Customer Reviews

Carnival Of Lost Souls

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First: They took you on a horrifying journey through the halls of a haunted Victorian mansion, home of the notorious Darklore clan, a sanctuary of shadows which few dare enter, and from which none return...

Then, just when you thought the terror was over, they walked with you on a spine-tingling musical journey into the pages H.P. Lovecraft's terrifying literary world, opening the ancient tome known as the "Necronomicon"

Later, a restful and refreshing respite was had, and a time of somber reflection, with a journey into Ebonshire Forest, and the surrounding village as the Knight Of Winter related a tragic yet beautiful cautionary tale....

And finally, the dark realm of the vampire was breached, with a visit to the rugged lovely land of "Transylvania", with a chilling, grandiose and spellbinding musical tribute to the king of Vampires, Vlad Dracula himself...

For a while, or so it seemed, all was quiet....Until...

NOW............

Travel anew if you dare, with Nox Arcana... masterful minstrels of the macabre as an all new musical nightmare is set to unfold. Step this way,ladies and gentlemen... and bring your tickets.... as you are about to cross onto the fairgrounds of the Circus Diabolique. Welcome, one and all... to the Carnival Of Lost Souls....

1. Ghosts Of The Midway- Oh, how festively do we begin our journey into theunknown. A soft undercurrent of choral "moaning" carries a blend of children's and grownups laughter and revelry, along with the sounds of what may be tricycle horns. Soon we are greeted by the Ringmaster, runner of these fiendishly fun attractions. A swirling and eerily playful keyboard melody buoys a deep, charming, yet slightly sinister voice as we are invited to explore our wickedest dreams and most diabolical nightmares. The fun is just getting started...

2. After Hours- We get more somber here. Though this is a very pretty tune, more tension is building. Ringing bell-like tones... almost like a xylophone but not quite, resemble a heartbeat in their pacing, as they combine with soft moans, children's laughter, beautifully sad and mysterious choral passages, and tolling vespers to tell of the imminent falling of night. A whispered voice dares us onward to explore further the festive yet fearful fairgrounds, saying..."Follow me..... This way..." Do you dare to move on?

3. Harlequin's Lament- Mournful piano and choral tones tell the story here, mixing with tolling bells.. `Tis the tale of one of the performers, a heart-stirring tale of one sentenced to forever entertain the patrons of a circus of fiends

4. Calliope- A festive, playful musical opus, this, or so it seems uses a mix of keyboard, flute, very nice tolling bells, xylophone and choral notes. It depicts the innocence of children, enjoying a ride that might be more captivating, and dangerous than it appears. The sound of children laughing on occasion really adds to this effect.

5. Madame Endora- The dropping of money tells of a daring soul indeed.. A beautiful swirling harp tune blends with choir and pipe organ, as we are told by the soothsayer in a grating, witch-like voice, of bleak horizons and a path before us filled with darkness. Beware the coming storm. Tense, ominous, heavily atmospheric, and beautiful.

6. Nightmare Parade- This is a heavily martial piece, rousing and adventurous. Pounding percussion, invigorating strings and choir do the honors. The snap of a cracking whip and the growls of animals make an appearance, along with tolling bells, xylophone-like sounds , pipe organ and great choral passages.

7. Shadow's Fall- Percussion and somber piano are the stars here. They are accompanied by melancholy but beautiful strings. This speaks of more dangers and horrors that lie on the path ahead. Beware!

8. Hall Of Mirrors- This is a "fun" piece, but still creepy. The lead players in this part of the drama are keyboards and sinister laughter in varying pitches. It pays homage to the frightening yet fun mirror houses we all remember from our own visits to the circus as children.

9. Spellbound- This is a piece of pure and lovely nostalgia. The sound of an old phonograph gives way to a sad but very pretty violin tune over which the following is sung "The witching hour's drawing near. And my tragic fate is clear. I'll take your secret to my grave. For evermore I'll be you slave. Because I'm spellbound." The record whooshes to a stop, and the track ends with a choral moan of a sort.

10. Cries In The Night-Oh, how to choose words that do this justice. These cries are not screams of terror. Nay, they are heartstring-tugging choral passages,. hinting at a deep and lonely sorrow and a heart-wrenching loveliness. Xylophone-like notes make a brief guest appearance alongside some of the most emotion-stirring choral voice work I have ever had the pleasure to listen to.

