Founded in Austria in 1993, The Moon Lay Hidden Beneath A Cloud was a medieval martial ambient project formed by musician Albin Julius and vocalist Alzbeth. The music was all created electronically, shifting in style from pure ambient soundscapes to pounding martial anthems, while the vocals ranged from soothing ethereal lovesongs to shouted declarations of war and destruction. All the bands releases were through their own personal label Arthur's Round Table which was based in Switzerland, and distributed by World Serpent. The group disbanded in 1998 after Albin's and Alzbeth's partnership broke up. In 2000 Alzbeth released ART 13, which is a complete book of lyrics, and is stated to be the final word in the project.
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Moon Lay Hidden Beneath A Cloud, The Discography
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Reviews & Discussion
Here is the most cult band of industrial scene.
A real cult band back in the days and even more today, as their vinyls and CDs have forever disappeared from the market and will never ever be reissued (Albin and Alzbeth are not exactly on friendly terms).
Their music is still very much worth a listening, even if some of the albums and tracks inevitably show their weakness.
Musically speaking, the most interesting work is "The Smell Of Blood But Victory", a martial nightmare about war and destruction still standing above anything Der Blutharsch and his many imitators have achieved to the present. The mini-album "Were You Of Silver, Were You Of Gold" is a fine example of their ritual and folk influences, while earlier albums are more in the medieval vein, but less convincing (usually too many tracks and too long).
Alzbeth's vocals and the lyrics were, in my opinion, the strong part of The Moon's universe: apart from her unquestioned ability to shift between several different tones and vocal styles, the lyrics were extremely rich and complex, most coming from her philological studies about medieval history and legends. The book of lyrics, released immediately after the band's disbandment, is a precious document in this sense, with explanations and additional info for each song.
A pity that Alzbeth has never come out with her long-announced new project. The official website has disappeared too, so it's definitely time for the moon to lay beneath the clouds and never shine again in the night sky.
Their music is still very much worth a listening, even if some of the albums and tracks inevitably show their weakness.
Musically speaking, the most interesting work is "The Smell Of Blood But Victory", a martial nightmare about war and destruction still standing above anything Der Blutharsch and his many imitators have achieved to the present. The mini-album "Were You Of Silver, Were You Of Gold" is a fine example of their ritual and folk influences, while earlier albums are more in the medieval vein, but less convincing (usually too many tracks and too long).
Alzbeth's vocals and the lyrics were, in my opinion, the strong part of The Moon's universe: apart from her unquestioned ability to shift between several different tones and vocal styles, the lyrics were extremely rich and complex, most coming from her philological studies about medieval history and legends. The book of lyrics, released immediately after the band's disbandment, is a precious document in this sense, with explanations and additional info for each song.
A pity that Alzbeth has never come out with her long-announced new project. The official website has disappeared too, so it's definitely time for the moon to lay beneath the clouds and never shine again in the night sky.