Arcanum Man in the Mirror (Download CDR) 7 tracks / 73.02 mins Play Sample:   56K Dialup   Broadband Download Sample:   500K   1.5Mb (Excerpt from track(s) 'Echoes of the Past')

Note: This is a Download CDR album i.e. you can either purchase it as a CDR from here, or you can purchase it for less as a download directly from the MusicZeit download platform.

A beautiful tune played on the piano with choral synth backing starts ‘Echoes of the Past’. Things are left to drift serenely before a delicate rhythm picks the pace up slightly and acts as a framework for yet more piano melodies. Later on a flute takes the lead and is one of the best uses of this sound I have heard all year. The way the piano then returns as if in answer is stunning. The overall mood is rather melancholy and really pulls at the heart strings. The emphasis on this track and most of the album is on melodic content and atmosphere. Four of the seven tracks are over ten minutes so we don’t have pretty little sketches, instead we get tracks that are as complex as human emotions.

The slow ringing of a bell introduces ‘Welcome to the Twilight Zone’ and is very different to the last number with sequence, rhythm and electric guitar taking centre stage. This a perfect example of how drum and guitar sounds can be used in a laid back manner rather than heavy metal EM. Peter Mergener could very well have come up with a track like this. An acoustic guitar sound opens ‘Circle of Dreams’. This time though I think that the lead lines are just a bit too sentimental and sweet but maybe I’m just not romantic enough. Next up we have ‘The End of the Rainforest'. The rhythmic sequence is simple but hypnotic even though it isn’t that high in the mix. The lead line weaves spells over it. Just after the half way mark a gentle sequence replaces its predecessor and a driving rhythm makes an entrance but even this somehow manages to retain a delicate quality. Acoustic guitar returns on the title track, weaves its spell and is then joined by piano. Very pleasant - could be too pleasant. ‘Timehunter’ is very different from the rest of the album in that it has much more in yer face rhythmics but still with great melodic qualities. There is a much greater feel of optimism on this track. Finally we have ‘New Horizons’ which finishes the album in a gentle reflective way, moody and romantic but not too much so. Would be fantastic to play on a summers day looking out over the craggy hills of the Penines. (DL)

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