Mana is one of the most amazing gothic metal albums I have ever heard. It is dark and sinister sounding at times, but can also sweep you away with really beautiful passages or rock you out with great metal guitars. Manda Ophuis’ vocals are absolutely breath taking on this album. Her voice soars to heights that few other vocalists can match, and she has a wonderful tremolo that really puts her in with the top vocalists. I’m not sure who writes the melodies for the vocals, but they are outstanding and enthralling.

There is something for everyone on this album. “Threefold” tells a witches tale, and starts off with a fast paced choral arrangement, before getting into the main gothic style verse. “Empress” has staccato violin sections with horns and choirs and even a harpsichord. But there are always lots of great metal guitars looming nearby as well. “Mortalitas” is a four part opus, with a thrilling gothic metal song, a choral passage, an instrumental section with some really nice guitar and keyboard solos, and finally a short epilogue.

The album is filled with mood changes, tempo changes and some fantastic escalating bridges that usually lead to Manda dishing out some extraordinary vocals. The song “Cry” will make you do just that. It’s a short, emotion filled song, with Manda singing almost ‘a cappella’, and her voice will affect you like no one else’s can. I guess I’ve been going on about Manda’s singing a lot, but I want to commend the other members of the band as well. The compositions on this CD are just so well thought out, and very dramatic, you really feel like you are embarking on an epic tale. All the musicians are excellent, and there are many outstanding songs on this album. Nemesea is one incredible group of people.

  © John Davies 2008