Moonspell
The Butterfly Effect

THE REVIEW

"The flap of a butterfly's wings in Brazil can, through a chain of events, cause a tornado in Texas." Edward Lorenz, meteorologist. December 29, 1979

The so-called "butterfly effect," the metaphorical expression of Chaos Theory, which places defined limits on the predictability of the evolution of complex nonlinear systems. Nothing more fitting to try to explain the content of yet another excellent work by the Portuguese band Moonspell, who have once again changed their musical appearance. The movement of a single electron by a billionth of a centimeter at a given moment could mean the difference between two very different events and it is therefore impossible to predict the behavior a chaotic system will have after a time interval, be it short or long.

And who would have ever believed that Moonspell, after moving from the initial black metal of "Under The Moonspell" and the gothic style of "Irreligious," could give life to something so chaotic? Yes, because chaos is the master of "The Butterfly Effect." A master that, however, does not ruin its realm but makes it disparate and original.
Thus, an hybrid between basic doom sounds and between acid distortions and violent tribalism is created, supported by abnormal industrial gothic structures. Their dedication to evil traditionally emerges in the sound, expressed by the guitars sometimes in a decadent and sensitive way, and sometimes in an overflowing manner.

The use of electronics, similar to that of the great Depeche Mode, and the romantic string arrangements that appear in some songs are the surprise effect of the album. The downtuned sound of the guitars and the growls that Ribeirio emits in various tracks (especially in Soulsick, Lustmord), retrace the steps of the past; the tribal sounds akin to old Sepultura (Butterfly fx) and the metallic dance-floor (I am the eternal spectator) are incorporated in a context on which many more genres could be combined. The slow episodes are not missing (Can't Bee and Disappear here) where the Lusitanian combo abandons morbid and corrosive structures, letting themselves be carried away by more rational tracks.

Awaiting the release of the new album, we can reaffirm with utmost certainty that "The Butterfly Effect" is tangible proof that Moonspell is one of the most beautiful realities in gothic doom-metal, given their versatility and their desire to experiment, which inevitably puts them in continuous discussion.