The Hall of the Olden Dreams

The Hall of the Olden Dreams Artist: Dark Moor
Label: Spv Germany
Category: Music



Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Format: Import
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1
EAN: 8437001017218
ASIN: B000056IKA


Release Date: 2001-02-01

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Listmania:

  1. Even More Monsters of Power Metal
  2. The best 25 albums you haven't heard
  3. Best Metal
  4. My favorites and soon to be yours
  5. nu metal is for panzies, here is the real ****
  6. My Favorite Metal Music!!

Tracks:

  1. The Ceremony
  2. Somewhere In Dreams
  3. Maid Of Orleans
  4. Bells Of Notre Dame
  5. Silver Lake
  6. Mortal Sin
  7. The Sound Of The Blade
  8. Beyond The Fire
  9. Quest For The Eternal Fame
  10. Hand In Hand

Similar Items:

  1. Gates of Oblivion
  2. Dust to Dust
  3. The Black Halo
  4. Eternity
  5. Stream of Consciousness

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Leaves You Wanting Moor.......2007-02-06

If you're a fan of European power metal with lots of smphonic touches akin to the first Rhapsody album, this is one for you to check out. The female singer isn't stellar, but she's not terrible either, and she isn't trying to sound like singers from other female-fronted bands such as Nightwish, Epica, etc. My main complaint about this album would be that the songs sound very much alike; some more variatoin in the songwriting would help the tunes stand out more, rather than running together. Still a solid album overall; I plan to check out more of their catalog when I have the chance.
Do note that more recent albums feature a different singer 9and several other lineup changes too). Some folks seem to like the new lineup just fine, while others think the band went downhill after the change. I can't say, having not heard the newer material

4 out of 5 stars by far the best of the Rhapsody imitations.......2006-08-22

I love old Rhapsody, so I have spent a lot of time and money tracking down bands that are in that same genre of symphonic fantasy metal. Dark Moor is far and away the best of these.

The songwriting is excellent: the lyrics probably better overall than Rhapsody (which admittedly isn't saying much), and the symphonic compostions and interludes are superb.

Musically Dark Moor is, to my ears, a clone of Rhapsody, right down to the guitar tone, except for one thing: the use of a female vocalist. She is the sole weakness of this band. While she is much better than the awful Nightwish type of wailing wench (that is, the cold-fish opera singer who just walks through it using technique, hitting the notes without actually trying to breathe any life into the lyrics), the singer here is just too erratic. Her sense of pitch is fallible and at a couple of points, she is singing out of time and out of tune, which is just inexcusable. The explanation for why these parts were not re-recorded on such a well-produced recording would likely be that she wasn't capable of doing any better. The effect of hearing this great band and this great material fronted by this amateurish wailer is strange, to say the least -- like a bad paint job on a brand new car, or discovering a hair in what was, up to that point, the best bowl of soup you'd ever had...without her, this would be a five-star album all the way, and fully up to the level of Rhapsody themselves.

However, there is good news: she left the band some time ago and they evidently got a real singer...but in the meanwhile check this album out. The singer sings like she means it, at least, and as erratic as she is, she doesn't kill the album. This is such strong work you could pull somebody off the street at random to do the vocals and it wouldn't kill it (unless he or she was a black or death metal vocalist, or a rapper, or something. Yuck!).

4 out of 5 stars Good album but not one of the best.......2005-05-27

This band rules! Full of virtuosity!
Every track has its own magic. It could be better but it's really good.
In case that you don't know this genre try the "...Oblivion" album, that one is almost perfect.

5 out of 5 stars A stimulant that Takes Your Breath Away.......2005-05-05

If this CD became embedded in my car stereo, I would probably not bother to have it forcibly removed for quite a while. This is a classic: I venture to say that it will still be seen decades from now as a masterpiece.

'Hall of the Olden Dreams' exhibits a tremendous improvement from their debut Shadowland, which unfortunately has been described elsewhere in at least one review as "deplorable." That critique is harsh; rather, I consider Shadowland to be a document showcasing the creativity of a band destined to blossom into one of the finest metal acts so far this century.
With 'Hall' we notice that Elisa has either improved her singing skills or that the mixing has smoothed the edges of her vocals. Really, Elisa is what (who) ultimately makes Dark Moor rise above. While not displaying the seductive qualities / operatic voice of Tarja T. [Nightwish], there is nonetheless something extremely intoxicating about Elisa's powerful vocals.
The lyrics are a little bit funny translation-wise, but I give the band credit for their attempts -- hey, I certainly can't write original lyrics in Spanish! (There is nothing more pathetic than an American metalhead complaining about the heavy accent of foreign singers).

Most of the tracks exhibit a certain mastery of music (at least evident in the keyboards) that is realized more fully in their 3rd album, 'Gates of Oblivion.' It seems that most critics prefer 'Gates' over 'Hall,' but 'Hall' is the disc that I keep returning to. The songs on their 2nd album are not marred by unrestrained double bass drums -- a shortcoming of their 3rd album.
Simply put, the 2nd album is catchier. I feel that "Silver Lake" is the highlight of the album, along with the closing track (classical scales abound). These two songs especially are breathtaking, leaving the listener with a distinct impression of genius in composition.

5 out of 5 stars Truly a Gem .......2004-12-07

Yet a nother 5 /5 rating for Dark Moor. I first heard these guys like in...March I think it was and I could not stop saying "WOW" I heard the short clips Amazon offers to listen to and I had to buy it. This is yet a nother gem I bought on a hunch and I have to say I would be les of a metal fan with out this album. I am a Huge fan of Adagio, Blind guardian Rhapsody and Heavenly. This album has the most of B.G., and Rhapsody . Songs to anticipate when you order are The Bells of Notre Dame, Beyond the fire, and Somewhere in Dreams. There is no question that any one a fan of good clean power metal needs to buy this one, and so does every one else. And any one not familiar to this band they have a woman singer! Though she's not as beautiful of a voice as Tarja from nightwish she's still good, I'd say she's like a girl Hansi (If I can say that) from B.G. So go out and get this one you'll love it.

Music CD:

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  2. Return of Crystal Karma ~ Glenn Hughes
  3. Big Sky ~ Brett Garsed
  4. Play 'N' the Game ~ Nazareth
  5. Metal Church ~ Wayne
  6. The Ultimate Pretty Boy Floyd ~ Pretty Boy Floyd
  7. Rock the Night: Very Best of Europe ~ Europe
  8. King of the Dead ~ Cirith Ungol
  9. Return to Earth '91-'93 ~ Fu Manchu
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Fashioned in the Clay ~ Muir & Trickett Bok

Live at Brixton ~ Mot%C3%B6rhead

Love Sorrow Doom ~ Doom Snake Cult

Tales & Songs From Wedding and Funerals ~ Goran Bregonic

Prima Dell'Alba ~ Madreblu

Das Buch ~ Puhdys

Casually Dressed & Deep In Conversation ~ Funeral for a Friend

99 Cents ~ Chicks on Speed

Futariha Precure Kujo Hikari ~ Japanimation

Trend Line, Vol. 2 ~ Various Artists