Dark Sanctuary - Cernunnos - VINYL LP

Vinyl LP pressing. Progressive rock bent with a considerable amount of rock 'n' roll gospel soul! Sanctuary's virtuosity is undeniable, and every song displays each member's considerable talents. The album is abundant with soaring and passionate vocal arrangements that are carried on high by the lively interplay of Norm Weinberg's percussive flurries as they weave their way through a tapestry of flutes, strings, and guitars. Deeply resonant keyboards set the foundation for the band's sound, and in fitting, albeit unsuspecting, fashion, it is Eric Bikales' flute playing that shepherds the listener through the album. Beginning with InchAll In My Dreams,Inch the flute's light and colorful timbre captures the ear, serving as a clarion call for all to follow and creating moments of majesty, as music and message seamlessly transform into one. Sanctuary's interpretations of Yes's InchTime And A WordInch and Edgar Winter's InchWinter's DreamInch are not mere covers. They are bright and bold musical statements, refusals to submit to the negativity of the times. Their unique take on these compositions, as well as their own, provides the kind of bright eyed anthems their generation's voice needed to compete against the backdrop of war and social upheaval dominating the headlines.

Traversing the realms of a genre that has been rehashed and redesigned many times, The Dark Alamorte confronts black metal's conventional soundscape by weaving in their own brand of ambience and death metal. An ethereal avalanche that will consume you as the ghostly melodies carry the listener into a wave of dissonant bliss accompanied with unrelenting drums and devastating vocals, Lunacrium Thepsis leaves you in what feels like a haunting memory. Essential listening for fans of Fallujah, Insomnium, Lorna Shore and Alcestis!

Dark Meditation may hail from Seattle, but their sound is steeped in traditions associated with other corners of the globe'England's working-class cities, frosty Scandinavian towns, Southern California meccas of the '80s. Or as the band puts it, Dark Meditation sounds like the bastard amalgamation of Venom and Judas Priest fighting it out on the Sunset Strip while Danzig and King Diamond cheer them on. While such reference points may suggest a nexus of evil kitsch and arena-level theatrics, the band's debut album Polluted Temples comes from a place of down-and-out urgency and punk ethics, adopting the gloomy anthems and riff worship of heavy metal titans for their sonic exorcisms rather than their rock n' roll panache. It's an album that basks in big hooks, righteous guitar work, and an arena-level stomp without compromising any grit, grime, or guts. Side A01. Prelude02. Babalon. Money. Magick03. Haunt of Fear04. Strange Caress (of the night)05. Masters CoilSide B. 06. Desolation Days07. The Howling Wild 08. Drink of the Blade09. Nocturnal Forever10. Polluted Temples