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Isildurs Bane - The Voyage - A Trip To Elsewhere CD (album) cover

THE VOYAGE - A TRIP TO ELSEWHERE

Isildurs Bane

 

Symphonic Prog

3.97 | 99 ratings

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ClemofNazareth
Special Collaborator
Prog Folk Researcher
5 stars This is the only album I have of this band, although there may be more added to the collection in the future. When I saw an album about a voyage from a band named after the mysterious ring in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, there wasn’t much other choice but to hear it. I can truthfully say this is the kind of music one should expect from a band that is classified as symphonic rock. Isildur’s Bane have definitely mastered the art of combining classical sounds with rock sensibilities, and done it to near perfection on this release.

The album basically consists of a series of instrumental journeys of the mind, flights of fantasy with only a moderate nod to reality. The four-part title composition is a delightful blend of classically-inspired symphonic arrangements, augmented beautifully with a persistent and emotive electric guitar, with its only anchor being the varied rhythms and somewhat ethnic variations on violin, flute, and the occasional brass. These are all long, slow, and fanciful epics, each having the power to send one off on a journey of a disturbed yet highly energetic mind. The inspiration for the most part comes from the life and artistic renderings of the brilliantly mad Adolf Wölfli, a man who spent most of his physical life institutionalized. His work tended toward colorful fantasies of a style called art brut, which reflected his internal focus and view of the world as an outsider. These compositions, like Wölfli’s art, seem to project an active imagination that others could only partially appreciate since their true meaning was known only to their author.

A second theme of the album is contained in the three passages of the La Sagrada Familia, in which the band attempts to portray the mood of that ongoing Gaudí construction in the early morning hours, the afternoon, and evening. These are short works, but leave a sort of reverent impression that is accented well by the piano trio and mellow tempos, as well as the chamber-like vocal harmonies.

Finally there are tracks honoring Raymonde Isidore’s Picassiette mansion, with the music deftly portraying the likely mood of the colorful gardens, stained glass, and the Gothic- like stonework that makes up the structure. These are somewhat longer works, almost completely piano-driven, and accompanied by the most delicate violin passages on the album.

This album is probably as close to a true classical music work of any symphonic rock, belied only by the occasional drums and the strong electric guitar work on the Wölfli- inspired arrangements.

I would recommend this album very highly to any fan of symphonic rock, as well as to anyone who appreciates instrumental music whose inspiration is the internal world inhabited by real people who expressed themselves through timeless works of art. This is a real masterpiece from a band who has undergone a number of personnel and stylistic transitions over the years, yet still manages to remain true to their vision of symphonic music that evokes strong emotions and inspires thought. Five stars.

peace

ClemofNazareth | 5/5 |

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