Formed in 2010 around the singer and pianist Janika Groß, Molllust (Yep, with 3 L!) has already released its first album, presented as a metal opera. The formation, in addition to the metal/rock base (guitar, bass and drums) is composed of a violinist, a cellist and a singer whose vocal range is similar to that of a tenor. Tasty!

Line-up:

• Janika Groß - Vocals, piano
• Frank Schumacher - Guitar, vocals
• Sandrine B. - E-Violin
• Lisa H. - Cello
• Johannes Hank - Bass
• Tommaso Soru - Drums

Tracklist:

1. Ouvertüre
2. Sternennacht
3. Alptraum
4. Aufwind
5. Spiegelsee
6. Lied zur Nacht
7. Puppentanz
8. Tanz des Feuers
9. Erinnerungen 
10. Schatten 
11. Kartenhaus

Musically we are in mixed metal-classical music with some opera style. It’s true that classical music and metal blend perfectly, and many groups try to create following this trend. But beware; the terrain is slippery and dangerous. You must not get stuck in something pompous and successfully dose genres to not lose yourself too much in either style.

Molllust get there pretty well. This “Schuld” is musically very pleasant. The hardest part is to ingest the German singing, especially when you have never, or very little, listened to the language, it’s rather harsh to the ear. (But thankfully, I took German in high school)

Besides this fact that some will find tiny, while others will not even hear it, our protagonists offer us quality music. Janika at the piano and Frank at the guitar provide a voice exchange, while Tommaso at the drums, Sandrine at the electric violin, John at the bass and Lisa at her cello apply themselves on their ranges. The record is melodic, with sometimes a bit of melancholy (“Alptraum”), as powerful as the dreaded “Erinnerung” centrepiece of this album in my opinion since it’s able to integrate everything.

Janika singing is fearsome. A true diva. She knows how to use her vocal cords and even while remaining in a very lyrical register high pitched, she manages to captivate without ever becoming  boring. Emotions come and go and prove that it is a strength of this group. Frank gives the exchange a few songs but it can’t match the lady and is a little bland next to Janika. It’s very obvious on “Schatten”.

If the “classic” instruments, especially the cello bring an original touch and atmosphere sometimes strange, the “rock” instruments are sometimes left behind, merely as background taking rarely the initiative. While the piano, violin, the cello and the powerful but aerial voice of Janika play on contrasts, the guitars and drums are often overloaded making music too brutal! Rather than relying on the coexistence of both worlds, it would have been truly daring to mix genres or adapt one to the other colours, which is rarely the case. 

Another concern is even if themes are quite varied, they lack that melodic hooks that will make you want to listen to it again right away. The album flows therefore relatively peacefully; your ear will eventually rise to the defects mentioned above. A title like “Aufwind” has beautiful instrumental and vocal parts, but they are penalized by a metal approach without nuance. Only “Spiegelsee” seems to avoid these pitfalls.

And yet, the potential is there! Into a personal register and far from the other lyric singers, Janika beautifully find herself ahead of the game. Remains now to integrate both worlds with a little more ambition, correct the errors of casting, and the group could get a place with fans of Therion. The group has already released a new EP this spring named “Bach Con Fuoco”.  So we’re wishing them the best and I personally hope to be able to review this EP and see the band progress.

Highlights: Alptraum , Spiegelsee, Erinnerung