Search - Nox Arcana :: Shadow of the Raven

Quoth the reveiwer --- "Shadow of the Raven doth fly most

John Rossi | Somers Point, NJ United States | 08/23/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ye who read these words, rejoice. Verily there be glad tidings brought unto thee, for a new musical tapestry has been most skillfully woven by night's most masterful minstrels. From the haunted halls of Victorian mansion, into the pages of Lovecraft's legendary tome of shadows... From Ebonshire and the surrounding forest, through the foreboding realm of Dracula's domain. Into all these via melodious nocturnal canticles have we walked. Yea, further have we trod, unto diabolical circus of lost souls, and even unto fantastic ancient Draconia, wherein's dragon's blood doth through every warrior's veins most mightily flow. Unto all these have we journeyed, via masterful music wrought by Nox Arcana. Now are they once again our guide, this time through the literary world of a true master of the macabre, Edgar Allan Poe. Yea, behold, for o'er us now doth fall the:



Shadow of the Raven



1. Darkest Hour - Thus doth our fateful journey commence, with moans of softest choral lamentations borne upon frigid nocturnal winds, mated with a raven's urgent and foreboding call. Somber tolling vespers and deeper male chorus join in as well, with the following narrated preamble, provided by the voice of composer Joseph Vargo, in a wonderfully solemn recitation, touched with the subtlest of English accents in places.



"Ye who read these words are still among the living, but I who write shall have long since gone my way into the region of shadows. Plagued by ghosts from the past, my soul can find no release from its eternal sorrow. Lost loves, spirits of the dead... madmen and devils have each in turn visited me here in the solitude of my chamber, to haunt and torment me. I implore you to heed my tale, as I relate the grim and ghastly things that befell me in my darkest hour... once upon a midnight dreary..."

Throughout this grand preamble, a wondrous blend is utilized of male and female choral voice with tolling vespers. The female vocalization soaring as it floats underneath Vargo's grim and melancholy narration is particularly gripping. It is easy for me to see a grand but cozy domicile beneath silver moonlight, as a raven's shadow falls over the moon... and to see a grief-stricken writer scrawling a forlorn message of farewell that he prays someone will lay sympathetic eyes upon one day, as the hearth fire burns ever lower. A raven's call and more ghostly moans close out the piece.



2. Melancholia - The stars at the beginning of this are a lovely piano tune mated with beautiful blended choir. Violin is quick to appear, gliding with grace over the top for a moment. Coming to mind here is a stately chapel, somewhere within an ancient castle, wherein a solitary mourner kneels in memory to his fallen paramour. Despite it's austere look, the place is "homey" to me, though cold, strewn with beautiful flowers. The choral work and pipe organ here are an exquisite touch.



3. Descent Into Madness- Here, the opening piano comes to mimic a tension-plagued heartbeat. I love the way it blends with chilling pipe organ, choral touches, tolling vespers, and splendidly urgent violin work in places. The percussion adds well to this effect. It's easy for me to see a poor unfortunate soul trapped somewhere, perhaps enmeshed in a straitjacket, rocking and trembling with head held in both hands,casting a forlorn glance of grief outward, as if begging for release that he knows will not come to him. The close, with it's relentless percussion and taut violin hits, is particularly effective.



4. The House of Usher - Here we get more than a little "desperate", that desperation waltzing musically with an urgent beauty. A two-beat piano "hit" or pule is rapidly joined by frantically swirling violins, tolling vespers and beautiful choral work. I love the blend, and the "dance" the piano does with the percussion and bells beginning at the 29 second mark and going onward. When the violins and chorals come back, I am really gripped. I can easily envision a once grand domicile falling to ruin in the wake of calamity, with lightning flashing, thunder booming and roaring, with a great earthquake claiming the place. The tolling vesper at the end leaves us with nothing to do but mourn the passing of the house of Usher.



5. Madeline's Lament- This is a "simpler" but beautiful track. The gentle rush of wind is mated with somber strings and a stately but a `crying' piano melody. Tolling vespers reappear, with a mournful female voice "weeping" into the night. It's easy for me to see a fair maid in times of yore, seated in her homey study, looking over love letters written by her adored, tears on her face matching the rain outside, as she knows in her heart he will not return.



