Darkness and Hope

Moonspell's sixth full-length release (and fifth effort for Century Media) again finds the long-running Portuguese quintet producing heavily atmospheric metal that owes as much to Sisters of Mercy as to Black Sabbath. The songs on Darkness and Hope generally emphasize the overall mood over songwriting hooks, but there are some memorable moments, such as the streamlined "Devilred" and the darkly metallic "Rapaces." Splitting the difference between Type O Negative and Tiamat, Moonspell achieves both threatening ferocity and stately grace.