Customer Reviews

Shadow of the Raven

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I decided to purchase yet another Nox Arcana cd.
Unlike many of you I didn't start with Darklore Manor and work my way up.
My first purchase was Grimm Tales then Phantoms of the High Seas.
I seem to working my way backwards lol.
Anyway, I'm going to try to keep this short and not do a song by song breakdown.
Other reviewers have done that and do a stellar job of it.
Shadow of the Raven is simply gorgeous, creepy, haunting and like the other Nox cd's I have.....unforgettable.
I can honestly say there isn't one bad track on the entire disc.
Are there any standouts?
Well.......all of them are standouts but my absolute favorite is The Pit and the Pendulum (track 19).
Talk about powerful.
It sort of has a little bit of an industrial feel to it but it's easily the scariest song on the disc.
How do I sum this up?
Dark
Beautiful
Unique
A MUST have for fans of the macabre. Poe must be very proud indeed.
Shadow of the Raven is a masterpiece in every regard.
Highly recommended!!!
Now I think it's time to order Blood of the Dragon........

In a word, Brilliant. The work of Nox Arcana keeps getting better. As a professional Magician, I not only enjoy this music at my leisure, it serves as inspiration in my work. I am especially moved with Annabel Lee, Lenore and of course, the Raven. When this album was released, I did not hesitate to purchase it because I have enjoyed their past works. Carnival of Lost Souls and Darklore Manor to name two. Edgar Allan Poe himself would seem proud, in his own melancholy way, to have a soundtrack to accompany his immortal works.

"Shadow of the Raven" is an elegant, mesmerizing tour de force that expertly captures both the refinement and unforgettable horror of Edgar Allan Poe's classic tales of terror. Nox Arcana's superb array of intricate, brooding piano and harpsichord pieces such as "Haunted Memories" and "Lenore" are balanced by turbulent, sweeping anthems like "Masque of the Red Death," effectively highlighting Poe's literary duality: he was able to tell stories of shocking madness and emotional chaos with a rational elegance unmatched in American literature. This CD contains some of Nox Arcana's finest music, including "Mysteries of the Night," in which a piano and mournful violin provide a lovely counterpoint to one another in a melody that deserves to be the main title music of a period horror film. Another standout track is the unnerving "Descent into Madness," in which a pipe organ, jagged strings, piano and tolling bells swirl around each other in an urgent, tense masterpiece of psychological implosion. A classical sensibility dominates this CD, just as Poe's writing itself was infused with a linguistic grandeur no one ever forgets. With every new CD, Nox Arcana raises the bar, and in "Shadow of the Raven" they have merged the grace of Schubert and Chopin with the visceral power of the great modern film composers, resulting in a musical tribute to Poe that is, quite simply, stunning.

In 2007, Nox Arcana released this outstanding musical tribute to Edgar Allan Poe. The atmosphere throughout this album is dark, haunting, mysterious, dreary, somber, morbid, and romantic all rolled into one. Nox Arcana has released more traditional "Halloween" and "gothic" albums through the years - such as a haunted mansion album (Darklore Manor) and a tribute to Bram Stoker's legendary 1897 novel Dracula (Transylvania). Shadow Of The Raven, however, is a little different. What I mean by that is the music, while haunting and dark, isn't your typical "haunted house" music. Instead, it's a little bit off the main path of typical Halloween music and what Nox Arcana has done on other albums. In addition to dark and creepy music, you'll also hear a romantic tone in many of the songs, some sound effects, some really somber and morbid songs, etc. This music captures the very essence of what Edgar Allan Poe was all about - his tragic life, his state of mind, and his legendary works.

My personal favorite tracks are Descent Into Madness, Madeline's Lament, Haunted Memories (my absolute favorite), The Cask Of Amontillado, Midnight Dreary, The Raven, The Tell-Tale Heart, and The Pit And The Pendulum.

If you want a truly great album that showcases the talent of this band and will provide you with a memorable listening experience, then buy Shadow Of The Raven. Highly recommended.

