On The Loose – Midnight

On The Loose
Midnight
March 20, 2022
Playing time: 46:43

On the Loose are obviously the brainchild of guitarist and bassist Marco Marouco. He plays in three different bands. But then came Covid-19, and with it deep cuts in the musician’s life. Concerts were no longer possible. So the musician decided to produce HIS album. Originally intended as an instrumental album with orchestral support. But then he decided to ask his friend Flávio Lino to take over the vocal part. They were also joined by drummer João Pedro Ventura. And with Rick Thor, another friend wrote the lyrics. The spring equinox was chosen as the release date for “Midnight”.

Musically expect a mix of Candlemass and Iron Maiden

That’s what I read in the email. And I think to myself, what an interesting mixture. But how does something like that work? I ask myself. The title track “Midnight” already provides the answer. You really do hear Epic Doom in the style of the Swedish genre pioneers. But then you think you hear Bruce Dickinson as a guest singer. But no, it’s really On the Loose with singer Flávio Lino. And he does the high notes with ease. The master himself plays a huge guitar solo. Doom and Maiden fit together wonderfully. This impressive melange continues with “Deceiver” and “Desire”. There is also a pinch of Black Sabbath (also in “Path”). With “Lust”, the Spaniards approach the realms of Funeral Doom. But they don’t quite reach them. The highlight is probably the almost ten-minute epic “Dreamer”. At the beginning you can hear crows, before the whole doom elemental force spills over the listener. In addition to the low-pitched guitars, which can be heard in all songs, epic choruses create a goosebump atmosphere. The final song is “On The Loose”, named after the band project.

On the Loose keep the flag of Epic Doom flying high. None of the songs is shorter than five and a half minutes. So, despite only seven songs, you can enjoy a good three quarters of an hour of this stellar hour of epic doom. Actually, the pandemic is an unpleasant evil in these times. But it’s nice to hear that there are also positive side effects. Like this creativity boost, for example, and thus a great album.

On the Loose – Midnight: https://youtu.be/hL1Rw0ou02U

Lineup:

Flávio Lino – Vocals
João Pedro Ventura – Drums
Marco Marouco – Guitar, Bass

Track list:

• Midnight
• Deceiver
• Desire
• Path
• Lust
• Dreamer
• On The Loose