Monolith Graphics

Darklore Manor

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Description

Embark on a musical journey throughout a legendary haunted mansion with a dark and sinister history-a place where creatures of the night lurk in shadows and ghostly sounds echo through it's unhallowed halls. The concept of the album, which is based on the tales of a real haunted Victorian mansion near Salem, Mass., centers around the mysterious deaths of it's original owners, the Darklore family, the curse that yet lingers there among the ruins, and the later disappearance of three teenagers who set out to hold a sÃƒÂ©ance in the house on Halloween night several years ago. Reminiscent of Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House, this ghostly tale delivers all the elements of a classic horror film-an old mansion with a dark history, a cursed bloodline, tales of black magic and vengeful spirits of the dead-brought to life through ominous music and eerie sound effects. This gothic soundscape of haunting melodies, ghostly voices, Latin chants, and foreboding orchestrations creates the perfect dark atmosphere.

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Customer Reviews

Haunted, Creepy, EnchantedThis is the first of Nox Arcana's releases. The haunted mansion theme carries throughout the entire cd, with creepy narritives intermingled with music. Since the tracks virtually run into each other, it makes it difficult to list them, but the intent is for a rich gothic ambience.I feel that this cd is an excellent tool to meditate on the darker aspects of self. I recommend this for anyone who is interested in gothic music, of who works with the otherside and has uses for musical assists in their magickal journey.5This is HalloweenGood Halloween mood music4Nox Arcana: The project that truly represents Halloween and for people who simply love classical-oriented Gothic instrumentalsI was told, by a mysterious voice in the night, that I should seek Nox Arcana and await further instructions. But it all began years ago with the discovery of the Midnight Syndicate. So, I did the obvious and entered "Midnight Syndicate" in my computer search engine, and the lone website introduced itself to me. All went dark and quiet, and the room got cold, and I could see my breath as I panted in fear, and I heard laughter amongst terrifying screams, but yet, I was alone. This was only my introduction to the Midnight Syndicate and soon to follow was the birth of something even better, the nightmareish apparitions of Nox Arcana. I was compelled to bring Nox Arcana into my world, and so I've been in the dark ever since. But, then again, it became a blissful absence from the norm. Although, Halloween is never really mentioned with any of the Nox Arcana CD's, it does seem that everyday is Halloween in my world, and for the past four years, I've always feared that I've sold my soul somehow. I believe that I sacrificed my soul the day I got out my credit card and asked the cyber spirits to bring my first Nox Arcana CD into my home. It was this CD: "Darklore Manor"Something became different about me. My very presence wasn't acknowledged in any normal way anymore. Was I being ignored, or am I even in the room at all? Something just wasn't right. I've had days that I've stared into the mirror, but somehow, I wasn't there. When I speak to strangers in the street, I don't think that they even acknowledge me. I speak with just a small hiss of words, and people respond as if they've just been pushed by a cold wind. My loved ones speak of me, as if I've departed from this world, but yet, I am in the room. Only when I laugh, do people respond as if they've heard something. They cuddle together, in fear of their safety, and cry out my name, in a past tense, as if I am torturing them. This wasn't fun anymore. It wasn't fun, THEN, anyway.I wander aimlessly, finally coming to terms with this apparition that I have become. My only consolation, deep into the night, is to take some of my Nox Arcana CD's and my mini-CD player, to the cemetery and lay against a tombstone, and watch the wind swirl up the leaves in a satanic dance before my eyes, while the music plays and eats away at my scruples of logic. I feel a cold embrace of many condemned angels who've cast off all their inhibitions and indulged in lustful passion upon my defenseless mortal flesh. I am consumed into their ritual with reckless abandon. Returning to reality is all nonsense now. My only fear, is that the batteries in my CD player will weaken and diminish this clash of passion of my psychological pleasure and terror.I am so glad that Nox Arcana has entered my once typical, pop culture world. However, I feel now, that if I should ever die, I may not know the difference. I've been enjoying this nocturnal bliss for a couple of years now and there's no going back. I walk this world in a cold absence where I question if my presence is perceived at all.If you'd like to share in this experience with me, start off with this CD of "Darklore Manor". Then get "Necronomicon", "Winter's Knight", "Transylvania", "Carnival of Lost Souls", and their latest (as of 2007) called "Blood of the Dragon".This music is not heavy metal. It's not satanic music. It's just a mix of classically-influenced instrumentals