Grimm Tales is one of the finest records that I have so far a chance to
heard from ambient/symphonic duo Nox Arcana.
Metal-Sound.net
Nox Arcana shows their versatility while remaining true to their
overall dark sound. Strikingly memorable and very haunting.
Latex Records
Richly textured and highly inspired... As a complete album Nox Arcana have done an excellent job.
Morbid Outlook
As always, Nox Arcana does an exceptional job creating
these incredible audio backdrops for the themes they have chosen.
There's no better way to get into the mood then to play one of
their CDs and to have their wicked spell cast over you.
Kitley's
Krypt
The mysterious figure sits upon the throne-like
chair, decorated in ghoulish fane... the dusty leathery storybook
framed in silver cracks open, letting forth a swirling vortex
to enrapture the reader into its multi-dimensional fetters
of the imagination, traveling forth into shadowy worlds of
a Dark Witch’s spell… the fireplace glows strangely this night,
transmutating forms in the hell fires, warming the flesh with
delightfully chilling sound-scapes and enchanted tales.
Based upon the
eerie stories of The Brothers Grimm and released in the Walpurgisnacht
season, Nox Arcana wonderfully manifests the sinsations to
compliment one’s own experience when submerged herein.
Along with
the Gregorian Shadow Choir, Christine Filipak participates
as the voice of Sinistra the Witch, who from her castle, sternly warns
the wayfarer who veers too close to her domain, and the hag crone mixing
up her bubbling brew. From The Hollow, an enchanted orchestral garden
comes alive with the blackest Magic, weaving its nightmarish influence,
compelling towards the labyrinth of dreams.
Joseph Vargo's splendid
artwork splendidly graces the diabolically ornate booklet, accompanied
by poetic descriptions of the fearsome adventures within, creating
a truly gratifying multi-sensory saturation.
From
antique portals of timelessness generated with the infernal sonic machine
herein, Grimm Tales cascade along the daemonic mind to enhance One’s
haunted atmosphere, invoking the muses to dance in the darkness of
the flickering chamber.
Your adventure is about to begin... enter at your
own risk! 5/5
Malefik
Musick, Fangoria
Okay, a question for all of you ghouls out there... what is your
earliest memory of a horror story? I mean the absolute initial
spooky story you ever remember hearing. Now, before you say
Edgar Allan Poe in middle school or all of those Stephen King novels
that seem to be in everybody's home growing up, I want you
to concentrate and think back even further. Go back to a time when
you were being tucked into bed, all safe and sound and Mom
or Dad would pick up that big old book of fairy tales penned by
The Brothers Grimm.
If youre as old as I am, you may remember these as some
of the most twisted, dark and depraved childrens stories ever
written. Now, Im not talking about the politically correct
versions you see nowadays. Im talking about that big old dusty
volume that was your grandparents grandparents. Do you remember
now? Shadowy fables that were supposed to teach you a lesson,
but instead scarred your psyche for years, if not decades,
to come. Well fiends, Nox Arcana has put their touch of musical
madness to these tales from your youngest years.
Over the years Nox Arcana has taken
some of histories greatest macabre yarns and brought them to
life with a musical ability some would sell their soul to Old
Nick for. Stoker, Poe, Lovecraft and more have all been given
the terrifying treatment of Joseph Vargo and William Piotrowski,
the diabolic duo that make up Nox Arcana. And now Grimm Tales is
added to their repertoire, paying homage to yet another storyteller
of times gone by.
As is their custom, haunting melodies,
disembodied voices and subtle sound effects draw you into the
nightmare realm where The Brothers Grimms legends come to life.
Along the way, from "Shadow Forest" to "Hall Of
The Witch Queen," we meet every type of creature conceivable.
During this trip, you find yourself falling deeper and deeper
into the fairy tale world as imagined by Vargo and Piotrowski.
Like all of their albums, this one frees you from the bonds
of reality; unfortunately never long enough to lose your way
back home. And to help you ease yourself into the myths, the
album comes with a full color booklet filled with Vargos dark
art; the perfect visuals to add to the strains issuing forth
from your speakers.
It still totally amazes me just
how much Nox Arcana has accomplished over the years with a
style of music (gothic orchestral chamber music, if ever there were
words to describe it) that no one else can even come close
to. They aim to create realms rather than albums, soundscapes rather
than songs. And they excel every single time! I have never
once been disappointed upon opening the seal, and settling in to listen
to their newest conjuration. Do yourself a favor and pick up Grimm Tales, and
any other album you can acquire by these masters of morbid
mood music. Each one is a ticket to somewhere far different
than where you are.
Josh Haney, Hacker's
Source
Grimm Tales marks Nox Arcana's 9th cd since the band's formation
in 2003. Setting the bar higher with each new release, their
latest sinister soundscape is a concept album centering around
dark fairy tales and childhood nightmares. Ranging from haunting
music box melodies to powerful, dark orchestrations, the 21
instrumental tracks are accented by ghostly voices of children
singing and eerie sound effects that convey the theme of an
enchanted forest ruled by a wicked witch queen. The opening
track sets a creepy mood with a cackling voice that introduces
the concept in a sinister nursery rhyme. Tracks like "Darkly
Everafter" creep under your skin and send shivers down
your spine, while "The Forgotten Path" and "Children
of the Night" are shrouded in a mystical aura. Ominous
chants echo throughout pulse-pounding orchestrations such as "Castle
of Nightmares" and the dramatic "Hall of the Witch
Queen." As with their past cds, the songwriting, musicianship
and production on this album is outstanding and the cd booklet
is filled with fantastic artwork. Grimm Tales is a wonderfully
wicked album and ranks highly as another musical masterpiece
from the uncontested maestros of the macabre.
Richard Pickman, Dark Realms