11. Soul Stealer- Choir, heavy percussion, pipe organ, and quick violin runs tell this tale. It is an invigorating `chase' as you are hounded through the fairgrounds by dark forces that seek to overtake you. Run for your life. Your very soul may depend on it

12. - Haunted Carousel- I see this as a "companion piece" to Calliope, but that is not to disparage this piece. It is a beautiful mix of keys, pipe organ, tolling bells and choir that depict a turn upon a ride we all remember fondly. It is a tune almost of seduction... promising fun if you indulge in partaking in a ride upon an amusement which, in this case you
shouldn't touch, but the music is so alluring. Won't you give in, just this once, and if you do, will you be able to resist doing it again?

13. Theater Of Sorrows - Piano, choir, violin and tolling bells are the stars of this show once more. This is a great and very beautiful piece, somber yet thrilling in a way that is all its own.

14. Living Dolls - This begins with the sound of wind-up toys being cranked up. Bell-like tones blend with soft and alluring choir, lovely string work, and the laughter of a child to depict our favorite toys.

15. Lost In The Darkness- This may be among the most beautiful pieces of music I've heard. It uses noble, somber piano and pipe organ, blended with the soul stirring power of majestic strings, and some of the most beautiful choral passages my ears have even ingested. Despite it's dark, bleak nature, depicting a lost and wandering soul, the piece seems to carry a current of hope... that maybe, just maybe the wanderer will find a way home. We root for them, whoever they are, even though we know they will find no escape. Truly an awe-inspring loveliness is to be found here.

16. Snake Charmer- This is one of my favorite "attractions" in this show. Exotic percussion mixes with beautiful flute, enchanting Middle Eastern instrumentation and alluring choral passages to take us on an awesome journey to a land far away, to a place only reachable in our dreams, as we watch one of great skill do musical `battle' to charm a deadly serpent.

17. Freaks - This piece is heavily atmospheric It seems to use a `drone' effect made of deep wordless male choir, mixing it with deep laughter, the growls of mythical beasts, and the rattling of chains. The feel of one is pure and inescapable tension.

18. Circus Diabolique- Here we have a great martial musical opus, utilizing brooding but melodic strings, militaristic percussion and snare drums, horns, pipe organ and choir. It is a thrilling piece of music, with a steady mid-range tempo. We are invited by our kind Ringmaster to draw our attention to center stage, where we are told we will each "bear witness to terrifying sights that will haunt you till the day you die. " Behold the Circus Diabolique, and let the nightmare begin!!!

19. Pandora's Music Box- This is a lovely tune filled, to me, with wonder and mystery, and tension It utilizes beautiful bells, choir, strings, and pipe organ to suggest the temptation and allure of having within our reach something that can promise great power and show us wondrous things we've not
seen before, but warns us that they will be a price to pay if we give in to that temptation.

20. The Devil's Daggers - This is the most INTENSE attraction of the show. The sinister swirling string melodies and thundering percussion are relentless, and they carry a current of beautiful yet foreboding choir atop themselves. The chase is on, and you MUST run for your life if you wish to keep it.

21. Storm - Steady, brooding strings and choir do the honors here, dancing with inexorable percussion and briefly with sinister pipe organ It conveys the unstoppable power of nature's fury. The thunderclaps that appear within this piece of music are the most awesome thunderclaps that I have ever heard utilized in any recording that I know of.

One thing you must be aware of. Even as the last mighty thunderclap on "Storm" fades away, do not hit "Stop" on your CD player. There are some excellent bonus tracks to which you will be treated, including a harp-tinged reading from the ghostly Madame Endora, a beautiful music-box number, and an AWESOME rock/metal version of Spellbound that is led into brilliantly by a purely lovely violin melody on an old phonograph that 'skips' a few times before launching into blistering and brilliant heavy metal guitar riffs.

Here's the simple truth of the matter to me. Nox Arcana have outdone themselves with this CD. It is their best work to date. If you are a fan, you owe it to yourself to get this CD. If you are not a fan... one listen to this could make you a fan. Pick it up if you get the chance, and happy listening. :)

Thank you for coming, ladies and gentlemen. I hope you've enjoyed your time among us here at the Circus Diabolique. Don't worry if one show isn't enough. You're welcome back at any time. We'll always be here... waiting to entertain you again. Do come back please, if you dare!

This CD is Nox Arcana's best to date, and that is saying something, since all of Nox Arcana's productions are first rate.

If you are new to the music of Nox Arcana, it is basically a gothic horror novel, told through the medium of music and special effects. Think Dracula, Wolf Man, Frankenstein; that kind of thing. But instead of film or video, the tale is woven through masterfully crafted music, with special effects judiciously added to enhance the mood and effect. The result is an auditory journey through a nightmare world.

Imagine yourself in an old-time carnival, complete with tents, animal shows, fortune tellers, and assorted side shows and attractions. Except something is not quite right. From the very beginning, you get the feeling you are being watched. So you decide to sneak back in after closing time. Somehow, the carnival comes back to life... but maybe "life" is not quite the right word. Welcome to the Carnival of Lost Souls.

