Mariangela Demurtas comes from Ozieri, Sardinia and is a Gothic Metal vocalist for about 15 years. She is the vocalist of Norwegian Gothic Metal band TRISTANIA and her own project ARDOURS. In the past, Mariangela has been guest vocalist for numerous bands like EX DEO, MOONSPELL, and TROLLFEST throughout the years. “Dark Ability” is her first solo EP and it was produced and recorded by Daniel Cardoso (ANATHEMA) at his OhMe Studio in Lisbon, Portugal. He also plays all instruments on the EP. “Dark Ability” is an independent release with Watchmen Recording being the distributor in Portugal. The EP has a length of more than 17 minutes.
Some things need to grow for a while until they become mature enough to be unleashed. This is particularly true for music: art must not be pushed. Mariangela started working on her solo career back in 2013. She wrote songs which have never been released over the years. With the pandemic, Mariangela started her Patreon site and the idea of releasing her solo songs was reignited, first on Patreon only, but now as solo EP.
Her songs are a very personal project and this is reflected in a very unique sound and atmosphere. “City” is the opening track and it is a quiet and melancholic journey tailored towards Mariangela’s beautiful voice. The song is mainly driven by the piano at the beginning with some support of the guitars before it transitions into the chorus section where the rhythm is set by the drums, bass, and guitar. Mariangela’s vocals are the overarching element to provide the melodies to the song. There is a short, but very contributing lead guitar solo which gives the track an extra dimension. The vocals are not only beautiful, they are also versatile and diverse. “City” was the first single release of “Dark Ability”.
“Classic” continues with the melancholic atmosphere and it is intensified by orchestral arrangements in the background. “Classic” sounds like a very personal song and Mariangela transports all the emotions with a voice that switches between being fragile and being very powerful. The piano plays an important role in the sound of the track and at times it sounds like a dance between the vocals and the piano. “Classic” is planned as a video release.
“Crossing Time” sounds a bit different compared to “City” and “Classic”. It is less melancholic, but retains typical gothic inspired melodies. The track is faster, a classical mid-tempo track with the guitars, drums, and bass driving the sound and the rhythm, while the piano and the orchestral arrangements remain in the background. The vocals are again the leading element and keep the song together. The final song “Forgiverance” shows the outstanding vocal skills of Mariangela and also her diversity. The atmosphere of the song is again very melancholic and it includes some epic melodies in particular during the final third. “Forgiverance” is a very strong song and beautifully arranged.
If “Dark Ability” is a first taste of a full-length solo album of Mariangela Demurtas, then all fans of gothic Rock can look forward to 2022. All four songs show the outstanding talents of Mariangela as a songwriter and as a vocalist. Melodies, atmospheres, and arrangements of “Dark Ability” fit perfectly to the vocals and Mariangela shows a masterclass in transporting all the emotions to the audience. The sound on the EP and the vocals are very unique and diverse, which is an extra asset and also evidence for very good songwriting. The EP is well produced. Fans who like gothic Rock/Metal will dig “Dark Ability” and will look forward to more solo songs of Mariangela.
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