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.[2]
Porta Obscura received mixed reviews from the critics. A review by the Dutch Lords of Metal website complained about a lack of "remarkable compositions".[3] The German edition of Metal Hammer compared the style to Nightwish with influences of medieval metal and lauded the accomplished production.[5] Metal Perspective's reviewer called the album "below average, providing only weak, typical and uninspiring moments"[6] 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.[8] The Austrian webzine Stormbringer was positive about the compositions but asked for a more distinctive original input from the band.[7]
| Title |
|---|
| 1. | "Prologue" | 1:57 |
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| 2. | "Exitus" | 4:00 |
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| 3. | "Fallen" | 6:50 |
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| 4. | "In Silence" | 4:22 |
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| 5. | "Beauty in Black" | 4:36 |
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| 6. | "Cast My Spell" | 5:09 |
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| 7. | "In Your Hands" | 2:41 |
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| 8. | "Mein Herz" | 3:16 |
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| 9. | "Am Kreuz" | 4:39 |
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| 10. | "Der Vierte Reiter" | 4:30 |
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| 11. | "Strahlendster Erster" | 3:23 |
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| 12. | "Flos Obscura" (bonus track) | 5:14 |
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| 13. | "Volles Leben" (bonus track) | 3:56 |
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| Total length: | 54:33 |
|---|
- Carmen R. Schäfer – vocals
- Ada Flechtner – vocals
- Jo Lang – guitars
- Aria Keramati Noori – guitars
- Fabian Merkt – keyboards & programming
- Chriz diAnno – bass
- Mats Kurth – drums
- Mastered by Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studios in Helsinki, Finland.[9][6]
- The songwriting started when the soprano singer Carmen R. Schäfer was pregnant. Before finishing it she gave birth to her daughter, Beatrice Anita.[2][10]
