Reviews: classical

At first I has some doubts about this cd. The cover looked cheap and kitsch and the info sheet promised nothing more than a guy with a synth that tries to make modern traditional cross-over music. But after some playing rounds I had to adjust my preconceived opinion. Waves of Life is a very enjoyable album to listen to…

After three cd’s the French project Dawn & Dusk Entwined has now released a limited vinyl single. As usual with releases from Eternal Soul Records, the design of the black & white exterior looks great with images of a deserted futuristic city. The music itself on the heavy piece of black vinyl is also worthwhile. Dawn & Dusk Entwined has delivered two new tracks, which sound rather tranquil…

Dawn Desiree is a singer with an angelic voice, though she also participated in a metal project in the past. The nice looking digipack has some fine romantic photos of her with her long red hair, making me think of the models of Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s, to whom now an exposition is dedicated in Amsterdam. “Dancing, Dreaming, Longing…..

The third album of Régard Extrême, the project of Fabien Nicault. This Frenchman has again filled a cd full of moving neo-classical sounds. In the digipack you see religious pictures of old faded church wall paintings. This fits the music very well, which has a solemn, sacred, mystical atmosphere…

The debut single of Mirabilis, a project with members of two well-known American darkwave acts: Summer Bowman of the Machine in the Garden and Dru of This Ascension. The first album of this project is out now on Middle Pillar Presents, while this first single, with four songs, exquisite artwork and thick vinyl, appeared last year on The Fossil Dungeon…

It’s snowing outside. I’m looking through the window, while listening to the music of Sally Doherty. It’s hard not to get a pleasant melancholic feeling then. Though this cd was created in 1998, it still finds its way to my cd-player now and then, and I always enjoy it. Sally Doherty is perhaps most known for her work with Sol Invictus (on flute and vocals)…

This music was already created in 2000. But the creations of Daniel Dorobantu from Romania are quite impressive, so it deserves our attention. An excellent mixture of minimal, classical music and experimental ambient electronic elements holds my attention for almost an hour. Music full of mystery to stimulate your fantasy…

‘FDH’ is Frank den Haan, a musician with a Dutch name but currenty based in Nova Scotia, Canada. His debut “Disseminare” is released by Cynfeirdd, in the new ‘Eye for Eye’ cd-r series. It’s a limited pressing of 141 hand-numbered copies (and 9 promo copies) in a special box. This musical project does not have a long history, since it all began in the fall of 2002…

:Lohe: is a limited 10″ with very nice looking artwork of Russian icons, as well as a postcard and inserts. There will also be created a very limited boxset, with an extra split cdr with Ragnarune. :Lohe: will be released on February 14th with a party in Rostock. It is a tranquil record with four tracks, somewhere between classical and ambient…

Songs about wars with dwarves, the cleansing of a medieval monastery, the gathering of the uruki. This third cd by Za Frûmi comes after two albums devoted to orcs, the not so friendly creatures invented by Tolkien. It is no coincidence that this music is released by Waerloga Records…

The latest offering of the fantasy label Waerloga is an album by a project from Belgium called Encryption. There is an evil looking monk in a cloister on the front cover, standing next to a desperate looking angelic naked girl, who is kneeling and praying. This professional looking artwork by Jan Yrlund predicts some dark and obscure secrets from medieval times…..

After the mini cd ‘Moments’ Dwelling now have created a full-lenght album. “Humana” contains 9 tracks and is again released by the Portuguese Equilibrium label. Dwelling offers us atmospheric acoustic music. It has elements from classical, folk and ethereal music. Acoustic guitars, bass, violin and nice soft female vocals are the main ingredients of this tranquil musical dish…

Every year there are some records and bands that are pleasantly surprising. Elend manages to do that with this new record. The theatrical and neo-classical metal music has been replaced by pure beauty. The music on Winds Devouring Men is still theatrical and bombastic. All metal influences are gone and have been replaced by a Dead Can Dance inspired sound…

More romantic ethereal music, the speciality of Prikosnovénie. This time from the Russian symphonic orchestra Caprice. They take their inspiration from the work of Tolkien. Of course it is very fashionable now to make an album about elves and hobbits. But Caprice have done it in a sincere manner, and not as a quick way to reach the ‘ring’ of succes…

A few people from Nantes (France) formed Prikosnovénie way back in 1990. Since then numerous interesting releases saw the light of day, usually filled with dreamy, ethereal, medieval, fairy-like music, and always in a worthwile packaging. This compilation gives a perfect overview of the labels’s present day qualities. “Fairy World No…

I realized that there wasn’t anything from Black Tape for a Girl reviewed yet @ funprox.com, and hardly anything of their label Projekt. A bit strange perhaps, considering the acclaimed status of these Americans in the gothic scene. Last Easter they were one of the headliners at the Wave Gotik Treffen in Leipzig. The band was already started in 1986, by Projekt label founder Sam Rosenthal…

I lost count how many albums In the Nursery has released so far. The English band around Klive and Nigel Humberstone seems to be producing one of two album each year for the past two decades, various compilations and soundtracks included. As always “Praxis” is a solid album of the usual quality, without being very surprising or innovative…

After the first two acclaimed albums of Stoa, in the early 90’s on the Hyperium label, many people were waiting for a follow-up. Although a new album was announced for quite some time, it took several years before it finally was available. Stoa is renowned for their heavenly neo-classical music, orchestral hymns with delicate vocals…

Love is Colder than Death has been around for a few years now. In the early 90’s they released albums on the now defunct Hyperium label, which was known for its neo-classical and ‘heavenly voices’ music. In the last years LICTD hasn’t been too productive, partly caused by their high perfectionism. After 1995 only “Atopos” appeared, in 1999…

An unusual combination, a book with accompanying music. “Heroes & Traitors”, a nicely printed book contains ten short stories by the American author James Bravewolf and various nice colourful, abstrahized illustrations by David Deinert. Attached is a cd containg ‘ten exclusive tracks plus bonus material’ of Days of the Trumpet Call, which can also perfectly be appreciated on their own…