Search - Nox Arcana :: Darklore Manor

The birth... of a legend

John Rossi | Somers Point, NJ United States | 09/24/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Hear ye hear ye, all ye fans of Gothic horror soundscapes. Pay heed and rejoice. Verily have we great cause for much gladness. After two lamentable years of being the mastermind, major support and the unsung hero of Midnight Syndicate, Gothic artist, musician, writer and storyteller extraordinaire Joseph Vargo steps from the shadows...to cast a much bigger shadow of his own. Together with tremendously gifted fellow artist and weaver of tales, William Piotrowski, Vargo endeavors to take us upon yet more haunting, terrifying and intriguingly beautiful journeys into the unknown, daring us to travel into our imagination's own darkest recesses. Take these journeys if you dare, with Nox Arcana as your guide. Welcome to darkness' domicile. Welcome... to "Darklore Manor"



1- Legend- Thus does our tale begin. Buffeted by the howl of a frigid wind do we stand upon the pathway to terror. A sinister melody comprised seemingly of low-pitched macabre keyboard work or strings is soon joined by the voice of Joseph Vargo. It brings to mind a summer camp counselor, preparing to tell us a grand old-time ghost story. With the following narration does it commence: "Along a dark forsaken road, there stands a stark and grim abode. An old manor house looms black and tall, to cast a grave and deathly pall. Beyond the ancient wrought iron gate, a thousand nightmares lie in wait. For dark things dwell in this house of fear... and none but the dead dare trespass here."



2. Darklore Manor- This title track bears an air of chilling, dark majesty. Keyboards and pipe organ combine to bring us what sounds in my mind like a macabre twist on a stately and regal procession... as we are led further along the path towards an ancient home of shadow and sorrow. Gripping Latin chants performed my blended male and female choir mate with a tolling vesper to complete this darkly beautiful piece



3. Threshold Of The Dead - A mournful keyboard melody is a our guide past the ancient doorway of the mansion. It fills one with a sense of melancholy and wonder both at once. Some of the keyboard work bears a choral sound, and a tolling vesper closes the piece with somber dignity.



4- Trespassers - In pacing, this tune is almost march-like, but a tad slower. It is wonderfully comprised of brooding yet beautiful strings, percussion, keyboard work, and tolling bells. Now has the door closed upon us with a forceful sense of... finality. We're 'inside' the manor... treated to dark and enticing visions of an ancient grandeur, but there's a feeling of dread still, as if... though we are here, we do not belong and are out of place.



5. Veil Of Darkness - Tenderly drifting piano begins this part of our journey It is soon joined ethereal keyboard work that magnifies the piece's brooding and sinister feel. Through it all, there is a sense of awe and wonder, as if we are invited, yes... even dared to step beyond the veil, to pierce night's deepest, darkest secrets.



6. Sanctuary Of Shadows- This is among my favorite pieces on this CD. In fact, I WILL call it my favorite. It is an utterly intoxicating blend of keyboards, pipe organ, compelling Latin chanting and tolling bells. What this piece depicts to me is... majesty and grandeur, as if we are in the presence of ancient royalty whose line has, through avarice and tragedy, fallen forever into darkness.



7. The Grande Hall - We are treated here to another dose of the majestic. Keyboard wizardry does the honors. Tolling bells dance with it, as does the softest and most beautiful hint of choral melody. There is a sense of elegance here, and regality, expertly blended with a dose of the tragic.



8. Remnants- Here, the beginning of a beautiful yet heartbreaking opus is woven with the harpsichord, imparting unto us a sense of antiquity. Exquisite stately keyboard work mates with it, bequeathing a sense of beauteous heartbreak. The beautiful, and the terribly woeful, blended expertly yet again.



9. Phantom Procession- This piece is largely comprised of tolling vespers. Keyboard magic that bears the hint of a choral sound waltzes with it. I cannot say why, but I am put here in the frame of mind to visualize a grand gathering of specters, summoned to assemble as the dinner hour has struck, as if called unto a pale shadow of a grand banquet held in an age long past.



10. Belladonna- Here, once again, we are treated to an opus of... beautiful sorrow. Heart-tuggging and very soft keyboards blend with the "star" of the piece, a lovely and somber piano tune. This.... is in my mind a tender ode to Belladonna, daughter of Damon Darklore and his bride... It is a lament, mourning the loss of innocence... A hymn to the memory of a beloved daughter, lost to shadow



11. Nursery Rhyme - This piece is.... just plain eerie, and creepy. I say that not to demean it though. It is a great piece and quite effective. Bereft of music, it still manages to chill the heart, as the voice of Christine Filipak, altered to sound childlike, combined with a slight echo, and "blended" with her adult voice, delivers the following narration: "Sandman come to me tonight. Comfort me till morning light. As darkness falls and shadows loom, I bid you welcome to my room. Rest your bones beside my bed. Lay your hands upon my head. Cast your spell of slumber deep, and stay beside me as I sleep. If I should die before I wake, I grant to you my soul to take."



