Porta Obscura

Porta Obscura is the second studio album by German gothic metal band Coronatus. It contains 11 tracks plus 2 bonus tracks included in the limited edition digipak which was released along with the standard edition. Those bonus tracks are "Flos Obscura", a new recorded Latin version of the track "Dunkle Blume" from their last album, Lux Noctis, and "Volles Leben", the band's first song in its initial form with male vocals.[1]

Porta Obscura
Studio album by
Coronatus
Released28 November 2008
Recorded2008 at Klangschmiede Studio E in Mellrichstadt, Germany
GenreGothic metal
Length45:23
LabelMassacre
ProducerCoronatus
Coronatus chronology
Lux Noctis
(2007)		 Porta Obscura
(2008)		 Fabula Magna
(2009)

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Lords of Metal(67/100)[2]
Metal Hammer (Germany)6/7[3]
Metal Perspective[4]
Sonic Seducerfavourable[5]
Stormbringer[6]

Porta Obscura received mixed reviews from the critics. A review by the Dutch Lords of Metal website complained about a lack of "remarkable compositions".[2] The German edition of Metal Hammer compared the style to Nightwish with influences of medieval metal and lauded the accomplished production.[3] Metal Perspective's reviewer called the album "below average, providing only weak, typical and uninspiring moments"[4] while the German Sonic Seducer magazine marked a considerable improvement of the vocal arrangements compared to Coronatus' first album and praised the multiple musical hues on Porta Obscura.[5] The Austrian webzine Stormbringer was positive about the compositions but asked for a more distinctive original input from the band.[6]

Track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Prologue"1:57
2."Exitus"4:00
3."Fallen"6:50
4."In Silence"4:22
5."Beauty in Black"4:36
6."Cast My Spell"5:09
7."In Your Hands"2:41
8."Mein Herz"3:16
9."Am Kreuz"4:39
10."Der Vierte Reiter"4:30
11."Strahlendster Erster"3:23
12."Flos Obscura" (bonus track)5:14
13."Volles Leben" (bonus track)3:56

Personnel
  • Carmen R. Schäfer - Vocals
  • Ada Flechtner - Vocals
  • Jo Lang - Guitars
  • Fabian Merkt - Keyboards & Programming
  • Chriz diAnno - Bass
  • Mats Kurth - Drums

Info
  • Mastered by Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studios in Helsinki, Finland.[7][4]
  • The songwriting started when the soprano singer Carmen R. Schäfer was pregnant. Before finishing it she gave birth to her daughter, Beatrice Anita.[1][8]

References
  1. Press info sheet from Massacre Records
  2. "Coronatus - Porta Obscura". Lords of Metal.nl. Retrieved 2012-05-27.
  3. "Coronatus - Porta Obscura" (in German). 1 December 2008. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
  4. Tsakonas, Giannis (24 August 2010). "Coronatus - Porta Obscura". Metal Perspective.com. Retrieved 2012-05-27.
  5. Eck, Markus (2008). "Coronatus - Porta Obscura". Sonic Seducer (in German). No. 12. Archived from the original on 14 April 2013.
  6. Poultidis, Dimitrios (1 December 2008). "Coronatus - Porta Obscura (CD)" (in German). Stormbringer.at. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
  7. Official Coronatus site - Discography
  8. Official Coronatus site - News Archived 2009-02-28 at the Wayback Machine
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