Carnival of Lost Souls
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| Carnival of Lost Souls | |||||
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| Studio album by Nox Arcana | |||||
| Released | June 6, 2006 | ||||
| Genre | Gothic horror | ||||
| Label | Monolith Graphics | ||||
| Professional reviews | |||||
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Big Ole Face Full of Monster, Legends Magazine, Flames Rising |
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Carnival of Lost Souls is an album by Nox Arcana, loosely based on the story "Something Wicked This Way Comes" by Ray Bradbury. On this album, Nox Arcana performs a style of music that is indicative of tunes associated with an early 19th century circus or Vaudeville act, albeit with a darker, more sinister tone and effect.[1]
Their "Calliope" song, for example, is a pipe organ melody that is performed more like a dirge than something festive, and the song "Madame Endora" is a narrative piece featuring the gravely voice of a fortune-teller who warns the listener that "a storm is coming" and to "beware." Other tracks are accented with sound effects of things that one might hear in the encampment of a traveling circus: there's freaks, the sound of the ringmaster or carnival barker, the cracking of a whip, the distant roaring of animals and rattling of chains. The track "Snake Charmer" combines an exotic drumbeat with wind pipes and finger cymbals, along with the sound of a rattlesnake.
The song "Spellbound" is the only song on the album that features full lyrics and male vocals. It was recorded twice on the CD; once as a scratchy-crackly-sounding record, like something played on an old Victrola machine, then as a goth/metal version on a hidden track at the end of the CD.[2]
Nox Arcana hosted a CD release party that coincided with the album release date of 6-6-06 and played up the superstitions surrounding that date with a horror-carnival atmosphere. The rock version of "Spellbound" was performed live.[3]
Carnival of Lost Souls is one of three albums recorded by Nox Arcana during a one-year span. Prior to this they released two full-length albums each year.
[edit] Track listing
Music composed and performed by Joseph Vargo and William Piotrowski.
- "Ghosts of the Midway" – 1:48
- "After Hours" – 2:16
- "Harlequin’s Lament" – 3:39
- "Calliope" – 2:46
- "Madame Endora" – 1:03
- "Nightmare Parade" – 2:38
- "Shadows Fall" – 2:18
- "Hall of Mirrors" – 1:32
- "Spellbound" – 1:04
- "Cries in the Night" – 1:21
- "Soul Stealer" – 2:28
- "Haunted Carousel" – 3:12
- "Theatre of Sorrows" – 2:35
- "Living Dolls" – 2:52
- "Lost in the Darkness" – 4:15
- "Snake Charmer" – 4:26
- "Freaks" – 1:24
- "Circus Diabolique" – 3:24
- "Pandora’s Music Box" – 3:08
- "The Devil’s Daggers" – 3:17
- "Storm" – 2:40
- A hidden track contains a rock version of the song "Spellbound". Lyrics and music by Joseph Vargo, vocals performed by Jim Hamar, lead guitar performed by Jeff Endemann. In the song, Vargo recites the phrase "By the pricking of my thumb, something wicked this way comes..."[4]