6. Haunted Memories - The harpsichord that opens this piece grounds it in a wonderful feeling of antiquity. The female choral passages are beautiful, as are the violins that drift through the piece. I am easily able to conjure in my head the image of one seated at the harpsichord, playing an ode to one they love, then moving into a mist-clad graveyard, where they encounter the spirit of their beloved, but instead of finding comfort in their presence, they are tormented by the fact that they are so near, and yet they cannot touch them.



7. Annabel Lee - The `star' of this piece is an enchanting but grievous music box melody. Choral "moans" upon the wind add a somber touch to a tune that to me seems to bemoan lost childhood memories. I don't know why, but I am put into the frame of mind to see a young noble girl, either a child or a young adult dressed fancily, looking out to sea, awaiting perhaps the return of family that will not make that return. To me the music box is all they have, with which to remember the lost.



8. Legacy of Sorrow - Piano and violin dance for us once again. Pipe organ is their partner in the dance on occasion, as is lovely blended choral work. Again, I see an author in mourning in his library or his ornate study. He is not however, mourning the loss of love, but rather that none were privy to his heart's core, none were allowed in, there all that he has to give the world are volumes of beautiful poetry and stories, pouring out the lamentations of a broken heart that no one would share with him.



9. The Black Cat - This once is flat out disturbing. It's a mood-setter, with a chilling keyboard effect mating with dripping water and the yowls of a macabre ebony feline. Easily can I see being trapped in a desolate alleyway, cornered by a monstrous feline creature, eyes burning as golden/green flames in the dark.



10. The Cask of Amontillado- I LOVE the tense harp and strings that open this. Beautiful chorals and urgent swirling violin join in quickly. A tenser `vibrating' violin adds more tension, as deep percussion, more chorals and pipe organ dance for us. Easily depicted is an uncertain desperate journey through torchlit catacombs, leading the way to be trapped while seeking a fabled cask that was never there for the taking.



11. Mysteries of the Night- The most beautiful piece of music by Nox Arcana to date, it had me weeping in moments. Begun as a lovely classically flavored piano sonata, it is soon joined by crying violin and tolling vespers. I love the `dance' done by the violin and piano starting at 2:17 and going to 2:44. The tolling vespers add poignancy. The best part for me is at 2:45 though. There, the piano and violin are joined by soft yet pounding percussion and beautifully soaring choir. To me this is the most poignant use of a choral melody Nox Arcana has utilized to now. I LOVE the dance done by choir, drums, piano and strings in this. I just LOVE it. I don't know why but in my mind I see weary wayfarer met on the roadway by the figure of a white-clad lady, near a manor overlooking the sea, and implored by her to let her end his own loneliness, and to share all of the night's deepest secrets.



12. Midnight Dreary - This is another mood setter. The ticking of a clock is mated with a brief choral moaning effect upon the wind. Ghostly cries of "Nevermore" are blended amidst the solemn vesper striking the midnight hour. Once again does a raven's cry drift upon the night, until its wings are heard, as it lands to take up residence and resting, crying one more time as if to lay claim to its new home. This is a perfect segue into:



13. The Raven - This piece is just... SAD. Bring the Kleenex. Easily can I once again see someone, living in cozy splendor but taking no comfort in it, as his ebon-feathered tormentor comes to stand forever at his side, torturing him with an ever-present memory of a love long since lost. Mournful but gracefully flowing piano combines with weeping violin, tolling vespers, pipe organ and melancholy choir to produce one of the most tear-jerking but BEAUTIFUL melodies that Nox Arcana has ever written. Not since hearing John Williams' heart-breaking theme to Schindler's List have I heard violins used this beautifully.



14. Morbid Reminiscence - This is a fitting title, given what I feel when I hear it. It's not so much the mourning of a lost love, but a musical depiction of recalling the tragic way in which they passed away. Somehow I see in my mind someone standing upon the shore, as survivors of a shipwreck are pulled free. Efforts to care for the beloved one come to naught, as they are later taken by illness, and now all that remains is memory. This is achieved wonderfully by brooding piano and keyboards, mournful soaring choir,and grieving violin. The elegance of the harpsichord dances for us through the middle in a lovely touch. I love the effect of the solitary female voice blending on occasion with tolling vespers.



