This is the second of Virgin Black's Requiem trilogy. Last year saw the release of Mezzo Forte, with Pianissimo still to come. "Pianissimo" means quiet, "mezzo forte" is medium-loud and "fortissimo" is loud. That means this CD will be the most intense of the three.
Requiem: Fortissimo is somber doom metal with classical influences. Thick and heavy downtuned riffs are augmented with atmospheric keyboards. There's a cinematic feel to the songs, which have a musical and emotional arc to them. Virgin Black also incorporates black and death metal influences into their music.
Rowan London uses only death metal growls on this CD, with no melodic singing. There are a few female operatic vocals, which add a nice contrast to the darkness of the music. The Australian band infuses a lot of passion and emotion into their music. Requiem: Fortissimo is heavier and more dynamic than Requiem: Mezzo Forte, and to me it is a better overall album.
(released February 19, 2008 on The End Records)
