Moonlight

Awaken Memories captures Poland's Moonlight performing live in Krakow in 2003, but the main concert featured here forms less than half of the DVD's contents. In addition to the 14 songs from Krakow, Awaken Memories offers a nearly as long live show from 1996, four music videos and eight bonus audio tracks, including a previously unreleased cover of Type O Negative's "Love You to Death," not to mention the usual biography, discography, interview and photo gallery that Metal Mind makes a part of all their DVD releases, making for one complete package. As for the main feature itself, Moonlight aren't visually fascinating on stage; it's as if they don't really know how to use the space available and there's not much band/crowd interaction either (are Polish audiences always this polite?). Musically though, it's a different tale. The live mix and audio production do justice to the well-played songs and strong performances by every member of this five-piece female-fronted band. Even with only one guitar on stage the textures aren't thin, except when they're deliberately going for a quiet contrast, although the lack of vocal harmonies is definitely a loss. Moonlight play a folk-ish, arty kind of goth metal with lyrics almost exclusively in Polish, and the sonic patterns of the language blend very well with the instrumental support. Awaken Memories should please anyone who is already a fan of the band, but it's also a good introduction for those unfamiliar with what Moonlight is all about or who need a little more convincing. (Metal Mind, www.metalopolis.com)