Symphonic music and metal go together perfectly. This has been established many years ago. Moonspell joins the list of bands that have performed on stage with an orchestra and the result is presented here, in the fourth live release of their discography. The show took place at the MEO Arena in their hometown of Lisbon, which has a capacity of 20000 people. The date was October 24th of 2024 and it was broadcasted worldwide via live streaming. The 45-member Orquestra Sinfonietta de Lisboa helped them bring this vision to life.
Now, does it make sense to write about the musicians’ performance or the perfection of the whole project? I don’t think so. Those of us who follow the band know that you are more likely to win the jackpot in the lottery than to catch them in a bad day, let alone here, where they would once again make history. As for the setlist, the album with the most representation is “1755” with the rest of the selections being rather predictable, as they are classic compositions in their career so far. But it was a big surprise that the well-known and super-classic “Opium” was absent. I looked at the list over and over again, wondering if my eyes were playing tricks on me, but for some reason they left it out.
As for the songs, there are some interesting cases. The opening instrumental “Tungstennio” is not found on any of the band’s albums, so I assume it was created solely for this performance and is played only by the orchestra. For “Em Nome Do Medo” the version found on “1755” was preferred over the original in “Alpha Noir”, meaning only orchestra and vocals. Also, the beloved electric crescendo at the end of the historic “Vampiria” is absent, as here too we have only orchestra and vocals. Otherwise, all the songs sound flawless with the symphonic elements, which enhance their grandeur. My personal favorite moments are “Extinct”, “Everything Invaded”, “Scorpion Flower”, “Alma Mater” and “Full Moon Madness”.
“Opus Diabolicum” is of course available in an audiovisual edition and I want to highlight something Fernando Ribeiro said during the performance. They would like to present this show in other countries as well. I don’t know how many gods need to conspire for us to see something similar in Greece, but if it happens, we will experience something magical. Moonspell once again do not disappoint and create a masterpiece. A jewel of a band for the scene.
