrumental songs, all mellow in different ways and often with lots of keyboards (Illusion of time, Journey to Hades, Strange Desert Walk, Down to Hell, Outtro)), and several great songs with vocals. Particularly noteworthy are the classically sung parts of Isolde Groß on 'Missa Mercuria' and the awesome heavy song 'Rectificando' with nice vocals by David Readman and some great guitar solos.
Credits
Songwriting
All lyrics: D.C. Cooper (SILENT FORCE)
Music: Günter Werno (VANDEN PLAS)
Stephan Lill (VANDEN PLAS)
Alex Beyrodt (SILENT FORCE)
Alfred Koffler (PINK CREAM 69)
Recordings
Drums: Andreas Lill (VANDEN PLAS)
Bass: Dennis Ward (PINK CREAM 69)
Guitars: Stephan Lill (VANDEN PLAS)
Alfred Koffler (PINK CREAM 69)
Alex Beyrodt (SILENT FORCE)
Keyboards: Günter Werno (VANDEN PLAS)
Percussion: Pedro Weiss (Session Percussionist)
Vocalists and their characters
D.C. Cooper: Firegod (SILENT FORCE)
Sabine Edelsbacher: Watergoddess (EDENBRIDGE)
Lori Williams: Earthgoddess (Black Session Soul singer)
Andy Kuntz: Airgod (VANDEN PLAS)
Isolde Groß: Mercuria (Classical Opera singer, soprano)
David Readman: Narrator (PINK CREAM 69)
