Customer Reviews

Spiritchaser

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Blending a seamless mix of Native American and African styles of music into their synthetic brew, the final album from Dead Can Dance is also their must fully actualized. Not for casual background listening or mentally agitated states, "Spiritchaser" has filled my days at times when I've needed to sit back (or lay down) and reconnect with life and a more peaceful point of consciousness.

"Spiritchaser" is also a very earthy, sexual CD for me. As the liner notes state, there is a belief that organic instruments, made from living creatures, then contain part of the soul of the creature and make each instrument the voice of the soul from which it was created. That kind of reverence permeates the eight songs on "Spiritchaser," where the sounds and the voices seem to manage to seep into the listener's essence, touching hearts as gently as they touch minds. (Although you have to smile as the song "Indus" gracefully references George Harrison's "Within You Without You.") To close, "Spiritchaser" is the kind of CD you listen to when you wish to have an environment that surrounds and envelops you.

PS. I will heartily recommend this CD to fans of Delerium, Deep Forest and earlier Enigma, even though they are only marginally related.

This being the last album with all new material by Dead Can Dance you expect nothing but great things from this incredibly gifted duo who has transcended music as we know it, and even though some seem a little disappointed in their final offering, I feel that they have not let us fans down at all. Sure, this specific record may not be a crowning achievement, such as the powerful Renaissance of 'Aion' or the Gothic beauty of 'Within the Realm of a Dying Sun' are but I enjoy 'Spiritchaser' immensely. The melodies are still moody and atmospheric, only a bit more upbeat than usual, exuding soundwaves of hypnotic energy, and I simply can't get enough of these songs laden with percussion and a vast array of other influences too. But perhaps I am biased as I do prefer Brendan Perry over Lisa Gerrard and he's heard quite frequently here. Now don't get me wrong, I love them both and like how they balance each other out so well but whenever Brendan Perry starts singing I go into some kind of a trance. Chills race throughout my entire body - especially when he talks over the music, like on "Song Of The Stars". Lisa, however, is truly unique and haunts me with her deep, resonating vocals that seem to soar up into the heavens above. And given the name Dead Can Dance it's no wonder this album would center on how some cultures used to sacrifice living beings so that their soul would become a part of the instrument; otherwise known as the "singing dead".

This is supposed to be Dead Can Dance's final work...which is very unfortunate, as "Spiritchaser" sees DCD breaking some amazing new ground here which cries out for further exploration by Perry and Gerrard. On this release, the Mideastern and European tinges fade away, to be replaced with a vibrant focus on Caribbean, Native American, African, and Indian directions that promised so much...had the duo gone on to work with them further. Everything on here is a standout track; there are no duds, really. And the control they exhibit here over their studiocraft is as impeccable as was found on "Aion". That release, this one, and "Within the Realm of a Dying Sun" are the ones to get for starters, but unlike "Within...", this album is so much a fully-composed listening experience that begs to be play from start to finish. It just irritates me no end that this is where DCD decided to call it quits. There seems so much unfinished from the strength of this album...

World musicians in the truest sense of the words, Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard transcend all manner of eras, genres and continents. Take a spin through the Dead Can Dance catalogue and you'll go from exploring Baroque cathedrals to dark Eastern forests to chants from the valley of the Gwangi. So considering everything they've done, it makes sense that their final album Spiritchaser is also their most universal and timeless. This music isn't quite attached to a specific time or place. It could have been played around bonfires by African tribesmen before the dawn of our civilization. It could have come from European mystics in the time of the Renaissance, South American cultures in the middle ages, goths in a dark underground club in modern America.. maybe even by tribal cavemen scattered through Gondwana before our continents of today were even made (if such people existed; hey, use a little imagination here).

As always with DCD, Spiritchaser isn't a collection of songs so much as a personal listening experience. The ambience is just as important as the notes themselves. In contrast to their previous work, they slowly drone through one easy groove after another for eight or ten minutes at a stretch. And by 'drone' I don't mean numbing the listener to sleep through sheer boredom; I mean weaving exotic beats and sounds together, one layer at a time, at a slow easy pace. Music is never boring - boredom is in the mind of the listener.