12. Music Box - I see this as a "companion piece" to Nursery Rhyme, and perhaps even Belladonna in a way. Beautiful bell-like tones depict the title's namesake. It is combined with child-like singing, and a little girl's playful giggles. It brings to mind images of a beautiful innocent little child at play, without a care in the world, despite having a darker and a very sad edge.



13. The Forgotten - A very pretty and mournful wistful piano tune is expertly blended with pipe organ to give us this composition. Tolling bells and soft strings drift through the piece on occasion. To me this is a tender, tragic ode to the former glory of the Darklore clan, forever lost when that ancient line began to walk a path of darkness.



14. Nightmare - In the case of this piece, Nox Arcana ably proves once again that sometimes the most effective path is simple. Here, we are gifted with that truth. An exquisite 'waltz of keyboards, tolling bells, strings and the faintest choral hints impart the feeling that we are spinning ever further down, deep into a vortex, deeper and deeper into insanity and utter terror.



15. No Rest For the Wicked- Keyboards appear to be the 'star' of this one. It is blended beautifully with mournful strings and sinister chanting performed in Latin. For me, what this feels like is... not 'drudgery' but rather an expert depiction of the eternal weight of sorrow that blankets Darklore Manor's denizens.



16. Omen - Once again, here the simple is proven effective. A very soft keyboard undercurrent creates a 'bed'... upon which lies a drifting ghostly voice. Provided by co-composer Joseph Vargo, the chilling voice intones the following: "Ghostly whispers fill the air, chanting omens to beware. Shadows stir in candlelight, then rise to prowl the dead of night. Spirits lurk within these walls, and wander these unhallowed halls. Cursed to haunt this dark domain, where mortal woe and sorrow reign."



17 Seance - This piece, upon first hearing, actually SCARED me, as no Gothic music had done before. Very nice keyboard work provides an undercurrent to carry the following echoed ghostly whispers: "We are among you..." "Beware the darkness..." "Lift this curse..." "End our suffering..." "Release us..." "Leave this place..." "Turn back..." The piece is ended with Joseph Vargo imparting a chilling and sinister laugh.



18 Beyond Midnight - This piece to me feels... invigorating. It is a... blood-stirring mix of strings, percussion, pipe organ and Latin chanting that feels adventurous and almost... martial It brings to mind once again a stately procession, mixed with a journey through the grounds of a place replete with ancient grandeur and heart-pounding terror as the spirits of the Darklore bloodline surround you to prevent escape.



19 Darkness Immortal- This is a beautiful dance between lovely swirling pipe organ, sinister strings, and beautiful choral work. Percussion provides faint and compelling accents for it. Tolling bells gift us with their presence, adding to the macabre yet somehow stately feel. To me this conjures images of standing trapped upon the dark and mist-shrouded Manor grounds as a regal Lady clad all in ebon robes beckons irresistibly for you to come, almost in the manner of a paramour... to follow her forever into the shadow to learn of and partake in its secrets.



20. Incantation- Here is another blood-chilling musical opus. This time beautifully mournful strings are underscored by somber and booming percussion that to me depicts a heartbeat. Drifting softly over this is the voice of co-composer Joseph Vargo imparting the following narration:



"Ab Aeterno,

Ad limina Mortem et extra,

Abyssus Abyssum invocat

E tenebris,

Veteris vestigia flammae ardere denuo

Iure Sanguinis,

Mors tua, vita mea aeternum

Terra es, terram ibis

Ecce quomodo Moritur,

Hoc sustinate Damnosa hereditas."



Translated from Latin, this says:



"From the beginning of Time,

To the threshold of Death, and beyond,

Hell calls upon Hell

Out of the darkness,

Remnants of an ancient flame burn anew

By the rite of Blood,

You must die, so that I may live eternally

You are dust, you shall return to dust

Behold the way of Death,

And endure the inheritance of the Damned."