15. Lenore - To me this is a graceful waltz, depicting the beauty and poise of a grand Lady, living in an age long past. I can almost see her, dark brown of hair and elegantly clad, dancing with her love through a stately domicile. Candle light is plentiful, and though the place is again ornate it still feels like home. I feel as though the "lord" of the manor is nightly reliving the last dance with his beloved lady that took place long ago. The melody and pacing of the regal, flowing piano, strings, pipe organ and tolling vespers expertly depict this last loving waltz. Extra poignancy is given to the piece by the female voice drifting over and matching the graceful tune of the strings.



16. A Dream Within A Dream- Harpsichord and tolling vespers dance for us with brooding keyboards. Blended chorals add a beautifully emotional current, as does the female voice and urgently tragic violin. Once again I envision opulence, a white canopied bed whose draperies are tossed by glacial evening breezes, upon which someone lies, visited in dreams by a love long since gone, and tormented by the knowledge that they will not return, lying night after night in wonder and hope if they will find release from the saddest of dreams, the relived memory of a treasure forever lost.



17. The Tell Tale Heart- Another mood piece. Deep percussion depicts a musical heartbeat, backed by brooding strings and keys, mated with what sounds like the occasional creaking of a wooden door or a dread-filled step upon a wooden staircase. I can easily see a dungeon, in which the titular heart beats ever on, waiting for trepidation-filled mortal eyes to behold it.



18. Murders In The Rue Morgue - More than anything, what this piece does to me is convey a sense of dread, mystery and urgency. We're not only scared of what might be waiting around a corner, we're trying to figure out just what happened and why... traversing an ancient asylum for clue, trying to determine just what went on and how. Urgent strings, percussion, pipe organ and what sounds at times like it might be a brooding tuba blending with deep male chorals to the honors wonderfully.



19. The Pit And The Pendulum - This one is just plain gripping. A chilling "whoosh" and the turning of wooden gears start us off, and then repeat throughout the peace at regular intervals. A brooding, relentless triplet figure on piano blends with urgent chorals and pipe organ, percussion and an occasional pounding two-beat ostinato executed on tolling vespers. In it's own way, it invokes in me a twin to the dread felt upon hearing the main theme for the shark in Steven Spielberg's Jaws, but it's a much more sinister piece. I can easily envision some poor soul trapped in an ancient dungeon, just waiting helplessly for the blade of the giant pendulum to strike its mark. The tension in the strings and choir at the end combine with the final "whoosh" of the pendulum to leave us with a lump in the throat at the end of this.



20. The Masque of the Red Death - If I had to pick three words to describe this, they would be: Elegant, morbid, and stately. An urgent `run' on pipe organ and percussion joined by gripping Latin chorals soon turns into a "waltz" of organ, chorals and slower strings. I am easily able to picture myself amidst the guests of a party long ago, taking a dread-filled tour of multicolored rooms within a grand but frightening residence. It's almost a graceful but morbid promenade in music, with the urgent strings, chorals and percussion near the climax depicting our meeting with a grisly terror beyond the comprehension of human imagination.



21. Nevermore - Here we stand, upon the conclusion of our present journey. An elegantly flowing mating of piano, strings, and beautiful chorals depict our descent into perhaps our loss or rational sanity. More than that though, I am again transported back, into an opulent cozy study. Despite it though there is not comfort to be had, for I am more than anything tormented by the weight of eternal sorrow..... for there before me still sits the raven ever perched, a stark reminder that from the torment of bitter memories I will likely be free, as quoth the raven... "Nevermore"



There's one more thing I have to mention. Do not hit the "stop" button on your CD player when "Nevermore" first falls silent. The bonus tracks here are excellently done, providing an exemplary closure for the disc. Part of a recitation of one of Poe's most famous works is followed by something that gave me more than a bit of a chill, and enveloped me in a sense of utter humanitarian pity for the speaker of what I heard.



