ANKH TV

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First Look at a Driven New Era

Moonlight Haze return with Animus, the first single and title track from their forthcoming album, arriving March 18. It is unveiled alongside an official video that leans on kinetic movement, sharp editing and a clear narrative thread, signaling a focused statement of intent for the band’s next chapter. The title’s Latin root suggests spirit and drive, and the song projects exactly that: a determined blend of symphonic power metal, quicksilver riffing and a vocal centerpiece designed to stay with the listener after the final chorus.

The Sound: Velocity with Orchestral Lift

Moonlight Haze are steeped in the mechanics of modern symphonic power metal, and Animus moves with purpose. The rhythm section fires on precision, with fast kicks and tight snare work pushing the arrangement forward. Guitars come in layered pairs, slicing through with agile downpicks and melodic leads that glide into harmonized phrases. Orchestral textures swell at strategic moments, supporting the hooks rather than overwhelming them. This balance keeps the song lithe, giving space to both the band’s heaviness and its melodic flair.

At the center, Chiara Tricarico’s vocals deliver clarity and sustained power. She finds a balance between brightness and muscle, cresting on a chorus that lands cleanly without losing urgency. The bridge sections open into more expansive harmonies, and subtle key and string pads bolster the dynamics. It is a concise arrangement that prioritizes momentum while allowing the refrain to breathe.

Lyrical Focus: Spirit, Motion and Classical Echoes

The title points to interior force, and the promotional tag nodding to Ovid places the song in conversation with classical ideas of transformation and will. Without resorting to pastiche, the track treats motion itself as a metaphor for resolve. The subtext is about crossing thresholds, pushing past impediments and keeping one’s center intact. The language of myth feels present as a framing device, not a costume, aligning personal determination with the broader arc of change and becoming.

The Video: Parkour as Living Metaphor

Directed by Marco Falanga and produced by Oround, the video personifies that inner force through physical movement. Starring Nicholas Visintin, it follows a parkour-driven narrative through city streets, office corridors and training spaces, translating the song’s themes into a series of challenges and fluid solutions. Walls, railings and stairwells become instruments for propulsion rather than barriers. The choreography favors clean lines and purposeful motion, mirroring the track’s forward thrust.

Intercut throughout is the band’s performance footage, captured with a keen sense of stage geometry. The edits snap to rhythmic pivots, building tension with quick cuts during drum fills and easing into wider frames as the chorus blooms. The contrast between the narrative’s kinetic realism and the performance’s controlled intensity creates a dialogue between body and sound, between interior drive and outward action.

Cinematography, Spaces and Texture

Falanga’s camera, with Beatrice Demori on board, favors dynamic movement while keeping compositions legible. Close passes track Visintin’s footwork and landings, while mid-shots establish environmental context. The gym sequences emphasize conditioning and focus, the office scenes bring in a sense of imposed order, and the street passages give the narrative its free-running horizon. Color and light choices support these spaces: performance scenes benefit from crisp stage lighting that outlines silhouettes and amplifies impact, while the narrative frames lean into naturalistic tones that keep the action grounded.

This interplay of locations does more than vary the palette. It maps the inner momentum of the song onto everyday architectures, showing how determination operates in practical settings. What could be static becomes navigable. Obstacles become choreography. The camera doesn’t just observe; it participates, giving the viewer a felt sense of risk and resolve.

Band Presence and Musical Interplay

The group’s on-screen presence complements the narrative without overshadowing it. Guitar passages are timed to accent leaps and vaults, drum fills punctuate landings, and vocal peaks align with visual crests. The dual-guitar approach allows for crisp call-and-response phrases in the verses, while rhythm figures lock in under the chorus to let the voice carry. Bass lines tie the arrangement together with nimble runs that trace chord movements without clutter. Orchestral layers enter as accents, elevating the climactic moments rather than saturating the mix. The result feels tight and purposeful, the kind of arrangement designed for both stage and screen.

Context and Direction

As a title track and first single, Animus functions as a mission statement. Its emphasis on propulsion, melodic clarity and narrative imagery indicates an album poised to fuse high-tempo precision with cinematic scope. It neither chases maximalism for its own sake nor pares back the band’s symphonic identity. Instead, it sharpens the edges: stronger hooks, leaner arrangements, and a clear visual aesthetic that translates the music’s themes into motion. For fans of symphonic power metal with contemporary production values, it sets expectations high for what follows on March 18.

Credits

• Director: Marco Falanga
• Video by: Marco Falanga & Beatrice Demori for Oround
• Starring: Nicholas Visintin
• Playthrough Camera Operator: Stefano Bergomas
• 1st AC: Beatrice Demori
• Playthrough Stage Lights: Leonardo Casella for Starlight Service

Locations and Thanks

• Francesco & Soccals Family for the playthrough location
• studioSPAM & tre7architettura (Gorizia) for the office location
• Dinamic Gym and the Dynamic Gym team for the gym location
• Bryan Visintin for the support, with a brief street cameo

Moonlight Haze

• Vocals: Chiara Tricarico
• Guitar: Marco Falanga
• Guitar: Alberto Melinato
• Bass: Alessandro Jacobi
• Drums: Giulio Capone

Final Take

Animus aligns form and content with rare clarity. The song’s brisk architecture supports a memorable chorus, and the video gives that energy a face and a body. By pairing precision musicianship with a physical narrative centered on agility and resolve, Moonlight Haze frame their title track as both a rallying cry and a roadmap for the album to come. It is confident, tightly executed and built for repeat plays.

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