The record starts promisingly with “Swan Lake,” a heavily classical-influenced number that should appeal to fans of bands like Rhapsody of Fire. But second track, “On the Hill of Dreams” reminds me of what brought Tarot down. It’s a pretty standard power metal number without much to recommend it. Business picks up again on “Phantom Queen” with a frenzied blast of Celtic fiddle on the opening and an incredibly catchy chorus reminiscent of some of the more bombastic efforts from Queen or Blind Guardian. It also sees the debut of a bit of a growl from vocalist Alfred Romero.

The problem, as on the last record, is that Dark Moor keeps switching back and forth between powerful and interesting symphonic numbers and generic power/melodic metal numbers. The more standard tunes are not horrible, but they’re songs I’ve heard thousands of times before. Thankfully, there’s much more of the symphonic here.

Those numbers, on the other hand, are really, really good. “Faustus” brings an operatic feel on the chorus, with just a little touch of darkness. “When the Sun is Gone” features a darker verse than other pieces on the record, and I also like Romero’s gruffer vocals. Surprisingly entertaining is “For Her,” which made me expect a sappy ballad. Instead, I got a nice medieval flavored melody in the symphonic bits, perhaps like something from the soundtrack of an adventure movie. “Enchanted Forest” offers a very dramatic, slightly gothic flavor that’s very tastefully done. I also admire the album closer “Fallen Leaves Waltz,” a powerful, full-on classical number influenced by Tchaikovsky.

If I have one complaint with the record (and this is true of many bands in the genre), it’s the very similar song structures that fill the album — energetic, loud openings with a drop off to a mellow verse, followed by a return to the energy for the chorus. I know it’s a pretty standard song structure in power metal, but I’d really like a little more creativity from a band that obviously has the talent and vision to provide it.

I leave Autumnal much more impressed with Dark Moor than I was previously, and I can wholeheartedly recommend that fans of symphonic metal check out this record.

So, when I took a look at this record, I didn’t have very high hopes. I imagined a group of guys sitting in a room, and one of them says, “Hey, I’ve got a great idea, let’s write an album called ‘Tarot’ and base every song on one of the cards from the deck.” I expected every song here to sound like one of those forced songs, but surprisingly there are some really strong numbers scattered throughout the record. True enough, some sound cold, clinical and devoid of feeling and emotion, like the bland “The Star,” which sounds like a generic power metal number.

Those aside, there are some really nice songs to be found in this collection. The short classical piece “The Magician” that opens the record is interesting, sounding like the theme from a Conan movie, and the second track “The Chariot” is perhaps the strongest song on the record with some real balls in places and some nice operatic flourishes. They return to that operatic approach on “The Emperor” – think “Ave Satani” – and the classical bits and deathy vocals in places are nice touches. “Devil in the Tower” blends a Blind Guardian-esque medieval feel on the beginning with some more of that black mass-style chanting.

I thought the band missed an opportunity on “Death.” I mean, it just calls for a few of those growls that we’ve heard here and there throughout the record, but they’re strangely missing. The use of Beethoven’s Fifth to open “The Moon” is a nice touch, but unfortunately for Dark Moor, you can’t get much better than the Trans-Siberian Orchestra version if you’re looking for a metal take on the Fifth, and this one pales in comparison. It lacks the lightning, thunder and fire found in the TSO version. The rest of the 11-plus minute tune fades too often into that standard power metal mode, which overshadows the better moments of the song.

Admittedly there are some moments on the record where I’m thinking that I’ve heard this a dozen or more times already this year alone (“The Star,” “Lovers,” “The Hanged Man”), but overall this is a surprisingly strong effort. I’d like to hear a little more of the chants and classical influences and a little less of the standard power metal fare, but I’d say Tarot is definitely worth a listen.