PURSUIT OF A HIGHER THRONE

According to the label, VoA Voxyd (piano/keys) (Ad Inferna) and Melissa Ferlaak (vocals) (Plague Of Stars, ex-Aesma Daeva, ex-Visions Of Atlantis) "have united to create music to transcend to another place and time where true home exists in the hearts of those on their personal journey towards an eternal existence" and they categorise this album as falling into classical romance, ambient and atmospheric while their backgrounds are gothic, metal, dark electronic and symphonic metal. So there you have it. What we have here is a delicate album, where a trained soprano sings over the top of music that is often just piano, sometimes combined with some overlaying synths to give it a more orchestral feel.

While there are definitely some New Age stylings to this, the album does a very good job of creating a wonderfully peaceful and tranquil world. It is not one to be played in the car, but rather music that needs to be played when the listener has the time and inclination to gently drift away. There is a small dark undercurrent that provides an edge and some Gothic overtones, but it is the delicacy and space used within the notes that makes this such a great piece of work. Indeed, when the piano is pushed more to the background and the drum machine comes in with more synths, there is a feeling that this is an unwanted intrusion and I found myself looking again for the purity of the piano.

This is an album that I have really enjoyed playing, and one for those who don't always want the music directly in their face and ears. And yes, I have spelled the name correctly (Americans..). You can see a video at their site at www.myeternel.net