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Dead Can Dance - Within The Realm Of A Dying Sun CD (album) cover

WITHIN THE REALM OF A DYING SUN

Dead Can Dance

 

Prog Folk

4.11 | 215 ratings

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BrufordFreak
4 stars The Aussie duo's third album release sees them exploring the pseudo-religious "mediæval" musical traditions of Europe and the Middle East.

1. "Anywhere Out Of The World" (5:08) the signature DCD sound--like a soundtrack to a B-grade mediæval vampire film--is born with, interestingly, Brendan doing the first lead vocal (despite the fact that everyone automatically associates Lisa with DCD sound)! (8.5/10)

2. "Windfall" (3:30) interesting tension-filled soundtrack music. (8/10) 3. "In The Wake Of Adversity" (4:14) another Brendan-sung song, this one with a bit of an Ancient Egyptian soundscape. The vocal melody line sounds a bit like Debbie Harry's "Rapture." Brendan's voice is just too muddied by his heavy, heavy use of reverb. Otherwise, this is a pretty cool song--with great sound choices and chord progressions. (8.75/10)

4. "Xavier" (6:16) another Brendan-sung song, this one with a bit too much washed out soundscape.(Brendan always has a tendancy to over-drench his voice in effects [reverbs]). I can sense what they're going for but they're not there yet, still too inexperienced in sound & instrument choices. (8/10)

5. "Dawn Of The Iconoclast" (2:06) "horns" in the "mediæval" sense championed by Hollywood (and Monty Python) followed by the introduction of the iconic vocals of Lisa Gerrard. It's as if she's tapping into another time in history! (4.5/5)

6. "Cantara" (5:58) slow, steady "harpsichord" and "lute" arpeggi with synth strings wash chords set up this spy-thriller soundtrack piece. At 1:55 we shift into a different gear for a chase scene over which Lisa sings in some interpretation of an Eastern European or Middle Eastern vocal tradition. Lisa is incandescent; the music a little less so. (8.75/10)

7. "Summoning Of The Muse" (4:55) replication of true mediæval European religious music--as if we're in the chapel or cathedral hearing a female choir with tubular bell accompaniment. (9.5/10)

8. "Persephone (The Gathering Of Flowers)" (6:36) one of the most complex (rare) and beautiful songs Lisa and Brendan have ever put together. That synth-strings chord progression throughout the second minute is one of mankind's most beautiful sequences ever constructed! Abnd this followed by a nearly-transcendent vocal passage! (9.5/10)

Total Time: 38:43

88.0 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of timeless world music satisfying an Electronic Prog Folk categorization.

BrufordFreak | 4/5 |

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