I was recently talking about a beautiful cover and therefore also of a beautiful richly colored digipack, this is still the case here with in addition a magnificent very complete booklet also dotted with very beautiful drawings ... a set of the most successful illustrations. the others to wrap the cake for this new project! Behind Illuminae are in fact hiding on the one hand Ian Jones ( Karnataka in which we find a certain Jonathan Edwards , Chasing The Monsoon ) and on the other hand, Agnieszka Swita ( Caamora , one of the multiple projects of Clive Nolan ) with in addition, the contribution of several guests like Steve Hackett(Genesis), John Helliwell (Supertramp), Graig Blundell (Steven Wilson) or Troy Donockley (Nightwish). All these beautiful people to conceive a very beautiful album of symphonic rock which, should I suppose to mark the spirits by hoping of course that, the musical content is at the height of the magnificent box which wraps this disc.
The sound of the waves, the storm and a church bell indeed launch a well conceived and playful music but above all the very beautiful timbre of voice of Agnieszka within a robust rock-symphonic, colored by an orchestration at the same time rock and neo-classical. A sublime instrumentation both symphonic and classical (bravo to Ian ), added to a high-level vocal work make this first composition, a fabulous piece by way of appetizer then as much to say that if the rest is the same ilk, we fell on the rare pearl and therefore a very great album! Let's see if this is still the case with the first single from the opus, listen to below:
We actually keep the osmosis between an orchestration that is both neo-classical and rock, always colored by this magnificent voice which carries us high and far thanks to this ability to make the composition fluid and melodic with also this effect of superposition of voices. Let us note again a very beautiful passage on the guitar but in fact, each instrument is in its place and therefore, this results from a fabulous work of composition for an album which should mark I think this year! In fact it is the finesse and the precision of the architecture of each piece that impresses but also, the great symphonic depth that continues throughout the album with again, atmospheric passages or neo-classical moments ... all of this enhanced by the superb voice of Agnieszka. Everything is there including the presence of a beautiful ballad (there will be several) where, we perceive some Celtic scents but what must be remembered is the fact that this magnificent music lifts us from the ground to every moment !
An opus which also presents all the characteristics of a concept with the key, a multitude of atmospheres and all successful atmospheres passing from a mysterious and aerial intro to a modern rock-symphonic without forgetting here and there, passages acoustic or Celtic which bring yet other facets to the proposed music... with even a transition to the color of jazz at the end of the course (John Helliwell).
Mixed by Joe Gibb (Massive Attack, The Cure...) this "Dark Horizons" is a true marvel from start to finish, demonstrating the excellent compositional capacity of Ian Jones but also the magnificent vocal capacities of Agnieszka Swita , not to mention. sure the paw of all the prestigious guests. Beyond the symphonic and progressive dominance of the album, this opus is quite simply a great rock album and therefore inevitably a must but it remains of course a must of the genre!
For me the best album to review since the beginning of the year!
Great music!
The project team:
Ian Jones (bass, keyboards, piano, acoustic guitar, arrangements, composition and writing)
Agnieszka Swita (vocals, composition and writing)
+ guests
Steve Hackett (electric guitar)
Craig Blundell (drums)
John Helliwell (saxophone and clarinet)
Troy Donockley (Celtic instruments)
Luke Machin (lead and rhythm guitars)
Gonzalo Carrera (piano)
The album:
"The Lighthouse"
"Blood on Your Hands"
"Edge of Darkness"
"Lullaby"
"Twice"
"Heretics & Prophecy"
"Sanctuary"
"Black Angel"
"Sign of Infinity"
"Dark Horizons"
Country: GB / PL
Gonzo Multimedia Group / Immrama Records ILLUCD001
Released: 2021/02/12
https://www.facebook.com/illuminaemusic
NOTICE
The eagle-eyed amongst you will have also noticed that the Gonzo Multimedia websites have changed and are in a process of flux, so there are no individual sales links at the moment. But check out www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk for a thing of wonder.
There is a hunky-dory, all singing, all dancing, Gonzo Publications website is now pretty well done, although there arve still nine authors who need personal pages. You can find it at www.gonzopublishers.com and then tell me what a clever fellow I am. It even has a haiku to explain why some links are not finished:
"These links do not work,
now but they will do so soon,
we apologise"
Enjoy.
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