That being said, this isn't the kind of music everyone will give their full attention to. This is probably better to work to, to relax or read or sleep or meditate. It's hypnotic, it's mystical, it's transcendental, it draws you in slowly with its own spell rather than grabbing your ears from the start. This isn't the light world-beat stuff you hear from new age artists, this is as earthy and real as the ground beneath our feet.

One last note. Though opinions are varied as to which DCD album is their finest, it's pretty safe to say that their first (self-titled) album and their last (this one) are not the best ones to look into if you're new to the group. I'd recommend Spiritchaser if you have at least two of the others already, and if you're willing to give it a few good listens before making a judgment. Each time you'll hear something you didn't before.

I have been a fan of DCD for a long time and own all their records. I think that they got better and better as they went on (though their solo efforts have been poor). When I first listened to Spiritchaser, I was kind of disspointed, and didn't really like it that much, because I expected something else. I think that's human nature. But guess what? Its my favorite album of theirs, and one of my favorite albums of all time. Its one of those albums that seep into you, an album that you have to listen to with a kind of open heart, and one that does a kind of unforced meditative breathing, if you let it.

Contrary to what some think, DCD lost none of their edge in this album. Rather the edge is more focused, and directed at meditative self-reflection, rather than dionysian spiritual flight, a fitting end to a very fruitful collaboration.

Perhaps most impressive is that as a band's last effort, DCD was able to move in a very new musical direction, and do it so well. As a song writer, I've learned that one of the most difficult things to do as a writer is to avoid repeating yourself. You become locked into certain rhythms, melodic patterns, and even arrangements.

Finally, I would like to mention one last thing I think particularly important: this album shows more signs of genuine collaboration between Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard than their immediately previous albums, which seemed largely to have been separate efforts put on one album. I like that.

Many people I have talked to didn't like the shift in musical direction on "spiritchaser". If you think this, you should go back and listen to all the DCD CD's in order, and then try to convince me that this change was unexpected. The adherence to the medieval sound on Aeon and Dying Sun were departed from long ago. Even on those older albums, some of the best songs were Eastern influenced, such as Cantara (the live version on TtW being their best song IMO).

I've always enjoyed the way that DCD has mixed early European music with traditional Eastern folk music. On Spiritchaser they continue this while adding influences from African and Native American sounds blending them into one of the most relaxing and beautiful CDs that I own. It's unfortunate that the band broke up after this CD, because I think Lisa Gerard's solo work is great, but it hasn't matched the feel of DCD. I haven't decided what I think of Perry's solo work yet...

The end of Dead Can Dance came with this album, one that was most un-DCD-like in its' content and layout. Dead Can Dance have always been a theme band - the underlying theme has always been gothic and transcedental - but each album has had its' own special ideology. 'Aion' was all about the Renaissance and medieval times, while the earlier works drew more upon Wiccan philosophies. On 'Spiritchaser', the duo delve into Ancient Indian tradition and West-African hymns to create a world that DCD has never been to before.

For that reason, I believe this album to be the most overlooked of the band's career. I first got it on cassette when it was released, and someone thought it worthy enough to steal from me, which I suppose is testament to the fact that there are still a few good people in this world with good taste.

I think the idea of 'Spiritchaser' was to go out with a bang. This has led DCD to give us, on this album, eight epic compositions, each more intriguing than the next. Two of the songs were actually released as singles in France and parts of Europe ('The Snake and the Moon' and 'Nierika'). The songs all seem strung together in some incomprehensible vein, but both as solo pieces, and as part of the album, they are all exceptional.