This is definitely not elevator music, and probably not music to drive your car by, either. It draws you into its world and captivates your imagination. It's a bit like old time radio; you provide the video from within your own mind, which makes it all the more vivid.

On the other hand, if you own either the "Gothic Tarot" or "Madame Endora's Fortune Cards", here is the perfect music to read them by! Indeed, Madame herself makes a special appearance on the CD; two actually. As mentioned by another reviewer, don't hit the off button when the last track goes quiet; be patient, there is more, well worth the wait.

This is the only Nox Arcana CD that I have so far and it is a very pleasing program of creepy, atmospheric music. First of all, the cover art is very effective, particularly if, like me, you are fond of the macabre. The tracks are well-thought out and differ from each other nicely. For example, the Snake Charmer track has an Eastern feel and although not typically sinister is a good interlude. The sound effects are used effectively and not over-used, allowing the music to set the mood. There is a good use of a chorus, as in tracks like Pandora's Music Box, where the voices turn from singing to moaning. I agree with John Rossi on the enjoyment of the CD and his review is by far the most descriptive review here.

This is a great CD for playing around Halloween but anytime you want something sinister Carnival of Lost Souls is a good choice.

Nox Arcana has really grown and matured since Joseph Vargo has left the Midnight Syndicate. Joseph and William Piotrowski have definitely got fabulous imaginations as they continue to create new dark themes for every new album that they do. The mystique of all forms of terror are addressed in at least 10 albums from Nox Arcana so far. Each with their own unique story or theme.

It's funny how, though October is the most popular time to share our Nox Arcana themes with our other ghoulish friends and family, they have never really addressed the one theme that they would probably endorse with confidence as the prime host of our most darkest day of the year, Halloween.

What's more, I can see them do something dark and sinister about an abandoned cathedral overrun by satanic presences, or even the dark, cruel horrors of some forgotten prison with evil guards and a sickly demented warden. Or even some dark asian black magic theme or some ancient alternative evil religion. Or maybe a tribute to Houdini (or the mystique of magician's in general), maybe a tribute to Alfred Hitchcock or other writers of horror. Or Dracula, or Frankenstein, or other sub-human creatures that have stories written about them as the legends that they are. I'm sure that Nox Arcana they could take us to so many other episodes of psychological terror. Even the cold, dark, terror of outer space or other planets and evil life forms can be explored and expressed with Joseph Vargo's dark soundscapes.

Nox Arcana, you are the masters of the dark concepts that you create. You leave me screaming for more!

This was my first time to explore this "spooky" genre in music, as well as the first exposure to Nox Arcana--and, my, what a darkly seductive experience it was. I'm not quite sure what I expected. Something "Gothic" for sure--but would it be art?

It WAS art, art-full, deeply mesmerizing & very entertaining.

AND "Carnival" is technically brilliant.

One of the things I missed when CDs replaced LPs was the creativity that went into the record jackets. Most pop CDs these days offer very little for the eye--but this is not the case in Carnival of Lost Souls. A beautiful little booklet is enclosed loaded with wonderful drawings & other illustrations, as well as a Goth libretto of sorts & many other strange & curious & wonder-full things.

Obviously Nox Arcana knows how to make the Dark Side fun.

I definitely want more...

******************************
Dagon

"Carnival.." is a much improvement over "Transylvania" and I though Transylvania was really good.
This is great stuff to play in the background while dishing out the Halloween treats to the kids.
I'll eventually get all the Nox Arcana CDs just to complete the set. Based on what I've heard from the 3 I have, they will all be worth it to have.
Great Work guys!

The diabolical Ring Leader bids you come forward, you are welcomed to immerse yourself within the dark carnival worlde of olde, a phantom circus of wonders and horrors wherein patrons' curiosities become overwhelming, to sometimes gain the better of them and become part of the sideshow...

Bewitching orchestrations accompany the wayfairer, spellbinding the observer to enter the fetters of ominous tents containing myriad spectacles of nightmarish fane. Compelling oddities possess the mind further into the darkness displayed before your eyes...

Tricks and treats lay waiting 'round every corner, collected the world over from timeless eras, echoing ghostly whispers to present the greatest show on earth...

An absolutely enchanting opus; besides the brilliant orchestrations, Carnival of Lost Souls manages to conjure the underlying sensation of this Magical world to create a haunting frame which enhances the experience ever more. One could almost perceive the sights, scents and sounds therein - from laughing phantom children to the crack of the lion-tamer's whip, to the fortune teller's enthralling reading, and the breathing calliope, played as if with a life of its own...

