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Band: Ardours
Album: Anatomy Of A Moment
Release date: 8 July 2022
Label: Frontiers Music
Genre: Alternative Rock, Synthpop
Tracklist:
01. Epitaph For A Spark
02. Insomniac
03. Identified
04. Secret Worlds
05. Cold Revenge
06. Given
07. Anatomy Of A Moment
08. Dead Weight
09. Unannounced
10. Chasing Whispers
2022 was certainly a busy year for the Sardinian siren Mariangela Demurtas. Besides releasing her first solo EP and getting through Tristania ceasing to exist, we were also given a new full-length release by Ardours, a project she has been working on with a fellow multi-instrumentalist and producer, Kris Laurent. As the name Ardours means passion or to be passionate about something (or someone), their music showcases what kind of music they are passionate about, as their style is strongly rooted in alternative rock and 80s new wave with a glimpse of gothic and industrial touch. Anatomy Of A Moment, the band's sophomore release, follows the same stylish etiquette established with their 2019 debut, Last Place On Earth.
The album starts with a lovely ''Epitaph For A Spark'', a song with dense electronic vintage vibes and strong performance/expressive interpretation by Mariangela. This performance carries on throughout the whole album. If you are unaware of Ardours's musical path and are looking for the doomy and romantic features of Tristania, this is not the place to be. This album's catchy and overall rhythmic guitar work is paired with an abundance of synths and samples, both of which are much more expressed than on the debut release. There are some twists and turns Anatomy Of A Moment delivers, as ''Identified'' displays a bit more harshness and slips slightly into more aggressive tunes and ''Cold Revenge'' slows the tempo down and depicts a gloomy, darkwave-infused ambient. The two standout songs are surely also ''Secret Worlds'', mainly because Mariangela's vocals are pushed beyond the limits at the end of the song, and the eponymous ''Anatomy Of The Moment'', which showcases the band's deep love for 80s synth sounds.
Last - but not least - it is noteworthy to add that ex-Tristania member Tarald Lie contributed to the songwriting and some drum work. While the compositions on Anatomy Of A Moment are not profoundly complex, the catchiness and fluency make up for that in every single minute of the album. There are so many different layers in this release, but the stellar feature of the soundscapes created is how they smoothly intertwine with remarkable precision. The advance over the debut is mostly in the enhanced atmospheres and extended guitar work. These show the pair have grown musically and developed a more distinctive style for themselves, and we look forward to seeing them evolve in the future.
The review was written by Ines
Rating: 8/10
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