Dark Moor - Project X Review
by Matt Hensch
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A dimension in which bands do not sh*t the bed all the time is beyond our reality. The magnitude of artistic meltdowns covers disappointment, pants-sh*tting shock, and everything in between. Dark Moor, thanks to "Project X," joins the ranks of those unfortunate cases in which the breakdown between records is something knocking on the door of spectacular. "Project X" comes after the wonderful "Ars Musica," and it really couldn't be further from both its predecessor and anything Dark Moor has done hitherto. Long story short, it's a bomb; the decline of Dark Moor's style is almost impressive. Dark Moor's enduring ideology of power metal glory, even after multiple albums that were at least bearable, becomes pompous, excessive, hackneyed, and downright agonizing.I'm having a hard time putting down just what in the hell is going on here. "Project X" runs between pseudo-power metal themes and a growing presence of hard rock/AOR songs that have these gospel choirs thrown in for some awful reason. The focus is user-friendliness, because these choruses and hooks have nothing to captivate; they are mundane and disposable. Any sort of nuance or measure of drama Dark Moor had once had is thrown out the window for the circular songwriting and horrendous, cringe-inducing gospel parts. Even Alfred Romero, a superb vocalist, sounds like junk. The production and the situations he's forced to handle because of the hard rock influences give the impression that he is blundering and out of place. His smooth, elegant vocal style turns into a sputtering, messy performance that adds yet another hindrance to the excessive baggage. At this point, we're shooting fish in a barrel. The sound quality is atrocious, ruining not just Romero's vocals but also the band's instrumental authority. The attempts to write deep, multilayered tracks by mixing in gospel bits and softer sections don't have any depth; they are dreadfully written and performed nonsensically. Aliens and abductions surround the concept of "Project X," so there are plenty of needless keyboard sections going for a spacey effect and all sorts of extraterrestrial/government conspiracy buzzwords sprayed all over the place. Any semblance of an edge, bite, or flash of relevancy is shipped out for this uninspiring gruel of gospel/show tune sections and fourth-rate hard rock/power metal with a South Park Canadian on vocals. "Gabriel" isn't too bad; it actually has a notable chorus and semi-decent songwriting. The rest deserves a one-way ticket to the Event Horizon. I hate the sh*t out of this. There is not a single reason for a band as talented and dynamic as Dark Moor to release something that loves to shower in its own vapidity and self-congratulatory insolence. The production is garbage, the performances are gutless, the songwriting is basic, the concept is cognitively impaired, and there is nothing here worth a second glance other than a few parts of a single song. May "Project X" return to the planet of mediocrity from which in came.
Dark Moor - Project X Rating:1.0
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