Freaks! Jesters! Exotic creatures from foreign lands... Pay the toll at the gate, at the mere cost of your soul... this is The Devil's Carnivale, The Circus Diabolique... you will never want to leave...

Nox Arcana is a band that does not know the meaning of the word "mediocre". With each cd they produce their talent just keeps on growing, becoming ever more smooth and refined. There is no stopping this band!

The latest jewel from the treasure vault of these highly talented musicians, Carnival Of Lost Souls, takes us back in time to when there was more to carnival going than just cotton candy, funnel cake, and piped in pop music. This goes back to a time when going to the carnival was a thrilling adventure that every child was just bursting to undertake.

This carnival though, is just a tad disturbing, a touch menacing, the sense that your eyes do not see what is truly there and to look any closer would not be a good idea.

The pipe organ notes from "Ghosts of the Midway" send shivers down your spine despite the heat of the summer days, whispery voices on "After Hours" gives the impression of being summoned by someone you only catch a glimpse of from the corner of your eye before they vanish, "Calliope" brings images of creepy clowns (think Pennywise from Stephen King's IT) to the forefront of your mind. And that's just some of the music!

The vocals on the cd are once more fantastically done by Joseph Vargo as well as Joey Piotrowski, the Gregorian Shadow Choir, and the lovely Christine Filipak who gives Madame Endora her wondrously witchy whisper of a voice.

This cd clamors for a spot on your cd rack and it is a clamor worth heeding. The hidden gift at the end of the disc is a terrific added treat.

Come one! Come all! The show is just about to begin....if you dare to come inside the tent that is. Are you brave enough to take that step?

Carnival of Lost Souls is one of Nox Arcana's best CDs thus far, because its concept is far-out, and the music delivers big time. Get this CD and immerse yourself into a world of carnival horror. So many artists put out the same type of stuff, but Nox Arcana is bold to do something different.GHOSTS OF THE MIDWAY is spectacular, as is HARLEQUIN'S LAMENT with its somber piano. This album has a vividness to the sound that captures the imagination. I think of a cold night in early October where things go wrong at the carnival, and ghosts proceed to haunt and take over the place. I love the merry-go-round sound to a lot of the tracks, such as CALLIOPE. Of course, this album wouldn't be complete without sinister voices that invite you to doom and gloom throughout the experience, such as HALL OF MIRRORS. A real changeup is thrown with SNAKE CHARMER, with its Arabic sound. Nightmares come true in the Carnival of Lost Souls!!! This album has the attitude, and manages to set a dark tone right away. This is Nox's most ambitious album to date. Keep up the good work, and the imagination....10/10

Nox Arcana
Carnival Of Lost Souls
Monolith Graphics
[...]
Reviewed by: Josh Haney
Originally Appearing In Hacker's Source Issue #22
For those familiar with atmospheric horror music, the name Joseph Vargo might ring a bell, after all he was one of the masterminds behind the first Midnight Syndicate album Born Of The Night. For the last few years, however, he has been working alongside William Piotrowski as Nox Arcana, and creating beautiful soundscapes to haunt your mind and home. They have released five albums over the past three years, a feat lots of bands could never pull off, and have truly created a niche for themselves with their brand of conceptual horror soundtrack featuring everything from deep orchestral pieces to hair-raising sound effects, effortlessly blended together to draw the listener into whichever world they wish, be it haunted Victorian mansions, Bram Stoker's Dracula, or HP Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos. This time around though we are given a ticket, paid in full, that allows us entrance into the Carnival Of Lost Souls.
We begin our journey with the opening track Ghosts Of The Midway, which ushers us into the scariest carnival this side of the afterlife, the Circus Diabolique. All of the attractions are here, the "Haunted Carousel", "Hall Of Mirrors", "Freaks", even "Madame Endora" the fortuneteller. The album deftly leads us through each part of the midway, offering glimpses of what lies in store for you inside of each tent. Some contain magic, "Spellbound", some contain terror, "Nightmare Parade", but all of the songs are masterful arrangements that drag you deeper into the mythology Nox Arcana has created. You are so engulfed in your excursion through the Circus Diabolique that time will fly by, leaving you no choice but to cash in your ticket once more and begin your trip down the grounds of the circus again.
This is a fantastic album, creating a nightmare world, which this reviewer didn't want to leave. I highly recommend all of Nox Arcana's aural horrors, and Carnival Of Lost Souls is no exception. As fans of fright will quickly see these ghouls know how to create unearthly terror deep in the minds eye. So, what are you waiting for, enter the realm of Circus Diabolique, that is if you dare!