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Review: Coronatus - Recreatio Carminis
Coronatus
www.coronatus.de
Recreatio Carminis

Label: Massacre Records
Year released: 2013
Duration: 41:09
Tracks: 11
Genre: Symphonic Metal

Rating:
3.75/5


Review online: March 10, 2014
Reviewed by: MetalMike
Readers' Rating
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Rated 3.33/5 (66.67%) (3 Votes)
Review

Recreatio Carminis is the third Coronatus album I've reviewed and the fifth full-length for the band overall. Coronatus has always leaned on their "double female-fronted" line-up to create some separation from the myriad of Symphonic Metal bands in existence and it was the very combination of soprano Carmen Lorch and traditional singer Lisa Lasch on 2009's Fabula Magna that drew me in. Both singers were out, replaced by soprano Ada Flechtner and traditional singer Mareike Makosch, by 2011's Terra Incognita. I found that pairing significantly less dynamic and, combined with a drop in the quality of the songwriting, that pretty much sums up the album.

2013 sees the return of Lorch to the fold, joining Flechtner and Makosch, so now Coronatus is "triple female-fronted" Symphonic Metal. Musically, Recreatio Carminis, the first album to feature all three singers, is similar to its predecessor, with tasteful melodies, keyboards and guitars filling up space and excellent vocal harmonies. Coronatus has brought back more of the folk elements from Fabula Magna, something that was dialed back on Terra Incognita. When the band ramps up the tempo, like on the rollicking "So Tanzt," they remind me of Korpiklaani a bit. The album sounds great but there are still some glaring weaknesses. The songwriting is still not at the level it was on Fabula Magna and there just aren't a lot of hooks. It took until the fourth or fifth song, depending on whether or not you count the obligatory intro, before I found reason to tap my foot. The lyrics are almost exclusively sung in German, which is fine, but it doesn't give non-German speakers much to latch on to when it comes to the choruses.

There's no question Coronatus are a quality female-fronted Symphonic Metal band. I would put them in a tier just below the classic Nightwish line-up, Delain and Xandria. If you like those bands, Coronatus is worth a listen, but I would recommend starting with Fabula Magna.

More about Coronatus...
Review: Atmosphere (reviewed by MetalMike)
Review: Cantus Lucidus (reviewed by MetalMike)
Review: Fabula Magna (reviewed by MetalMike)
Review: Lux Noctis (reviewed by Bruce Dragonchaser)
Review: Raben im Herz (reviewed by MetalMike)
Review: Secrets of Nature (reviewed by MetalMike)
Review: Terra Incognita (reviewed by MetalMike)
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