The popular Portuguese gothic-metallers Moonspell are back with their tenth - yes, tenth - studio album, Night Eternal. The LP is definitely not their best work to date - most notably paling in comparison to their last full-length, Memorial - but is still a very catchy and diverse album. One can definitely take immediate notice of a solid evolution of their music. With a sound somewhere in-between black metal and gothic metal, the album has a well-defined dark and majestic atmosphere throughout.

































Night Eternal handily mixes melodic elements like orchestras and beautifully-sung choruses with heavy riffs and violent growls. The most melodic song on the album - and one that older fans of the band will surely love - is "Scorpion Flower," which features a guest appearance by former The Gathering vocalist Anneke van Giersbergen.

The album begins with "At Tragic Heights," a song that perfectly signifies what is to come on the disc. With a very epic intro, it introduces the listener to a fascinating ambiance and ends with some very powerful growls. The absolute best song on the album has to be "Hers Is the Twilight." The song begins with intense drums and then gets very calm, with vocalist Fernando Ribeiro's voice almost whispering in some parts before the song changes tempo and feel. All in all, a very solid and enjoyable effort from Moonspell.