IV: Ozymandias

Qntal

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 16, 2007)
• Original Release Date: July 16, 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Dancing Ferret
• ASIN: B00096S3UE
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #170,977 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Orkus Magazine - May 2005

"Album of the Month!"

Product Description

Qntal's fourth studio album sees the band expanding their horizon slightly. For the first time, a few songs are in English, and lyrical influences have expanded slightly to reach a bit beyond the Renaissance. Still, the core remains, and fans of Qntal's signature blend of medieval instruments and languages with a touch of modern electronics will not be disappointed.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Look Upon These Works Mighty, And Despair...", June 1, 2006

By	John R. Harford (United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Upon listening to Qntal 3: Tristan und Isolde, you think... "How can they get any better...?"

Qntal is a fusion born of Estampie - the very traditional medieval ensemble from Germany, and members who have performed with diverse experimental and electronic acts. Their sound is a dreamy, sometimes fractured, sometimes hallucinatory fusion of the ancient and modern. They only superficially resemble any other band. While some place them in the categories of "goth", "medieval", "dance", "electro" and even "new age" Qntal is all and none of these things. And in fact, their name, Qntal is a word signifying their ethos: a fusion that incorporates multi-cultural linguistic structure, yet is completely cryptic.

I was thrilled to find that Qntal tackled Ozymandias. It is one of my favorite tales. The poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley is a cautionary story of the once great and ancient fallen into decay. While the themes of love, passion, and tones of deep red permeated Tristan und Isolde, so do the hints of loss and despair seep into Ozymandias. But not all is dark in Qntal's latest outing. Blac , Indiscrete and Flamma are vibrant pieces that hallmark Qntal's amazing ability to merge ambient, dance, and ancient language and music into something potent and vital.

Lyrics from classic poetry and music are used through out the album to devestatingly beautiful effect. The strains of traditional medieval Mass music and Carmina Burana are so completely and successfully assimilated by Qntal as to make the sound something nearly entirely new.

Qntal IV took a tiny bit of getting used to after listening to Qntal III for over a year. But then, each Qntal album is amazingly different yet beautifully coherent. These transitions are what keep Qntal original, refreshing, and inspiring.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Brilliant!, May 13, 2005

By	A Kat Person (Bay Area) - See all my reviews

With each album, Qntal gets better and better. An entrancing 75 minutes of bliss... very creative as always! It seems to continue along the same lines as Qntal III - a mixture of paces and different types of rhythms/instruments throughout the CD, and less experimental/avant-garde type stuff as was more prevalent in their first two albums. And there are portions of this CD that are just so... mystical-sounding! If you liked Qntal III you will like this CD!

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Precious Gem, May 27, 2005

By	Bohema "~The lovely and talented theater mave... (Birmingham,MI, USA) - See all my reviews

I am new to Qntal's music, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Now I am glad to have purchased this gem of an album: the singing is operatic,yet ethereal with a celtic flare and the beat of the music ranges from celtic, to gregorian-ish, to electronica type beats.

The CD has a certain depth to it that is a rare find these days. Qntal is ideal for the listener with a sophisticated palatte or anyone who is willing to stray from the manufactured "pop, punk, eclectic" music that pollutes our air waves. Enjoy.

Hope that helps,
Bohema