Tracks
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This album speaks to something verreh spiritual in me with its dark, medieval aesthetic. Unlike many artists who romanticize the dark ages, Arcana has created a musical journey which shows the beauty of this time with dignity and respect, but without portraying it as being a more enjoyable time in which to live than it was. From what I can imagine, there are two possible interpretations for this album's name. One is that "dark age of reason" refers to the actual medieval times (which the music fits very well) and is meant as a statement that the reason this was a "dark" age was that mankind was outright hostile towards reason, logic, science, etc. The other is that whereas the middle-ages were a "dark age of religion," we're *now* experiencing a "dark age of reason," where the tables have turned and religion is being driven-out by people who are fed-up with the results it (religion) has gotten us, and demand a more reasonable ruling philosophy instead. I haven't heard or read anything in terms of interviews about this album, so your guess is as good as mine. If you're witchy, a lot of these songs are great for waning and dark-moon magick. Things like catharsis and "death and rebirth" themed rites, or could make a fitting background for those sabbat rites in the darker seasons (especially winter.) Now, My favorite tracks...
"The Calm Before the Storm" - This is a pretty neat track. Consistent with the name, it's got a very "calm but brooding" feel, or it feels like it's calm but clearly won't stay that way. The rhythm and flow of the music also feels somewhat serpentine. It moves like slithering. A lovely portrayal of nature's darker side.
"Like Statues in the Garden of Dreaming" - I only wish I could find an instrumental version of this, with no voice save for the gregorian "ohh-ohh-ohh..." chanting that begins near the end. The lyrics don't add much to this song in my experience, but it's still good. It's like standing in a cemetery on a cloudy day. There's a dark, peaceful sort of sanctity there, for those who don't fear the force of death anyway. Once again, there's a sort of slithering-rhythm, which is also fitting because the snake (which sheds its old skin so as to renew itself and stay healthy) has always been a symbol of death and rebirth to ancient cultures. This is definitely my favorite track from this album.
"... For My Love" - For me, this track creates a mental picture of a temple-like structure, made of heavy stone and maybe some wood, with ominous Iron serpent-emblems and incense-burners adorning the walls, and candles for heat and illumination. Something that maybe would've served as a place of practice for some sort of medieval serpent-worship cult. Maybe the person being referred-to as "My Love" here was someone who would've favored such a place? Pure speculation of course, but I suppose it's possible.
"Serenity" - This song reminds me of the kind of "serenity" one can feel on a battlefield, hours after the battle. It's a "dead-quiet," literally. In this track more than any others here, I feel a deep regret for the dark ages and the deplorable way that human beings treated one another therein. It's a feeling of being appalled, shocked and horrified at the childishness of man, confronted wherever you look with the looming fact that patriarchy could truly be the destruction of us all.
Two more I'd also like to recommend, if you can get your hands on them elsewhere, are the songs "Eternal Sleep" and "Spirits of the Past," which appear as bonus tracks on at least one version of this album. If you can listen to this album in a stereo with a good subwoofer, I'd highly recommend it. It has to be a *good* subwoofer, though, because a poor-quality one will rattle itself apart inside if it's exposed to the really intense low-end on an album like this. Just a warning! =)
"The Calm Before the Storm" - This is a pretty neat track. Consistent with the name, it's got a very "calm but brooding" feel, or it feels like it's calm but clearly won't stay that way. The rhythm and flow of the music also feels somewhat serpentine. It moves like slithering. A lovely portrayal of nature's darker side.
"Like Statues in the Garden of Dreaming" - I only wish I could find an instrumental version of this, with no voice save for the gregorian "ohh-ohh-ohh..." chanting that begins near the end. The lyrics don't add much to this song in my experience, but it's still good. It's like standing in a cemetery on a cloudy day. There's a dark, peaceful sort of sanctity there, for those who don't fear the force of death anyway. Once again, there's a sort of slithering-rhythm, which is also fitting because the snake (which sheds its old skin so as to renew itself and stay healthy) has always been a symbol of death and rebirth to ancient cultures. This is definitely my favorite track from this album.
"... For My Love" - For me, this track creates a mental picture of a temple-like structure, made of heavy stone and maybe some wood, with ominous Iron serpent-emblems and incense-burners adorning the walls, and candles for heat and illumination. Something that maybe would've served as a place of practice for some sort of medieval serpent-worship cult. Maybe the person being referred-to as "My Love" here was someone who would've favored such a place? Pure speculation of course, but I suppose it's possible.
"Serenity" - This song reminds me of the kind of "serenity" one can feel on a battlefield, hours after the battle. It's a "dead-quiet," literally. In this track more than any others here, I feel a deep regret for the dark ages and the deplorable way that human beings treated one another therein. It's a feeling of being appalled, shocked and horrified at the childishness of man, confronted wherever you look with the looming fact that patriarchy could truly be the destruction of us all.
Two more I'd also like to recommend, if you can get your hands on them elsewhere, are the songs "Eternal Sleep" and "Spirits of the Past," which appear as bonus tracks on at least one version of this album. If you can listen to this album in a stereo with a good subwoofer, I'd highly recommend it. It has to be a *good* subwoofer, though, because a poor-quality one will rattle itself apart inside if it's exposed to the really intense low-end on an album like this. Just a warning! =)