Elend – Sunwar The Dead

I was very impressed by the last Elend record Winds Devouring Men. It had many Dead Can Dance references but was more orchestral. Sunwar The Dead, the new album, is part two in a five album cycle that started with Winds Devouring Men.

This new record is darker and even more orchestralthan the previous one. The album has again a Dead Can Dance-like mood, but combines this with more typical neo-classical sounds. Elend also makes use of modern classical elements on this record. There are references to the music of Penderecki (famous from his piece Threnody For The Victims Of Hiroshima), Stockhausen (well known for his innovative works in the field electronic music) and Xenakis (another pioneer in the field of electronic music).

Overall Sunwar The Dead is an very intense listening experience. This intensity comes from the powerful sound of the album. Elend recorded this record with a female choir and a classical ensemble, together consisting of fifty musicians. If you turn up the volume you feel like you are sitting inside a concert hall. The sound is crystal clear even at high volume.

Sunwar The Dead is another succesful effort by Elend to fuse (neo)classical music and pop. As said, be prepared for an intense listening experience.

artist: Elend
label: Prophecy Productions
details: 11 tracks, [PRO071]