In closing I will not try to be fancy. I will only say this. Nox Arcana's tribute to the writings of Edgar Allan Poe is, in every sense of the word, a masterpiece. It is not only Nox Arcana's best work to date, but it is, in my own humble opinion, the best example of Gothic horror music recorded by any artists working in the genre today. Romance, tragedy, beauty and terror. It's all here, and given to us better than anyone has ever done it, and likely will not ever be matched. It is a beautiful cd that you owe it to yourself to get if you are a Nox Arcana fan. If you are not a fan of Nox Arcana, then "Shadow of the Raven" may very well convert you into a fan of Nox Arcana upon your very first listen. Get it, and take a beautiful journey, one of the most beautiful musical journeys that you will ever take."

Fitting tribute to a tragic genius.

David Albert | Pacific Northwest, USA | 09/08/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In my opinion, this CD is totally different from Nox Arcana's others. It doesn't have the "spookiness" of Transylvania and Darklore, nor the drama of Carnival and Blood of the Dragon. This one is different - it has a tragic, melancholy mood that pervades the entire volume. Hard to put my finger on why, but this is the first Nox Arcana CD that is really disturbing, at least to me. It has a brooding sense of doom throughout. Much like the works -- and the life -- of Edgar Allen Poe, and that may be why it touched me in that way. That the musicians were able to capture the tragedy of Poe's life and works so effectively, and transmit that to the listener, is sheer genius on their part. This CD is the perfect musical complement to Poe's works."

Once upon a midnight dreary

E. A Solinas | MD USA | 09/21/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Edgar Allan Poe is all about the pretty horror -- his works were crammed with terror, eerie atmosphere, and exquisite language.



So it seems appropriate that Nox Arcana's latest album is centered on Poe's work. Their haunting, sumptuous music is relentlessly eerie in "Shadow of the Raven," without crossing the line into cartoonish, Halloweeny spookiness -- much like Poe's writing.



It opens with a raven crying out, and a somnolent organ with some ghostly voices. "Ye who read these words are still among the living, but I who write shall have long since gone my way to the region of shadows..." I'm assuming that it's Poe who is supposed to be speaking, telling of "devils and madmen" who have visited him, and ending with a wry, "Once upon a midnight dreary..."



It's followed by a solemn, stately piano tune, sprinkled with mournful violins, spurts of organ, and always backed by a faint chorale of ghostly voices, who gain strength as the song ends. Appropriately enough, it's called "Melancholia."



The songs that follow are each named after a Poe piece, or by some theme in it. And they stick to the dark, melancholy sound -- usually a trickling piano melody with a soaring string tune. And there's the layered, urgent "House of Usher," bittersweet piano ballads flavoured with church bells, soaring solemn organ music (particularly for the astounding "Masque of the Red Death"), and urgent, desperate melodies weaving through a maze of strings.



They also weave in traces of other sounds -- "Annabel Lee" is a tinkly music-box sound, while a few other tracks are atmospheric mashes of mournful, ghostly voices. And "The Tell-Tale Heart" is basically a heartbeat, a creaky door, and eerie swells of soundtracky music. It's only a minute long, but it's pretty creepy.



Nox Arcana specializes in albums with themes -- Dracula, high fantasy, angels, a ghost carnival and even a sort of gothic Christmas album. So it was inevitable that eventually they'd embrace the dark, sensual, petrifying works of Poe in their music.



And their music suits "Shadow of the Raven" very well -- lots of trickling piano smothered in sweeping, urgent violins, and sometimes with ripples of harp and a heavy dose of organ. And they twist their instrumentals to evoke all sorts of feelings -- dread, sorrow, fear and determination.



It's pretty bloody atmospheric. In many of the songs, the music gives you the feeling of walking down a dark stone corridor in a haunted, cursed place, and approaching a door with who-knows-what on the other side. This is only augmented by the vocals -- not much in the way of actual singing, but plenty of soaring voices that sound like they're coming from far away.



"Shadow of the Raven" wraps Poe-inspired music in a thick blanket of creepy atmosphere and haunting instrumentation. Ideal for Halloween."