Widely regarded as our best album to date, 'Parhelion' has also been awarded album of the week by Belgian gothic/industrial/wave/electro/EBM radio show Darker Than The Bat (14.06.06) and joint Album of the Issue by TWF Magazine (UK).

A number of reviews of 'Parhelion' appear below.

Gothic Beauty, Issue 23:

"As one of the UK's finest gothic artists in recent memory, Libitina has just released yet another awesome album packed to the hilt with tracks sure to secure heavy club rotation for a long time to come. Although forceful and aggressive in sound throughout much of the album, don't be fooled- their lyricism cuts to the heart of the dark romanticism long embraced by gothic individuals around the world. On Parhelion, you can expect nothing but the best from the band; everything from the music, vocals, and engineering has been painstakingly crafted to pleased all fans, those established, and the many more to follow!"

Review by Jessika.

Gothic Beauty, USA.

"This is an album I should have reviewed months ago but I'm glad I gave it a while as the intervening period has definitely allowed me to come to a greater appreciation of it. On the face of it, Libitina seem to fit into the same electro-goth-pop niche occupied by the likes of Manuskript & the easily discernable pop/rock elements that grace such early tracks as "Endgame", "Salvation", "Breathe" & the opening "Duty Unbound", where the male/famale harmonised vocals are another pointer in this direction, seems to bear this out (there are also a good few Sisters familiarities in each of these tracks, I thought!). For all that, each track has plenty to commend it with "Salvation" proving particular enjoyable although it's when you delve deeper that you realise there's actually a lot more going on here with an effective fusion of electro piano & rocky guitars making for a thoroughly engaging mood, a mood that is exploited more fully on the gritty & dark "Alea Lacta Est", which mixes industrial effects & hard, doom-laden guitars with a ponderous rhythmic base to create an almost ritualistic mood with some deathrock touches. It's certainly one of the best tracks on the album & sees the band expanding their outlook greatly although, even when they do it on a much smaller level the results are still pretty impressive with the backward effects that open "Geist" being a neat little touch & I'm sure the German vocals that, in unison with some more effective piano work, add an additional darkwave element, will be much appreciated by their German listeners! It's actually the second half of the album that provides most of the highlights with "The Darkest Hour" benefitting from a harder, grittier chorus with some fine guitar work to boot while the chorus of "Momento Mori" manages to sound simultaneously anthemic & almost kaleidoscopic (even if some of the guitar work does resemble The Cult!) Furthermore, the punchy "Panopticon" offers a dose of good old fashioned oomph although bringing in an accoustic drummer would have added to the track's organic feel thus making it an even better. The closing "Duty Bound", which consists of nothing but piano & voice is a fittingly emotive end to the album &, as a bonus, proves Phill's vocal capabilities are second to none!!" (Rating: 8/10)

Review by Carl Jenkinson.

"Excellent fifth studio album release from one of the UK’s premiere traditional goth bands. Libitina took their name from an ancient Roman goddess, associated mainly with darkness and the shades and that influence certainly shines through on this album. This band always put so much effort into their work and Parhelion is no exception with its beautifully crafted sounds and deep and meaningful lyrics. This is arguably the band’s finest release to date which is a true compliment when you consider the quality of their previous releases. The album starts off with the excellent Duty Unbound which definitely puts you in the mood for the rest of the album which flows effortlessly through to the closing track Duty Bound. In between Duty Unbound/Bound we are treated to some of the best synth/bass inspired goth music around. Add to this the excellently fitting vocals of Phill and you really do get an album close to perfection. Collectively Jamie, Phill and Darren are all excellent programmers, musicians and songwriters so there’s little wonder that Libitina deliver such a well crafted, well arranged and truly excellent album with Parhelion." (Rating: 5/5)

Insomnia Magazine, UK.

Kaleidoscope, Issue 22:

"The welcome new album from Libitina- following rumours of the band splitting due to family commitments- nicely illustrates how stress and confusion can help create great works! Twelve tracks of angst and relationship frustration emerge across this CD and the emotional distress is communicated in a painfully acute way to the unsuspecting listener! Favourite track? The slow, heartbreaking ponderous, yet beautiful melodrama of ‘Alea Iacta Est’. Plenty of dance-floor ready tracks, with the plaintive vocals demanding you join in as you move about the floor- this is what alternative dancefloors were designed for! With a sound that resonates with the electronic crowd as readily as with the gothic crowd, this is one of the must-have albums of the year. So on your way then…"

Review by Jade.

Lithium

"The latest release by UK Goth group Libitina, titled Parhelion, is described “bleakly romantic” and, honestly I couldn’t describe it any better. Each track is about relationships filled with hate and disdain, but also an overpowering love that is destined to destroy all involved.
I was listening to the CD and it felt like my heart was breaking, I just couldn’t fathom that there were relationships like that. But, I guess I know there are. The tracks Breathe and Salvation epitomize the feeling the entire CD brings. It’s all just utterly brilliant. I mean, to bring these feelings to bear on a CD and actually have the listener enjoy it can be described as nothing less.
I highly recommend that you find this CD and buy it."

Lithium Radio, USA.

Ookie Spookie:

"Over the years any gothic rock band that has surfaced has really had to go out of their way as to not be over shadowed by repetitive ebm. Many of the more traditional sounding bands have gone ebm in order not to be forgotten but the ones who have their heart into it have remained loyal. Libitina is one of those bands that over the years has released several really good traditional gothic rock albums.
Parhelion is the latest release by Libitina and Parhelion is their best album to date. There are songs on this album that just smoke and the band comes off stronger then ever. Between the shimmering wave of guitar and the wicked vocals I highly doubt any fan of the goth genre will feel let down by this release. Parhelion is without a doubt evolution and evolution is always a positive thing.
The music ranges from the aggressive to the emotional. ‘Geist’ which isn’t even sung in English is a song that just sounds mournful and moving. Then there’s ‘Endgame’ which is an almost perky number with some synth and some excellent guitar riffs. ‘Memento Mori’ is this song that comes off like a song one would play before storming into battle. ‘Salvation’ is another slower number and it’s a beautiful track. Every song on this album is infectious due to the beat and the way everything is just layered together perfectly. They’ve managed to combine the synth with what they were doing before on earlier albums to breathe new life into their band and it works very well.
This is hands down the best Libitina album to date and any goth who picks this album up will not have buyer's remorse after spinning this one. If someone loves atmospheric gothic rock that is both emotional as well as aggressive they should own this album."

Ookie Spookie, USA.

TWF:

"I’ll begin by saying that I never really doubted the talents and capabilities of Libitina. I’ve always found them a reliable band to see live, although I have always found them a bit so-so on record. I’m just looking at what I’d previously wrote about them for 3rd album ‘The Shadowline’. I gave the album 6/10 with quotes as, “The songs are promising, but there are times when they are just a little bit too weak and could do with a last bit tweak to tighten the bolts” and “…despite having its weaknesses could be the beginning of forging an already pretty good band into a completely excellent one”. I’m feeling quite smug around now. Why? They’ve only gone and proved me right! The bolts have been tightened, the production sharpened and the performance all round polished. Marvellous. Nearly every crease you could think of in previous Libitina records has been ironed out. This is an album with real depth, real oomph and real quality. When the album begins with ‘Duty Unbound’ you could be forgiven with being a little bit on edge, you don’t really know which corridors their eerie intro will walk you down. Suddenly, boom, the synths sweep in the strings create further atmosphere and then the song takes off. Try not dancing to it… it’s a difficult mission, by the time the vocals start you’re already completely taken in. Phill’s voice is in top form throughout the album, he really is demonstrating his vocal potentials. This is an album I hope a lot of people hear as there’s almost a defining vocalist for a new era in there! A vocalist for a new era? Not bad for a band with about 10 years on their mileage… From hereon after, what can I say? If you’re a fan of the band I can lazily sum this up by saying this is everything you could ever wish from Libitina to sound like on record – and more! If you’re not a fan, maybe you’ve never crossed their path (or have just picked up this magazine because it looks nice); this is a very powerful Gothic Rock release. It is musically and vocally very dark and incorporates effective bass and synth arrangements to create an added dimension to the bands music. In addition to ‘Duty Unbound’, ‘Salvation’ is also a very powerful track. Opening with almost keyboard chimes, as you feel the guitars creeping in you know that this is building up to something impressive. Of course, it could just fall flat on its face – but it doesn’t… another one that should lead you to the dancefloor (even if just the dancefloor in your mind). Throughout the album you can really feel the music within your body and it really gets inside you as it takes you in. This is undoubtedly the bands finest hour (to date) and so is an essential part of any fans collection. If you’re just getting into the band then this is a highly recommended starting point in buying their records. Perhaps my only question from here is – what do they do next?" (Rating: 9/10)