Shadow of the Raven (album)
Encyclopedia
Shadow of the Raven is Nox Arcana's
eighth full-length album in four years. This time the composers Joseph Vargo and William Piotrowski honor Edgar Allan Poe
, the author of "The Masque of the Red Death
", "The Murders in the Rue Morgue
", "The Fall of the House of Usher
, "The Tell-Tale Heart
" and other tales of suspense
and horror
, as well as the famous poem "The Raven
".
The classical
, symphonic instrumental music is primarily made up of piano, violin, pipe organ
, harpsichord
and some music box melodies that have been described as suspenseful and melancholy. The album is introduced with a brief narrative. Subtle yet effective sound effects are peppered throughout the music, providing accompaniment to several of Poe's most famous literary works.
Nox Arcana
Nox Arcana is an American dark ambient musical group, formed in 2003 by Joseph Vargo and William Piotrowski. Nox Arcana specializes in concept albums based on gothic fiction and classic horror literature. Such literary references include: H. P. Lovecraft, The Brothers Grimm, Ray Bradbury, and Edgar...
eighth full-length album in four years. This time the composers Joseph Vargo and William Piotrowski honor Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
, the author of "The Masque of the Red Death
The Masque of the Red Death
"The Masque of the Red Death", originally published as "The Mask of the Red Death" , is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe. The story follows Prince Prospero's attempts to avoid a dangerous plague known as the Red Death by hiding in his abbey. He, along with many other wealthy nobles, has a...
", "The Murders in the Rue Morgue
The Murders in the Rue Morgue
"The Murders in the Rue Morgue" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe published in Graham's Magazine in 1841. It has been claimed as the first detective story; Poe referred to it as one of his "tales of ratiocination". Two works that share some similarities predate Poe's stories, including Das...
", "The Fall of the House of Usher
The Fall of the House of Usher
"The Fall of the House of Usher" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in September 1839 in Burton's Gentleman's Magazine. It was slightly revised in 1840 for the collection Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque...
, "The Tell-Tale Heart
The Tell-Tale Heart
"The Tell-Tale Heart" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe first published in 1843. It follows an unnamed narrator who insists on his sanity after murdering an old man with a "vulture eye". The murder is carefully calculated, and the murderer hides the body by dismembering it and hiding it under the...
" and other tales of suspense
Suspense
Suspense is a feeling of uncertainty and anxiety about the outcome of certain actions, most often referring to an audience's perceptions in a dramatic work. Suspense is not exclusive to fiction, though. Suspense may operate in any situation where there is a lead-up to a big event or dramatic...
and horror
Horror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
, as well as the famous poem "The Raven
The Raven
"The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in January 1845. It is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a talking raven's mysterious visit to a distraught lover, tracing the man's slow descent into madness...
".
The classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
, symphonic instrumental music is primarily made up of piano, violin, pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
, harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
and some music box melodies that have been described as suspenseful and melancholy. The album is introduced with a brief narrative. Subtle yet effective sound effects are peppered throughout the music, providing accompaniment to several of Poe's most famous literary works.
Track listing
Music composed and performed by Joseph Vargo and William Piotrowski.- ”Darkest Hour" — 1:41
- "Melancholia" — 3:01
- "Descent Into Madness" — 3:25
- "The House of Usher" — 2:04
- "Madeline’s Lament" — 2:14
- "Haunted Memories" — 4:17
- "Annabel Lee" — 3:09
- "Legacy of Sorrow" — 2:34
- "The Black Cat" — 0:55
- "The Cask of Amontillado" — 3:15
- "Mysteries of the Night" — 4:03
- "Midnight Dreary" — 1:09
- "The Raven" — 3:20
- "Morbid Reminiscence" — 3:13
- "Lenore" — 3:24
- "A Dream Within A Dream" — 2:59
- "The Tell-Tale Heart" — 1:20
- "Murders in the Rue Morgue" — 2:47
- "The Pit and the Pendulum" — 3:16
- "Masque of the Red Death" — 4:43
- "Nevermore" — 3:28*
- A hidden trackHidden trackIn the field of recorded music, a hidden track is a piece of music that has been placed on a CD, audio cassette, vinyl record or other recorded medium in such a way as to avoid detection by the casual listener...
that comes in several seconds after the last song ends features the sounds of digging and muffled screams as of someone being buried alive. This seems to reference a few of Poe's stories, The Cask of AmontilladoThe Cask of Amontillado"The Cask of Amontillado" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in the November 1846 issue of Godey's Lady's Book....
, The Fall of the House of UsherThe Fall of the House of Usher"The Fall of the House of Usher" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in September 1839 in Burton's Gentleman's Magazine. It was slightly revised in 1840 for the collection Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque...
, The Black CatThe Black Cat (short story)"The Black Cat" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe. It was first published in the August 19, 1843, edition of The Saturday Evening Post. It is a study of the psychology of guilt, often paired in analysis with Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart"...
, in which the victim was either buried or entombed alive.
- A hidden track