21. Resurrected - This is the closer of the CD, and it is a darkly invigorating masterpiece. Mournful keyboards dance with percussion, pipe organ, energetic swirling strings and Latin chanting. It paints a portrait of an ancient evil raised from slumber to live for evermore. After a minute or so of silence, the musical homage to Belladonna Darklore is reprised on harpsichord, before Joseph Vargo gifts us with another chilling laugh. After another brief silence, the final section of this piece is provided by keyboards and pipe organ, joined once again by the voice Joseph Vargo, speaking to us "as" Damon Darklore, relating the tragic fate of both his ancestors and himself:



"Woe befalls all who dwell withing Darklore Manor. For those who have met their fate within this blighted place are cursed to forever wander its unhallowed halls. Within this sanctuary of shadows, the restless dead can find no surcease from their eternal suffering. I have brought this curse upon myself, as did my ancestors before me. I hereby confess my guilt, for I have conspired in blasphemous acts, and have committed grievous and ghastly deeds. And though I be the last of the Darklore bloodline, this curse shall not end with my death... For we have awakened a great darkness, and it's hungers... cannot be quenched."



In closing, this is a brilliant piece of work. Stepping from the shadow of Midnight Syndicate which he helped to cast, Joseph Vargo with this work proves himself a master of weaving deliciously dark and hauntingly beautiful and tragic tales. Together with musical partner William Piotrowski, he has crafted a splendid ghost story for the modern age, replete with every bit of the grandeur of the best of ancient and classic horror tales... and then some. Behold! Nox Arcana is born, and has quickly risen to leave its indelible mark. Verily indeed has Nox Arcana come to claim the throne and title of the true masters of the Gothic horror soundscape. One listen to "Darklore Manor" , and you may find yourself within their clutches forevermore. Enjoy the journey, if you dare, for upon visiting Darklore Manor, you may find that you never wish to leave it."

Darklore Manor is a masterpiece of gothic music

Angela Ramsland | Hollywood, FL | 06/02/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Let me begin by saying I am a HUGE fan of Joseph Vargo's artwork. Ever since I bought my first calendar of his years ago I have been in love with his dark and alluring renditions of vampires and ghosts. When I heard about Nox Arcana and the Darklore Manor cd, it sounded too good to be true. I didn't want to set my hopes too high, in case the music didn't meet my expectations. Before this album, I could only imagine what a soundtrack to the images in Vargo's dark world might sound like, but never in my wildest imaginings did I envision music so hauntingly beautiful. Vargo combines his talents with soundtrack composer William Piotrowski to create a captivating realm of gothic wonders.
      Listening to this cd, one can easily envision ghostly specters wandering through misty cemeteries, and vampires rising from their graves during the midnight hour. The music varies from woeful piano melodies to menacing pipe organ music to full-bodied orchestral compositions. The main melodies are accented by tolling bells, ghostly choirs and the occasional chorus of Latin chanting. My favorite tracks were "Remnants," which combines eerie harpsichord music with a sad violin melody, and "Phantom Procession," which utilizes sinister church bells to toll out a haunting refrain.
Throughout the cd, we are treated to creepy poems from the various undead spirits that inhabit Darklore Manor, an abandoned gothic mansion that has become the resting place of an undying evil. The photos and storyline in the accompanying booklet tell the tale of an ancient curse that looms over the forsaken abode. Darklore Manor is a masterpiece of gothic music that takes the concept of an atmospheric horror soundscape to new heights.- Angela Ramsland"

An invitation...

Draconis Blackthorne | The Haunted Noctuary | 08/16/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Woe befalls all who dwell within Darklore Manor, for those whohave met their fate within this blighted place are cursed to forever wander its unhallowed halls."



A magnificent treasure found, a veritable key to Darklore Manor. Travellng through the thick foliage of black forest underneath the moon's gaze, the fog increases as you near the omninous Mansion - at the iron gate, a phantasmic gentleman beckons one to enter the gloriously gloomy estate... and enter we will... there is no turning back. A strange chanting fills your mind as vertigo overtakes the consciousness, the shadows deepen beyond the creeking door, as the candlebrum is lit, and now into the labyrinthine hallways.



The musick is repleat with a mystical ambience flowing to take you into this infamous legend. The booklet is spooktacular in its artisry, relating the tale as well as poetry. As revealed by a yellowed scroll, seems Mr. Damon Darklore had been experimenting with some Dark Sorcery, uncovered by the swinging bookcase which leads into a secret chambre. A wonderful surprise awaits on track 21, so keep listening. The astute will discover the interactive booklet contains various clues and indications relating to both the story and the music itself.



Travel back in time to witness the events that occurred once upon a time in the theatre of your mind, allowing the dread muses to rise. Darklore Manor is a welcomed addition to aurally haunt one's own 'unhallowed halls".



{Keep in mind that this is 'part one' of the subsequent 'Necronomicon' opus, which reveals the nefarious source of events.}"