LUNATICA – The Edge Of Infinity

Love them or hate them (and both camps are close to overflowing), Evanescence has raised Gothic Rock awareness levels substantially, at least in North America. Listen to the radio, and chances are you’ll hear an Evanescence song before too long; go into a music store and the odds that you’ll find an Evanescence tune on a soundtrack album are pretty good. While these guys (and girl) might be too bland and watered-down for knowledgeable fans of Gothic Metal, they have at least gotten other worthy bands some attention.

Lunatica, a six-member (five dudes, one dame) band from Switzerland, have been around for a few years; The Edge Of Infinity is their third album since 2001. With female-fronted Gothic Rock making inroads in previously-uncharted territories, Lunatica hopes to ride the wave with their brand of accessible Symphonic Metal.

Lunatica might like basking in some of Evanescence’s warming spotlight, but in actuality they’re more akin to bands such as Edenbridge, Nightwish, and Within Temptation, among others, having a similar sound and style to that trio of popular European groups: intricate, atmospherically-arranged compositions, florid keyboards, big choruses, some punchy guitars, and sweet-voiced singing in the forefront (Andrea Datwyler handles vocal chores for Lunatica).

Listening to The Edge Of Infinity, it’s quite apparent that nearly all of the 10 tracks were crafted with an eye towards getting radio airplay (not that there’s anything wrong with that): discounting the obligatory atmospheric intro track, most of the other songs could easily find a home on a radio dial, as they’re all catchy, upbeat, inoffensive, and not too long (except for “EmOcean,” which runs over eight minutes). The playing is strong, the vocal harmonies are solid, and Datwyler has a very pleasing, histrionic-free voice. All the pieces for success are there, although tunes like “Who You Are,” “Song For You,” and “The Power Of Love,” (not a cover version, thankfully) practically scream “Monster Power Ballad 101.” Not surprisingly, “Who You Are” was released as a single in Switzerland.

The better songs on The Edge Of Infinity are the ones that are a bit heavier and faster, like the title track, “Sons of the Wind,” battle hymn “Together,” and “Out!” “Out!” is a very strong (albiet Pop-ish) song, with an insidiously catchy groove, cool keyboards, nice riffs, and very melodic vocal lines. Album-closer “EmOcean” is Lunatica’s stab at an epic, and it’s respectably atmospheric and doesn’t drag. The Japanese release of The Edge Of Infinity has a second version of “EmOcean” as a bonus track, with Oliver Hartmann (ex-At Vance) guesting on vocals.

The Edge Of Infinity is a pretty good release for Lunatica, and fans of this style of Gothic/Symphonic Metal should give it a spin.