- Country: Portugal
- Style: Gothic metal / Symphonic metal
- Label: Napalm Records
- Release date: 3 November 2017
In 1755 an earthquake levelled Lisbon, and Moonspell have turned that catastrophe into the darkest, heaviest record they’d made in a long time. 1755 is sung entirely in Portuguese, and that choice is the making of it. Fernando Ribeiro’s growl and spoken passages sound rooted in a way his English lyrics rarely did, and Tue Madsen’s production gives the orchestral parts and the guitars equal weight without turning everything to mush.
The title track is pure drama, choirs and pounding drums wrapped around a chorus you can follow without speaking a word of the language. “In Tremor Dei” is the centrepiece, with guest Paulo Bragança adding a mournful, theatrical voice that sends shivers. “Desastre” and “Evento” are tougher and more direct, and “Todos Os Santos” builds to a proper storm of a climax.
The closing cover of Os Paralamas do Sucesso’s “Lanterna Dos Afogados” is an odd but charming send-off, and a couple of tracks lean on bombast where a riff would do. Minor complaints. This is the sound of a veteran band writing about home and meaning every note.
Best tracks:
1755
In Tremor Dei
Desastre
Todos Os Santos
Author’s rating: 8.8/10
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