Here you can watch a trailer of the upcoming video for 'Nothing is
Dark During Sunrise' from last Lord Wind's album 'Ales Stenar'. You can
also purchase an album via Wolftyr Prods (CD and LP) or Werewolf
Promotions (cassetes).
Lord Wind is a neofolk side-project of Rob Darken (Graveland).
Din Brad is a neofolk side-project of Negru - a drummer of Negura Bunget. It's music bases on the romanian traditional folk tunes, and "Dor" is his (their?) first release.
I have a problem with this album, but it's hard to say why. First of all, I don't like when keyboards are overused in any music - and "Dor" is full of electronic tunes in the background. There are moments when it sounds really amazing ("Doina", for example) but there is also time when they are making music a bit worse. Yes, only a bit - thankfuly it doesn't ruin music.
Another flaw of this album are a capella tracks - so without any music, only pure work of the vocalist. When I heard first of them ("Poarce'n Suflet Greu Pacatu") I was astonished - as it was great. Generally speaking vocals (one male and one female) on this album are done in the traditional, carpathian style. People who lives in those mountains are very specific, and such is also their music - you cannot mistake it with anything else. So I was surprised, especially when I understood that it sounda similar to the singing of polish highlanders. But then I discovered that there is too much of it - it's simply tiring, and the album looses it's power and cohesion. In my opinion that was a very weak idea - one, or maybe two a capella songs would be great, but five? Come on!
OK, I complaint a bit, now it's time to compliment :) All this flaws bleak (even if not completely...) when you listen to this album gently and alone. As I said, the carpathian way of singing is specific and Din Brad successfuly forged it into a hypnotic, mysterious soundscape. Such tracks like "Durere", mentioned "Doina" or "Cine Iubeste Ci Lasa" (which bases on traditional romanian song, just in new, darker arrangement) are so charged with emotions that you cannot pass them without paying any attention to them! The album is really amazing, so really too bad that those a capella tracks weakens the atmosphere of this release.
Well, to sum it up: the album is worth your attention (if you like neofolk music, of course). It draws you to the mystical trip through the carpathian's valleys - a place of mystery and darkness (how poetic I am, haha)... Before I end this review, I would also like to add that I've seen this band onstage on the concert here in Poland. The music sounded even better than on CD. So if you will have this oportunity - I recommend you to see their show for your own. It's a beautiful, nostalgic trip, really...
Rate: 8/10
Vladyka
Here you can listen to the official track from Youtube:
Deamonia Nymphe is from Greece (although now they reside in London) and was founded in 1994 in Athens. The band is playing music inspired by ancient tunes and old greek poems praising Zeus and other olympic gods. "Psychostasia" is their 5th full-length album.
As you might guess looking on the title the music of those Greek is not a jolly melody but more soulful kind of playing. We can find here some more happier moments (with best example - "Deo's Erotas") but it always keeps some kind of dignity. Most of the time Daemonia Nymphe's creativeness is in many parts full of theatrical relish like e.g. very sensual track that I am listenning in this moment - "Selene's Awakening Horos". Or the next song "Politeia of the Unnamed" with beautiful vocals performed by Evi Stergiou. Her voice is here the most important - it is creating an amazing, oneiric atmosphere. Sometime it can be even a bit disturbing ("Nature's Metamorphoses") and sounds like a soundtrack to some old mysteries. In those moments I am stunned and can't think completely about anything. I just listen to the music like hypnotised. I am not some kind of scatterbrained pussy but this music really stimulates reflections... The only problem with "Psychostasia" is that it's way too short - only 40 minutes. Come on guys, you spent five years to record this album! But from the other side I can simply press a replay button (which I do very often) so this can be forgiven.
"Psychostasia" proves also once again that sometimes simple yet well played music can be much more interesting than some indistinct, complicated and avantgarde crap. The instrumental section based on greek folk instruments sounds really good. It perfectly cooperates with the voice of the female singer (and from time to time also male). And by the way - it's interesting to hear instruments that you have seen on vase paintings in school during history lessons :)
Daemonia Nymphe recorded again a perfect album, taking you back in time to the mysterious, ancient times... If you liked their previous works or you are simply a fan of neofolk you should immediately get this album. It's a good alternative for all those celtic and nordic folk albums that are so popular these days.
Lord Wind is a medievel/neofolk project of Rob Darken, mostly known from his other project Graveland. A year before he released his 5th folk album, called as you can see "Ales Stenar". And what it contains?
First of all, the music is completely instrumental. Quite often we can hear choir samples made on keyboard, but this is the only exception. For most of the time the music bases on calm tunes played in middle-tempo on traditional instruments. Darken is obviously inspired by celtic and nordic music, along with some epic movie soundtracks - and a proof we can find in the track number eight. It is a (let say) cover of theme song taken from "Conan" movie (and I don't know which one, since I am not as big fan of the Cimmerian as Rob ;]). All the songs are played in the same way - they have similar tempos, and are played on similar instruments. We can here viola here, mentioned choirs and sometimes some keyboard-based background effects, horns, percussion, wooden fluets and propably some other things. And well, I must say that I enjoy this album very much. It's nothing extremely deep, but to be honest it is a true pleasure when the music flows in headphones during some long trip in a forest or on countryside. It's a bit hypnotic from one side, but also in some way epic. Just listen to any of this songs, close your eyes and you will see beautiful landscapes of vast, grass plains or huge, frozen mountains. If you have at least minimum of imagination of course haha! Personally I am impressed, because otherwise than some people think it's hard to play simple music in such way that it sounds interesting. Rob defenitely achieved this goal - the music passes so quickly that I have to constantly push the replay button again and again.
Oh, and by the way - the production of this album is really perfect. I enjoy it very much - if you have listened to last Graveland's albums you should know what I am talking about.
Well, I think that's it. There is nothing more to talk about - you like that kind of playing or not. If you're a fan of medieval and neofolk music you will surely like "Ales Stenar". If not, you should try either - maybe it turns out that this album suits your taste. As for me, I am sure that this longplay will be an often guest in my music player.
