| Porta Obscura | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 14 November 2008[1] | |||
| Recorded | 2008 | |||
| Studio | Klangschmiede Studio E in Mellrichstadt, Germany | |||
| Genre | Gothic metal | |||
| Length | 45:23 | |||
| Label | Massacre | |||
| Producer | Coronatus | |||
| Coronatus chronology | ||||
| ||||
Porta Obscura is the second studio album by German gothic metal band Coronatus. It contains 11 tracks plus 2 bonus tracks included in the limited edition digipak which was released along with the standard edition. Those bonus tracks are "Flos Obscura", a new recorded Latin version of the track "Dunkle Blume" from their last album, Lux Noctis, and "Volles Leben", the band's first song in its initial form with male vocals.[2]
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Lords of Metal | 67/100[3] |
| Metal.de | 5/10[4] |
| Metal Hammer (Germany) | 6/7[5] |
| Metal Perspective |    [6] |
| Stormbringer | [7] |
Porta Obscura received mixed reviews from the critics. A review by the Dutch Lords of Metal website complained about a lack of "remarkable compositions".[3] The German edition of Metal Hammer compared the style to Nightwish with influences of medieval metal and lauded the accomplished production.[5] Metal Perspective's reviewer called the album "below average, providing only weak, typical and uninspiring moments"[6] while the German Sonic Seducer magazine marked a considerable improvement of the vocal arrangements compared to Coronatus' first album and praised the multiple musical hues on Porta Obscura.[8] The Austrian webzine Stormbringer was positive about the compositions but asked for a more distinctive original input from the band.[7]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Prologue" | 1:57 |
| 2. | "Exitus" | 4:00 |
| 3. | "Fallen" | 6:50 |
| 4. | "In Silence" | 4:22 |
| 5. | "Beauty in Black" | 4:36 |
| 6. | "Cast My Spell" | 5:09 |
| 7. | "In Your Hands" | 2:41 |
| 8. | "Mein Herz" | 3:16 |
| 9. | "Am Kreuz" | 4:39 |
| 10. | "Der Vierte Reiter" | 4:30 |
| 11. | "Strahlendster Erster" | 3:23 |
| 12. | "Flos Obscura" (bonus track) | 5:14 |
| 13. | "Volles Leben" (bonus track) | 3:56 |
| Total length: | 54:33 | |
Personnel
- Carmen R. Schäfer – vocals
- Ada Flechtner – vocals
- Jo Lang – guitars
- Aria Keramati Noori – guitars
- Fabian Merkt – keyboards & programming
- Chriz diAnno – bass
- Mats Kurth – drums
Info
- Mastered by Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studios in Helsinki, Finland.[9][6]
- The songwriting started when the soprano singer Carmen R. Schäfer was pregnant. Before finishing it she gave birth to her daughter, Beatrice Anita.[2][10]
References
- ↑ "Coronatus: New Album Title, Release Date Revealed". Blabbermouth.net. 26 April 2008. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
- 1 2 Press info sheet from Massacre Records
- 1 2 "Coronatus - Porta Obscura" (in Dutch). Lords of Metal.nl. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
- ↑ Stephan (11 December 2008). "Coronatus - Porta Obscura". Metal.de (in German). Retrieved 15 November 2021.
- 1 2 "Coronatus - Porta Obscura" (in German). 1 December 2008. Archived from the original on 6 January 2013. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
- 1 2 3 Tsakonas, Giannis (24 August 2010). "Coronatus - Porta Obscura". Metal Perspective.com. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
- 1 2 Poultidis, Dimitrios (1 December 2008). "Coronatus - Porta Obscura (CD)" (in German). Stormbringer.at. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
- ↑ Eck, Markus (2008). "Coronatus - Porta Obscura". Sonic Seducer (in German). No. 12. Archived from the original on 14 April 2013.
- ↑ Official Coronatus site - Discography
- ↑ Official Coronatus site - News Archived 28 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine