Search - Nox Arcana :: Blackthorn Asylum

Beyond the Threshold of Madness....

John Rossi | Somers Point, NJ United States | 06/27/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"... is where thou art dared anew to tread. As unto many other locales, allow Nox Arcana, if you dare, to be your guide once more on a tense and heart-gripping journey into the macabre. Behold, the doors of the nefarious Blackthorn Asylum have been opened to the public. Do you dare to step into it's unhallowed halls? Come..be thou one of courage, and step this way.... Visiting hours are begun.



1. Legacy of Darkness- A booming thunderclap is our herald of the beginning of this new and captivating journey into the macabre. It is mated with beautiful female choral vocal work, unearthly cries and moans, and sinister laughter all intermingled. Somber piano and tolling bells creep through the opening dirge as well, as does gripping and subtle pipe organ, as the voice of Joseph Vargo takes on the role of the warden of the institution speaking to us, the listeners:



"Dementia. Horrific delusions. Psychotic paranoia. Violent sociopathic behavior. These are but a few of the torments that plague the wretched souls confined within these walls. And though modern science has discovered ways to rationalize and treat certain mental disorders, there are still some extreme cases that defy explanation or cure. During your visit, you shall bear witness to shocking depravities of the human mind, as well as monstrous abnormalities of the physical body. Tragically incurable, these tortured souls spend their dire existence plagued by a nightmarish reality, that mercifully eludes those who cling to their sanity. For the essence of evil lies in the deepest shadows of the mind, and the gateway to revelation lies beyond the threshold of madness."



In the recesses of my own mind, I see when listening a storm blackened sky and rain illuminating an ancient structure offering shelter from the downpour but warning of things within that are worse than any tempest.



2. Blackthorn Asylum- This titular canticle is a grand and hauntingly beautiful, slightly tragic mix of trickling piano, bells, chorals, keyboard and strings. Here is a closer view of a grand domicile once meant for the good of mankind, that..having fallen to darkness, became something much worse, and a cruel inhuman parody of its original intent



3. Sanitarium Gates- Tense violin vibrato, somber horns, crying chorals, heart-beat like drums and more combine to in my mind paint a picture of an endless parade of despairing, hopeless and tormented souls being shepherded to a place of unspeakable terror against their will.



4. Abandoned- Piano and chorals partner again.This time their joiner is deep male choir, vibrating violin strings and a solitary female voice. Pained in a mind is a poor soul gazing with grief and longing out the barred door of his padded room, rocking slightly back and forth, lamenting the truth that he has no way out of where he is.



5. Threshold of Madness- The rainfall of piano is a bit faster here, mixed with a drum-laden heartbeat, somber pipe organ, tolling bells and chorals and strings and more. Whomsoever is holding their head, praying for escape, is now doing so even more fervently, for their hold on themselves is ever so surely slipping away from them.



6. Tapestry of Decay- The star of this piece is a lonely, lovely harpsichord passage. Female chorals, tolling bells, and other instruments partner beautifully with it. There's a kind of dark nobility and tragedy in this piece as if perhaps this haven of terror was once meant for a grander and more altruistic purpose, and is perhaps in mourning that that purpose has been twisted, turned, and lost.



7. Hidden Horrors - Tolling bells, deep low strings and choir mix with pipe organ and sinister vocal chanting to paint a picture of the things that go bump in the night within the unhallowed halls of Blackthorn Asylum once the midnight hour is upon us all.



8. When Darkness Falls- A steady, descending piano passage is mixed with violin, keys and female voice. Melodious bell like tones dance through the piece as well, painting a portrait of the coming of nightfall, a blood-red sunset giving way to eventime's raven hue, as nocturnal horrors prepare anew to strike fear into mortal and long gone spectral hearts.



9. Shock Treatment - Electrical current and agonized screaming are the stars here. No music is present in this one. It's a mood-setting, scene-painting piece and quite effective. It is easily among the most disturbing pieces on the entire CD. I pity the one who had to be strapped in and subjected to such horror.





10. Fractured Memories- Mournful piano, slightly disonnant and off-kilter but still haunting, paints the portrait of this piece's title. Tolling bells and chorals join in doing the honors It's easy for me to see someone silently mourning the loss of all they once held dear in their mind.



11. Phantasmagoria- My favorite piece on the CD is right here. Intense choral work, the best Nox Arcana has used to date, is paired with tense, urgent strings , somber horn melodies and thunderous percussion. Thunder rumbles dance through the piece. To me, this is a portrait of what terror in its purest form would look like, if terror itself could take a physical form of its own.



12. Creeper- Rain and thunder start us off. Mixed in are mournful tense piano, strings female chorals, and maniacal laughter and moaning. Another picture is painted here, with the 'crying' female choral voice taking the role of one who desperately seeks escape, and the male voice a role of mockery to her. The dynamic they present is almost operatic in a way, with a tragic flavor put into it. The thunderclap at the end is a fitting close.



13. Sanity Slipping- Slow and steady trickling piano and melodious bells dance with female choral voice, gliding pipe organ, and what sounds a bit like music box tones mixed maybe with a harp or other plucked strings. I picture a patient desperately trying to cling to a sound mind, and ever so slowly losing the battle.



14. Dementia 13- Thumping piano hits and plucked strings dance with tolling bells and plucked strings and percussion to take us here. All is not right, and may are on the verge of running among. Choral wind-like moans float through this one adding a nice touch There's a relentless nature to the steady pace that paints a portrait of the title's namesake taking over the mind.



15. Solitary Confinement - Mournful piano and vibrating violin once again dance for us. Partnered with male chorals and bell-like tones. They show me the grief of what it might be like to be really alone, cut off from the world in a place I don't know, with no one left that I held dear to help me cling to the last vestige of rationality.



16. Frenzy- The title of this one says it all. A galloping piano dances for us here. Accented by tolling bells and female choral voice, it shows me an image of what happens when the entire asylum runs amok, the inmates throwing themselves against the bars of cages, and one of them, their "leader" running madly through the halls, seeking to find the way out, if indeed there is one.



17. The Condemned- This piece is very big, almost epic in its scope. It's sounds martial, or a bit militaristic in its nature. Comprised of thundering drums and strings and horns along a 'waltzing' pipe organ and a gripping chorals, to me it shows a gathering of unfortunates being 'marched' to their fate, whatever it may be. It is easily as memorable and powerful as John Williams' Imperial March, with it's relentless driving energy.



18. Spiders in the Attic- Piano dances for us anew, slightly off kilter and demented in it's steady cadence. Vibrating violins float over them, mated with melodic chorals. There is a steady weight to these melodies, suggesting perhaps either the title's namesake, (gathering spiders) or maybe the weight of painful memory.



19. From Beyond- This is another sound effect piece, a mood setting scene painter. I get from it the sense of a kind of machine being activated and tuned, followed by a voice speaking from another plane, maybe....as if a form of contact has been made with another life form, and a macabre message delivered. At first I didn't no what to make of this one, but it grew on me and is quite effective and unnerving in it's own way.



20. Essence of Evil - Again tolling bells and steady, urgent strings dance with Latin chanting performed by mixed male and female choirs. Invigorating drums and violins waft through the piece with gripping low horn melodies. This is a favorite of mine, painting once more for me the form of malice and giving it a tangible appearance in melody.



21. Fade to Black - This is another gem to me, one of my favorites on the CD. A dancing piano arpeggio broadens into a steady, urgent and heart-gripping piano melody that is interwoven with epic chorals, tolling bells and the thunder of thunderous timpani hits. It pays a grand homage in a way, I think, to John Carpenter's Halloween theme, not in the sense of being derivative, but in the fact that it has the same kind of energy, but is uniquely a stirring Nox Arcana canticle that warms the blood with adrenaline and grips the heart. Every bit as memorable as the aforementioned piece, but even more appealing to me. It is something greater than that to which it pays respectful homage in a way, and is one of Nox Arcana's strongest pieces to date. It's brilliant.



Don't hit stop once Fade to Black goes quiet. The bonus pieces included here are a tense and fitting closure to Nox Arcana's eleventh masterful opus in six short years. It is another jewel in the crown of the undisputed kings of the gothic horror and gothic fantasy musical sound scape. Once again, Nox Arcana reigns supreme, taking us on a dark and twisted journey into the deepest recesses of a own fears and warped imaginations. It's a journey I've loved taking. Pick it up if you get the chance. You just might love the journey too. I'll see you...within the halls of Blackthorn Asylum... if you dare to enter."

A Mesmerizing Musical Descent into Madness

Joseph V. Iorillo | 06/25/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Any time Nox Arcana tackles a concept, whether it be a haunted carnival or a ghost ship, you can be assured that the final result will be a stunner. Blackthorn Asylum is a case in point - this wonderfully unnerving musical journey into the halls of a grim, gothic asylum is filled with tracks you'll listen to again and again. The breathtaking piano-dominated title track, reminiscent of John Carpenter's Halloween theme, evolves into a stirring, grand anthem with lush orchestrations Carpenter could never imagine. As is the case with all Nox Arcana albums, there are highlights everywhere - "Threshold of Madness," for example, features an urgent piano counterpointed with percussion that feels like the rhythm of an accelerating heartbeat. "Tapestry of Decay" offers a mournful harpsichord melody, while the slightly off-kilter melody of "Fractured Memories" eerily conveys the theme of an off-kilter mind. "Shock Treatment" features an extremely unsettling depiction of brutal electroshock therapy, complete with agonized screams. Another standout track is "Fade to Black," which is one of Nox Arcana's most brilliant songs, an exquisite piano theme backed by choir and crashing drums.



Every concept album from Nox Arcana is a musical event, and as a further treat each CD's lush packaging is highlighted by Joseph Vargo's original artwork, as well as mesmerizing ciphers and codes that are hidden throughout the booklet. No other band puts as much effort into every aspect of their CDs, from the composition to the production to the presentation. Highly recommended."

Insanely Wicked

Camille Ambrose | 06/25/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am always thrilled by each new Nox Arcana release. They never cease to amaze me with their broad range of musical abilities and artistic creativity. Blackthorn Asylum is classic Nox Arcana. Sinister, haunting, and downright creepy, this cd has everything you'd expect from a great horror story. A crackling old phonograph message introduces the tale of madness in "Legacy of Darkness," perfectly setting the mood for the horrors that lie in wait in the abandoned sanitarium. The music is a mix of piano, orchestra, percussion, choirs and eerie sound effects that create tension and build to sinister crescedoes. Mournful lamentations add a haunting feeling of sadness and despair to tracks like "Sanitarium Gates" and "When Darkness Falls," while gothic choirs chant ominous invocations in "Hidden Horrors," "Phantasmagoria," and "Essence of Evil." The menacing pulse of "Dementia 13" creates a genuine feeling of foreboding tension. The musicianship and production is outstanding and the cd offers plenty of Nox Arcana's trademark piano masterpieces like "Blackthorn Asylum," "Spiders in the Attic" and the Halloween-inspired "Fade To Black." The sound effects of insane laughter, screams, lightning and electricity are accented by even more disturbing sounds as the cd plays on. The cd packaging contains some unsettling artwork and the story line is sure to appeal to H.P. Lovecraft fans. Blackthorn Asylum is one of the band's darkest concepts albums, right up there with Necronomicon, yet they convey the theme brilliantly with an unsurpassed class and style all their own. Highly recommended."