Jim Kirkwood In the Deep Places of the World Play Sample:   56K Dialup   Broadband   Download Sample:   500K   1.5Mb (Excerpt from track(s) 'Helcaraxe')

For this album Jim returns to 'Middle Earth'. It is many a year since Kirkwood the Black's last visit to these realms however and his musical magic is now much more powerful. The wonderfully titled 'Wormtongue' gets us off to quite a tranquil start for a Kirkwood album with soft metallic pads and watery noises, gradually becoming more swamp like. Then wallop, a blistering heavy sequence thunders forward along with almost wailing sonic blasts. Rhythmic flourishes add to the excitement still further and act as a call to arms as more wondrous lead lines fly like laser fire from the hill tops. Extra machine gun percussive elements turn the screw yet another notch. Jim has showed time after time that he is a master of quickly building excitement then holding it for an exhausting length of time in an ever swooping, soaring and diving trip from one ecstasy to another. In the seventh minute we are left with a loping rhythm and brooding effects as we moodily catch our breath before making yet another all out assault.

'The Haradrim' has a very brooding atmospheric opening. It is as if we are deep down in the Earth, drums slowly beating out from some Demonic Hell. Twittering, swirling effects start up and another sequencer dominated maelstrom of notes spews forth. The sonic patterns morph, become even more intense and the lasers once again sear the air. Suddenly in the tenth minute all descends to calm, tranquil mellotron being the main feature. To this a gentle head nodding rhythm is added, then faint angelic vocal effects. A sequence strikes up a couple of minutes later but like the rhythm it is rather laid back. Of course this air of peacefulness doesn't last for long as a more rapid sequence is chucked into the brew. Pitch bending solo salvos up the anti. We return to brooding atmospherics to finish. 'Helcaraxe' is initially rather cosmic managing to be both majestic and beautiful at the same time. A water droplet type sequence adds to the peaceful beauty still further. Jim manages to keep this up for about five minutes until he can't resist introducing a growling sequence and more urgent rhythm. By the sixth minute we are really starting to motor.