LUMINARIA - ARCHE

Barreling out of Poland in 2005 and right to your CD player is the debut release of Luminaria. ‘Arche’ was originally released as a ‘demo’ yet this Bombworks release is really top notch. Epic and doomy arrangements with strong Goth Metal sound the disc entitled ‘Arche’ is pretty darn good.

First things first are that Goth sounding stuff isn’t really my forte, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I dislike this genre. The are some strong melodies present here and the occasional death metal vocal: thrown in for good measure I’m sure. This is the kinda stuff that the word atmosphere holds true to. I’ve heard this band described as an alternative to Type O Negative and The 69 Eyes, how true that description is I can’t really attest to. I think of Savior Machine and that vibe, yet Luminaria does use double bass with does add a heavier vibe at times.

The band is a five piece with Wavoc (vocals) Anhell (bass), Arek Karnazycki (keyboards), Xaria (guitars) and Mort (drums). According to the band bio Karnazycki left the band after the release of this disc. All the musicians are more than capable of handling their instruments and playing at a high level. The production is very moody but clean with an overall ‘big’ sound.

My favorite composition on this album is ‘The Arabesque’. Many different elements are combined to bring this track to life. Whether it’s the keyboard parts, the many different guitar elements or the vocal performance by “Wavoc” aka Wojciech Wawoczny this song just has an element of power that is daunting. I’m sure their live performance is nothing like Savior Machine, but just on the surface I could see Luminaria playing with say Grave Robber on the same bill. Their styles are different, but this type of atmosphere would go hand in hand with Grave Robber.

Lyrically, this release provides a more introspective look at things which is interesting none the less. ‘Lust to Prison’ will get your attention as one looks at the way we become imprisoned by our secret desires. A music video would probably never be made of that song, but it should be heard.

‘Arche’ is a solid debut with promise for the future. If you like Hero or Savior Machine this might be right up your alley. This is definitely worth a listen and will demand your attention while doing it. Enjoy.

7 axe's .......