Druid IIby Medwyn Goodall With Runestone

This is easily one of my favorite magickal/witchy albums. It far-surpasses Druid I with its more-dignified and better-produced and recorded sounds. His collaborating with Runestone was an excellent decision that really took the best of both of them and little or none of the less-enjoyable things from either, IMO. The only thing I could have done without from this album is the chanting in the first track. "Dance with the sun... dance with the ocean... dance with the rain... dance again..." etc. Come on now, guys, let's keep it instrumental. However, by being as repetetive as it is and not going much of anywhere from there, the chanting isn't too distracting and can pretty easily still be felt as "background."

There's a stringed instrument that occurs on several tracks, starting with "Nine Maiden Chronicles Pt. II," which I'm not sure what it is. It may be a mandolin, but maybe not. Either way, it sounds BLOODY AMAZING. They have just the correct amount of reverb on it, and its riffs are written just perfectly to call to one's deepest sense of the esoteric and magickal. It easily facilitates a magickal consciousness (under the correct conditions) and sounds beautiful any day of the week.

Also, whereas sometimes Goodall's synth sounds can feel cheap and tacky, the chiming and vocal sounds (which I imagine were Runestone's contribution) really add to the profundity of this work. They're "side" instruments in that they don't demand your focus as a central point, but they certainly add to the mysterious charm of the songs in which they appear.

... Heh. "Charm." I made a funneh. =P

I would recommend this to the witch, sorcerer or other magician and the meditator as well as anyone who is looking to explore the more arcane, mystical and magickal side of human consciousness and spirituality, especially from a nature-centric/pagan perspective.