Arcanum
The Ancient Saga
‘Close to the Edge’ (no not a cover of the Yes track!) acts as the opener. Soft synth drones are punctuated by a pizzicato melody low in the mix . This is very relaxing floating stuff. Four minutes in the the music develops a darker edge just in time to catch the sequence as it starts to develop. The synth pads are particularly brooding and compliment the mood generated by the sequence perfectly. A new melody is introduced at nine minutes and a second faster sequence is added to the first. Even when the drums are brought in the music retains a subtlety that manages to combine both excitement and atmospheric beauty at the same time.

Things really start to rock two thirds of the way in but again we get power without the need for bludgeoning bass salvos. Like its predecessor ‘Shadowland’ starts with a plucked melody and chugs along nicely through a succession of melodies. A superb additional rhythm is added at ten minutes and really lifts the track. ‘The Ancient Saga’ is split into six sections which flow from one to the other. I will let you make your own mind up where each section starts and finishes because its way beyond me.

A high pitched melodic sequence heralds the first slice ‘Silence’. The synth drones underneath shift between themselves in melodic fashion. Over which the two lead line weave around each other beautifully. At ten minutes a new melody comes in but I’m not sure if this is the second or third section. A strident rhythm is added at just under fifteen minutes. This then dies away about six minutes later to only return with added vigour three minutes after that as the track builds to a climax then settles down for a gentle finish.

To sum up this is a very relaxing, hypnotic piece. Most of the changes happen very slowly so it can sometimes seem as though not a great deal is happening but if you play snippets of sound every five minutes you will see that there is in fact a great deal of movement, it is just done so slowly and carefully that you are taken with the flow. The best Arcanum album so far. (DL)

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