Artist description On some bands you simply cannot place a restriction or limitation, as they are bound to exceed them time and time again. Even using several words to pigeonhole a band within a musical category can often be confining, as it immediately conjures up images of a revered band that cannot possibly be lived up to, or to a reviled one that will keep the fans at a distance. Moonspell have already had their share of brands on their ever-maturing style of music, yet somehow they’ve managed to transcend each of them, continually linking key elements for divergent styles into something that is altogether to itself; lacking a definable name yet welcome-sounding all the same.

Music Style Hard Rock/Metal/Spanish/Techno/Goth with a twist of musical sensiblity and taste.

Artist History In the scant four years of time that this quintet have been together, things started off innocuously enough (the recording of a three-song demo tape, followed up by a 7” single on a small label), but since then Moonspell have exceeded every expectation. The overwhelming amount of attention generated by their first professional recording (the Under The Moonspell EP, released in January of 1994) was sufficient to catch the eye of Century Media co-founder/A&R Coordinator Robert Kampf, who had established a sterling reputation by spotting raw talent in bands such as Tiamat, Samael, The Gathering and Sentenced. Almost immediately, a deal was in place and the band began work on their debut full-length record. At this time, the band were already being cited for recognizable elements of black metal and traditional folk arrangements, yet their ambition far exceeded that simple combination. The highly anticipated debut album, Wolfheart, took nearly every listener by surprise with the ease which they seamlessly grafted together influences in a masterful patchwork of sound. Meanwhile, their dramatic live shows allowed them to overcome the lack of musical attention usually given to bands from their home country, and their stage persona added an entirely new element to their music, one much darker and alluring. In just a year’s time, the band returned to the studio and responded with their second full-length album, Irreligious, the band’s defining artistic creation for the time. Produced by Grip Inc. guitarist Waldemar Sorychta, Irreligious boasted eleven tracks that speak of bittersweet beauty. Fans reacted wildly to the album, landing Moonspell on several top sales charts in a number of countries, and a serious of ambitious tours firmly embedded their burgeoning reputation as the new master craftsmen of their genre. Not willing to rest upon their laurels, the band quickly resumed writing new material. After several months of work, Moonspell returned to the studio once again, with Sorychta back to lend his exceptional talent to the band’s sound. The end result should convert skeptics to believers in no time at all, as Sin/Pecado is without a doubt their most well-rounded and comprehensive album to date. Being previewed by the double-live EP Second Skin (which features three new non-album tracks plus seven live songs that fans voted in at the label’s web site), Sin/Pecado was previewed in December by a headline tour of the European capitol cities (supported by Lacuna Coil), followed up by a major support tour in fall ‘98. While many bands have quickly turned onto the gothic/darkwave/metal scene, Moonspell perform it with such an ease and flair that there is a great deal of distinction between performer and pretender.

Group Members Fernando Ribeiro - Vocals Ricardo Amorim - Guitars Pedro Paixão - Synths and Samplers Mike - Drums

Albums SIN/Pecado, Second Skin [double-EP], Irreligious, Wolfheart

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