ANKH TV

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A Charged First Glimpse of the Title Track

Animus arrives as the first single and title track from Moonlight Haze’s forthcoming album, set for release on March 18th. As a statement of intent, the song leans confidently into the band’s symphonic power metal strengths while refining their melodic focus and dramatic scope. The title itself, grounded in the Latin term for spirit and mind, signals a work driven by inner resolve, a theme that carries through both the music and the visual storytelling of the official video.

The Sound: Symphonic Power with a Modern Edge

From the start, Animus unfolds at a brisk, uplifting tempo with a polished blend of metal muscle and cinematic sheen. The twin guitars of Marco Falanga and Alberto Melinato chart the song’s course with agile riffing and tightly locked harmonies, alternating between palm-muted sprints and widescreen chordal lifts. Their lines are balanced with elegant counter-melodies, situating the music between classic European power metal and contemporary symphonic textures.

Underpinning it all, Alessandro Jacobi adds a grounded, articulate bass presence that enriches the low end without clouding the arrangement. Giulio Capone drives the track with precision drumming, using double-kick runs to build momentum and sharp cymbal work to accent chorus entries and sectional shifts. Orchestral layers and subtle electronics broaden the frame, offering choral swells, string pads, and rhythmic synth pulses that heighten the drama without overwhelming the core band performance.

The production favors clarity and bite. Vocals and lead parts are given space at the center, while guitars retain an edge that complements the soaring symphonic backdrop. Transitions feel purposeful, moving from verse to pre-chorus to the hook with a sense of escalating release. By the time the solo section hits, the arrangement has earned its ascent, allowing the lead guitar to cut through with lyrical phrasing rather than flash for its own sake.

Voice and Lyrical Focus

Chiara Tricarico commands the foreground with a clean, dynamic vocal performance that marries power with clarity. Her lines carry a resolute, almost martial cadence in the verses and open into sustained, ringing notes in the chorus. The melodic writing favors memorable contours and open vowels that sit comfortably against the choral patches and string beds. Layered backing vocals add an anthemic lift at key moments while preserving the natural timbre of her lead.

Lyrically, Animus centers on inner strength and self-direction. The framing invites interpretations around perseverance and transformation. The reference to Ovid in the surrounding conversation hints at classical resonances, evoking themes of metamorphosis and the will to reshape one’s path. Rather than leaning on dense allegory, the song renders these ideas in direct language and emphatic phrasing, which suits the urgency of the arrangement.

Inside the Official Video

Directed by Marco Falanga and produced with Beatrice Demori for Oround, the video for Animus intercuts focused band performance with kinetic movement sequences that embody the song’s drive. Nicholas Visintin anchors the narrative element, navigating urban and indoor spaces with purposeful motion that suggests parkour practice and disciplined training. These images of motion, balance, and controlled impact parallel the track’s momentum and lyrical intent.

The camera work keeps pace with the song’s dynamics. Performance shots favor crisp angles and timing that lock to the kick patterns and guitar stabs, while the movement sequences use tracking and handheld energy to convey urgency without sacrificing compositional clarity. Color temperatures shift between cool industrial hues and warmer interiors, mapping emotional contrasts between focus, struggle, and release. Edits are musical rather than frenetic, allowing action to unfold in measures rather than fragmented frames.

The overall effect is less about narrative exposition and more about a physical metaphor. As the protagonist follows lines, vaults obstacles, and resets in training spaces, the visuals translate the song’s message into a study of intent and repetition. The band’s playthrough footage provides the counterweight, reminding the viewer that discipline and craft stand behind the song’s soaring gestures.

Locations, Crew and Visual Texture

The production draws strength from its thoughtful use of locations and a compact, efficient crew that keeps performances central:

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

Thanks are extended to Francesco and the Soccals Family for the playthrough location, studioSPAM and tre7architettura (Gorizia) for the office setting, and Dinamic Gym along with its team for the training space. A nod also goes to Bryan Visintin for support, whose brief street-side appearance adds a candid touch to the edit. The variety of sites reinforces the song’s themes, moving from controlled interiors to open urban passages, and giving the video a sense of forward motion that mirrors the musical arc.

Musicianship at the Core

Moonlight Haze present Animus with a tight, performance-first approach that favors honest musicianship over visual excess. The interplay between Falanga and Melinato is especially effective, with rhythm figures that leave room for melodic fills and harmonized leads that serve the chorus rather than eclipse it. Jacobi’s bass tone is supportive yet detailed, lending punch to unison runs and providing melodic glue in transitions. Capone’s drumming keeps the arrangement taut, reserving the densest footwork for climactic lifts and using ghost notes and cymbal work to add contour elsewhere.

Tricarico’s delivery holds the center of gravity. She negotiates the song’s shifts in register with ease, projecting authority in lower passages and sustaining high notes without strain. Vocal stacks are deployed judiciously, adding impact at pivot points rather than blanketing the mix. The result is a chorus that stays with the listener while maintaining a crisp sonic profile.

Context and Anticipation

As a title track and lead single, Animus sets the tone for the album to come. It underscores Moonlight Haze’s commitment to high-gloss symphonic writing while pushing the rhythmic and melodic immediacy that fuels their heaviest and most memorable material. The integration of athletic imagery and precise performance footage points to a wider aesthetic of focus and determination. If the rest of the record follows this balance of sweep and bite, listeners can expect a cohesive statement that rewards both genre devotees and those drawn to melodic metal with cinematic ambitions.

Credits and Line-Up

• Moonlight Haze:
  • Chiara Tricarico – vocals
  • Marco Falanga – guitar
  • Alberto Melinato – guitar
  • Alessandro Jacobi – bass
  • Giulio Capone – drums
• Video:
  • Directed by Marco Falanga
  • Produced by Marco Falanga and Beatrice Demori for Oround
  • Starring Nicholas Visintin
  • Playthrough Camera Operator: Stefano Bergomas
  • 1st AC: Beatrice Demori
  • Playthrough Stage Lights: Leonardo Casella for Starlight Service
• Special Thanks:
  • Francesco and the Soccals Family
  • studioSPAM and tre7architettura (Gorizia)
  • Dinamic Gym and the Dynamic Gym team
  • Bryan Visintin

Final Thoughts

Animus captures Moonlight Haze in sharp focus, uniting disciplined songwriting with cinematic sweep and a visual language that turns effort into art. It is an invigorating opening move for the album that bears its name, and a persuasive reminder of what symphonic power metal can be when melody, muscle, and meaning pull in the same direction.

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