Atargatis - Nova

November 26, 2008

Reviewer: Peter

After having released numerous EPs during their early existence, most of the world finally got to see what Atargatis could do with a full length release in 2006 with their debut album Wasteland.  The release saw what the band could do, which was mainly be a symphonic gothic metal band that is enhanced by the vocals of Stephanie Luzie.  For the second album Nova, there have been some changes to the lineup.  A new guitarist and the return of Lord Lornhold to full-time bass duties later, Atargatis is ready to unleash the offering onto those who want more.

One of the things that is noticeably different about Nova is that Stefan Hertrich of Darkseed is not doing guest male vocals on the album, which is a bit of a shame, since his vocals worked extremely well with the female vocals.  That is not to say that the male vocals have gone completely down the toilet, far from it actually.  The guest vocal duties fall onto Matthias from Crematory and while he won’t nearly match the production of Hertrich, he does have help, as Lord Lornhold also provides some of the male vocals, as evidenced on “Ebon Queen.”  While that is going on, the obvious star is Luzie, whose vocal talents are clearly suited for the music that Atargatis makes as opposed to her other band Darkwell.  The music itself is more bombastic in parts, which ring true on songs such as “Ebon Queen,” “Frozen Innocence,” and “Crucified.”  Even the first track “Balanced (Intro)” offers a grander sense of what the listener should expect from the album.  Even with the grand parts, there also has to be something to offset some of that, and there are two tracks that do a good job in “Green Lake’s Ground” and “Deliverance.”  By definition, those tracks can be considered ballads, but they seem to be more than that, as they actually grab onto the listener’s emotions and take them for a ride.  Other musical highlights on the album include “Stars Are Falling” and “Riven,” the latter of which is more of a duet between Luzie and Matthias.  There aren’t any real flaws with the album besides the male vocals, but that drop off was to be expected, as it isn’t always easy to cover for someone like Hertrich.  In fact, Nova is actually stronger in the sense that more of Luzie’s vocal talents come to the surface.

If you liked Wasteland, then you will like Nova just as much, if not better.  If this is your first experience with Atargatis, then this is definitely worth your time, as its bombastic style of symphonic gothic metal will take you through the highs and lows without missing a beat.  While most people in North America will find this album hard to come by, if you do get your hands on this album, the time in which you put towards getting this album will be well worth it.

Release Date: November 17, 2007
Label: Massacre Records

TRACK LISTING

1. Balance (Intro)
2. Ebon Queen
3. Frozen Innocence
4. Riven
5. Stars Are Falling
6. Crucified
7. Green Lake’s Ground
8. Fever of Temptation
9. When the Ice Breaks
10. The Marching of the Fey
11. Firebird
12. Deliverance

Total playing time: 49:13

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