I particularly adore the opening track ('Nierika') and the second('Song of the Stars'). One reviewer has commented that Brendan and Lisa drone on for forever on some tracks. To me, it seems beautiful, and very much in the old-world tradition that DCD is rooted in. Also, the fact that this album has fewer song titles, and greater song lengths, gives the band a chance to play with each song as a whole. No one song here has the same mood, and within a song, there are major climactic changes occuring. On one track, what begins as a seemingly African tribal chant, slowly melts into an Indonesian-influenced love serenade, with both performers taking centerstage with their voices. Yes, some of these tracks run greater than ten minutes, but it has always been DCD's intent to inject every one of their compositions with the great quality that one has come to expect of them. And in that sense, 'Spiritchaser' does not disappoint.

Lisa Gerrard's vocals, though splendid, take a backseat on this CD more than other DCD outings. The reason for this is that the album is an experiment and exploration in new world sounds. I consider it to probably be the most instrumentally explorative DCD album ever recorded. Compare this to the medieval strutting of 'Aion', and you'll see just how remarkable this endeavour is. As a swansong, 'Spiritchaser' is unrivalled by any other world band's final album. And it is a testament to Dead Can Dance's artistic mastery, and the wonder that is Gerrard and Perry. Long after the final strains of 'Devorzhum' have faded, you'll be playing this from the beginning once again.

Highly recommended. Also check out 'Volume II : Release' by Afro Celt Sound System.

A masterpiece beyond time and space, Dead Can Dance's latest album, Spiritchaser, transcends the mundane boundaries of the tired popular music scene to bring us a vision of surreal power and spiritual beauty. Incorporating both ancient tribal rhythm and modern instrumentation, the sounds on Spiritchaser sends the listener down the Amazon and through the Nile, across the spectral realms of Ancient America, and at times, out beyond the stars. Haunting, powerful and deeply entrancing, here is an album that every lover of music should own. Soothing, yet intense; melancholy, yet uplifting, here is an album that has appeal for the many without ever selling out to the masses. Having worked at a outlet that sold world imports, I can state this as a fact, as I've played this album there countless times. I may have sent out 100 people to buy it. Men and women both young and old of African, Native American, Indian, Middle Eastern, Hispanic or typical middle American descent, when hearing the music of Spiritchaser, expressed a deep and longing interest to find out who this amazing band is and where they could buy it. This is the effect that Dead Can Dance produces in its listeners. I have yet to tire of their music on this album or on any other. Neither will you. Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry will go down in the music history books as both innovators and geniuses for bringing back to us the sound of an ancient world presented in a new and exciting light, and for making a darkened modern world a whole lot brighter and pleasant to live in.

This CD is a wonderful example of the synergy between two old friends. The songs on it are mostly influenced by Africa, Carribean, and Native American Music (DCD is more commonly known for their Celtic and Middle Eastern Themes). Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry have been jamming together with wonderful energy since the early 80's, and combine the influences of several continents of peoples. Why is this their swan song? Because, according to the official web site, DCD has broken up (I, and several other fans, are still in mourning about it), and both artists are pursuing solo careers. Lisa Gerrard has two excellent solo albums out, and Brendan Perry is scheduled to release one in October, however, Gerrard's solo work lacks the energy of her work with Perry.

"Spiritchaser" is not as bad as some previous reviewers have said, but it's also a far cry from DCD classics like "Aion" or "Within the realm..". On the other hand, it's difficult to compare this album to the group's prior work, since the band decided to ditch all medieval elements and to steer into a fairly obvious world music sound which especially draws from African folk music. The majestic, menacing edge of earlier efforts has been replaced by a laid-back, somewhat artificial feel and overly mannered arrangements. With voodoo percussion, unintelligible vocals, and environmental noises it would be quite o.k. if only the songwriting wasn't in decline. The tracks often have too few ideas for their length. On "Song of the stars", "Indus", and "Song of the Nile", Brendan and Lisa drone on and on for up to ten minutes on a single track. I just find most of the material here largely unfocused and unmemorable. The only interesting tracks for me are the densely percussive "Nierika" and "The snake and the moon" with some catchy guitar lines. People tend to love world music because it sounds unfamiliar to them, but let me tell you, it's all been done before with more passion and drama, particularly by artists from Peter Gabriel's "Real World" label.