The Moon and the Nightspirit - Ösforrás (2009)

Ösforrás is the third album from Hungary's The Moon and the Nightspirit, and, while not technically a metal band, are the perfect compliment to fans of the pagan and folk elements commonly found in metal. This one is a solid follow-up to 2007s Regõ Rejtem: a must for fans of that album.

Comparatively I found this album to be stronger overall than the previous album; however, it lacks the bombastic intro track featured in Regõ Rejtem. This one starts slowly and doesn't start to pick up until the third song and title track. It's a bit more subdued though. The strong male vocals from Mihaly Szabo are less common. Ösforrás is the Agnes Toth show. Not that this is a bad thing. Her voice is just as captivating here as it was on the last album.

There is a lot of compelling instrumental work here. The plucky intro to "Fenybe Tero" for example is the perfect thing to establish an album whose lyrics are rooted in the mystical qualities of the great forests of old. The last song (not counting the bonus track) "Foldanya Sohaja" is a little weak. However the two tracks that lead up to that, "Hetvilag and Alkonyvarazs" suitably evoke the image of let's get around a campfire and bitch about civilization. I find it to be all in good fun.

Bottom line: if you liked the last one get this. If you've never heard it, then get them both!

Verdict: Win [8/10]

http://www.themoon.equilibriummusic.com/tmnews.php3

The Moon And The Nightspirit - Regõ Rejtem (2007)

The second album by The Moon And The Nightspirit, a Hungarian folk band, features lyrics entirely in Hungarian, dealing with subjects like nature, spirits and other pagan concepts. The music features a large variety of ethnic instruments, and Agnes provides an absolutely beautiful vocal performance.

Regõ Rejtem contains nine songs, all of which are quite distinct, yet have a sound similar enough that they don’t stand out too much. This keeps the album interesting, without feeling disconnected, or any of the songs feeling too much out of place. The band has also been very wise with their use of instruments, as with an abundance of folk instruments, they never go overboard with them. Using only the necessary ones to produce the sound they’re looking for, they achieve more than if they tried to jam all the instruments they possibly could into the music. Some folk bands do not show this restraint.

The music throughout the album is relatively slow and tranquil, but dynamic enough to keep the listener interested. The songs are simply beautiful, and something about them speaks to the small primal piece deep inside, that embraces nature and times long past. Regõ Rejtem was also the first time I purchased an album based on hearing just one song. Éjköszöntõ convinced me that I have to hear the rest.

I could keep praising the album, but that isn’t going to serve any real purpose. I would heartily suggest checking Regõ Rejtem out if you can conceive any possibility of liking pagan folk music with beautiful female vocals.

Verdict: Epic Win (9/10)

http://www.themoon.equilibriummusic.com/