• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

I swear I've heard and perhaps even reviewed something from this band in the past. After all, Noekk is not a usual name; neither its members Funghus Baldachin and F.F. Yugoth...Maybe I came across another of their project, I'm not sure.

German act Noekk brings us their third full length, The Ministrel's Curse. Four tracks with a total playing time of 34:25 which is a bit too short since what they came up with is really interesting and challenging for the open minded ears. The word Noekk comes from a legend in which it is said that this creature is as volatile as the water it protects, may it be a well, a pond, river or the sea. On each of the four excellent compositions, the dynamic duo wrote intelligent and mature progressive music. One very different aspect of their art is the vocals; operatic clean male ones most of the time, not that common in a genre often polluted by the unbearable falsetto of a Power Metal queen . Mind you, this gentleman can have a convincing harsher tone ("The Ministrel's Curse") just as he can use a more narrative version like on the closing track, "The Rumour and the Giantess", accompanied here with dark/dramatic orchestral keyboards. Often relying on heavy and distorted guitars, Noekk incorporates all sort of variation in their song structure. Calmer clean arpeggios, dreamy keyboards, Oriental tones, piano passages and nice progressive interludes.

There is no need to point to a specific song as highlight since all you get on this release is thrilling progressive music.