Dark Moor - The Gates Of Oblivion (2002)

Dark Moor's third album is their best to date, partly because it's more consistent than their first two, but also because Elisa Martin's vocals have improved. Maybe not to any great status (she's certainly no Enya), but definitely better.
And, as the band has shown right from the start, they know how to write lovely melodies. This record has plenty of them, highlights including "A New World" and especially "By The Strange Path Of Destiny", while the conclusion is an adaption (mixed into an original song) of Mozart's "Requiem Dies Irae". As always, such classical crossovers win me over, even though Martin's voice can't quite cut it this time. She is helped, however, by the male back up.
With nearly every song fast, one might complain a bit about a lack of variety here, but with its graceful melodies and skilful playing, The Gates Of Oblivion is an album power metal fans should have in their collection, and Dark Moor have certainly become one of my favourite bands of the genre.

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