Although it is truthfully NOT my desire, I am sure this review will anger some fellow Nox Arcana (NA) fans. This is the first Amazon review I have written for any of their CDs, even though I own and enjoy ALL of them. In fact, their CDs "Darklore Manor" and "Transylvania" occupy very honored positions in my collection.

With that being said, I must disagree on several points with esteemed (if somewhat verbose) reviewer John Rossi (he must be "esteemed" because his name appears in the credits on NA's last three releases). I believe he has reviewed all of the NA CDs at length. After listening to NA's CD "Shadow of the Raven" numerous times in the past week, I feel that while it was definitely worth the price paid, it is far from being a "masterpiece." Actually, I feel disappointed because, in my opinion, this CD just doesn't "stack-up" to NA's earlier releases. When I heard about the concept of this CD, I was both intrigued and anxious, because I have always enjoyed Poe's literary works.

The CD's sound quality is rich in the low end; at some points, almost too powerful. But it lacks what I call an "airy" quality that was present in most of their other CDs, making it sound a little too "canned." The mix, while not as good as in NA's previous CDs, was pretty good with one exception- the female soloist's (Michelle Belanger?) voice was too "hot" on many selections, mainly on tracks 1, 5, 8, 14, 15, and 16. This gripe of mine came up on some of their earlier CDs, most notably, the beloved "Transylvania." Don't get me wrong- she has a beautiful and powerful voice, with perfect pitch or darn close to it. And I own and like her CD "Blood of Angels." But with this type of music, I would prefer her voice being more in the background, instead of piercing through the center of the soundstage. I would also prefer less of the synthesized choral effects.

Most of the selections on the CD were good, with the exception of track 8 (an awkward transition at 0:33) and track 9 (laughable cat effects). This is just nit-picking. But I also have to agree with Mr Rossi that some of the tracks were remarkably "beautiful"- track 13 in particular. So much so, they are at risk of not being lumped into the "Gothic" category.

So, if you are considering this CD as your introduction to Nox Arcana, try one of their earlier releases first. Most die-hard Nox Arcana fans will find enough "good stuff" on this CD to warrant its purchase.

I give Shadow of the Raven 5 stars.It's a very artistic album. What I like about this album is its attempt at making dark, deep, morbid, and somewhat disturbing music through Poe's various works, while understanding the content of his writing style. It's hard to produce a general musical theme to a certain poem or short story, because the plot thickens in a lot of cases, and the music has to be there to accomodate the changes. This is true for Masque of the Red Death. I particularly liked Melancholia, as I envision Poe writing his classics while sitting at his candlelit table with a bottle of booze writing like a mad and disturbed man. Legacy of Sorrow and The Black Cat are standouts as well.The icing on the cake is The Pit and the Pendulum, which is a must-hear. These guys once again have that rare ability to spot music. They just nail it with this one. The use of piano was essential in this collection, and Nox Arcana delivers big time. The piano sets the tone for Edgar Allen Poe-THE master of horror. All in all, this CD brings to life a lot of his great stories and poems that have become part of classic American literature.As far as I'm concerned, this is their most talented album. This album creates a mood, not just with the music matching the stories, but also with the perceived mood of a troubled Edgar Allen Poe. This dual approach puts this album in the top tier of the greatest haunting albums of all time, if not the greatest. 10/10 P.S. This album is a must-have for anyone intrigued by the works of Poe, and want some accurate background music to embellish the inevitable feelings of despair that often accompany his works and his life. In a word, "melancholy."

What else can be said about Nox Arcana that has not been yet. I think this may be my new favorite cd by the Kings of Haunting Soundtracks.

This tribute to Poe hits the mark in every way, and should be a part of every Halloween buffs collection.

Nox Arcana manages to mix spooky, romantic and entertaining whilst staying on target with the subject. The tracks with the haunting violins absolutely create the perfect imagery.

Bravo Nox Arcana you have outdone yourselves!