with various snippets of dark poetry and ghastly effects. You'll hear tormented screams, deathly bell tolls, sinister laughter, grandfather clocks, howling winds, and other little clever effects with piano, organ, and harpsichord, supported by rich strings and a mellotron sound, that promote a uniquely beautiful, but yet, horrifying terror that may claim your soul. It's a small sacrifice for the sake of a dark happiness.Alas, here's one more way that I have benefited from the music of Nox Arcana. By listening to these CD's through headphones at the cemetery, alone, late at night, in the cold dark, there is a terror that I've experienced that has actually helped me lose weight. To be so terrified that my heart pulsated so intensely that I feared my heart would just burst! That, and the accidental soiling of myself, helped me lose about three pounds. Who would have thought that terror could promote weight loss?So, if it's dark and disturbing, it has a place in my heart.4Very Good Dark MusicDarklore Manor features very good dark music. If I remember accurately, much of this music is relatively quiet with the slight ringing of bells or chimes, which is great for meditation. I bought this album to celebrate the Halloween month of October, and it was perfect.5Pandora's BoxThis CD is less mysterious than others but still requires some thought into it's mystery to be made visible to the aware mind. Tracks 3,8,11,&12 i thought to be the best satisfaction for my ID craving for dark ecstasy.5Fun...and spooky.Good gaming background music...5The birth... of a legendHear ye hear ye, all ye fans of Gothic horror soundscapes. Pay heed and rejoice. Verily have we great cause for much gladness. After two lamentable years of being the mastermind, major support and the unsung hero of Midnight Syndicate, Gothic artist, musician, writer and storyteller extraordinaire Joseph Vargo steps from the shadows...to cast a much bigger shadow of his own. Together with tremendously gifted fellow artist and weaver of tales, William Piotrowski, Vargo endeavors to take us upon yet more haunting, terrifying and intriguingly beautiful journeys into the unknown, daring us to travel into our imagination's own darkest recesses. Take these journeys if you dare, with Nox Arcana as your guide. Welcome to darkness' domicile. Welcome... to "Darklore Manor"1- Legend- Thus does our tale begin. Buffeted by the howl of a frigid wind do we stand upon the pathway to terror. A sinister melody comprised seemingly of low-pitched macabre keyboard work or strings is soon joined by the voice of Joseph Vargo. It brings to mind a summer camp counselor, preparing to tell us a grand old-time ghost story. With the following narration does it commence: "Along a dark forsaken road, there stands a stark and grim abode. An old manor house looms black and tall, to cast a grave and deathly pall. Beyond the ancient wrought iron gate, a thousand nightmares lie in wait. For dark things dwell in this house of fear... and none but the dead dare trespass here."2. Darklore Manor- This title track bears an air of chilling, dark majesty. Keyboards and pipe organ combine to bring us what sounds in my mind like a macabre twist on a stately and regal procession... as we are led further along the path towards an ancient home of shadow and sorrow. Gripping Latin chants performed my blended male and female choir mate with a tolling vesper to complete this darkly beautiful piece3. Threshold Of The Dead - A mournful keyboard melody is a our guide past the ancient doorway of the mansion. It fills one with a sense of melancholy and wonder both at once. Some of the keyboard work bears a choral sound, and a tolling vesper closes the piece with somber dignity.4- Trespassers - In pacing, this tune is almost march-like, but a tad slower. It is wonderfully comprised of brooding yet beautiful strings, percussion, keyboard work, and tolling bells. Now has the door closed upon us with a forceful sense of... finality. We're 'inside' the manor... treated to dark and enticing visions of an ancient grandeur, but there's a feeling of dread still, as if... though we are here, we do not belong and are out of place.5. Veil Of Darkness - Tenderly drifting piano begins this part of our journey It is soon joined ethereal keyboard work that magnifies the piece's brooding and sinister feel. Through it all, there is a sense of awe and wonder, as if we are invited, yes... even dared to step beyond the veil, to pierce night's deepest, darkest secrets.6. Sanctuary Of Shadows- This is among my favorite pieces on this CD. In fact, I WILL call it my favorite. It is an utterly intoxicating blend of keyboards, pipe organ, compelling Latin chanting and tolling bells. What this piece depicts to me is... majesty and grandeur, as if we are in the presence of ancient royalty whose line has, through avarice and tragedy, fallen forever into darkness.7. The Grande Hall - We are treated here to another dose of the majestic. Keyboard wizardry does the honors. Tolling bells dance with it, as does the softest and most beautiful hint of choral melody. There is a sense of elegance here, and regality, expertly blended with a dose of the tragic.8. Remnants- Here, the beginning of a beautiful yet heartbreaking opus is woven with the harpsichord, imparting unto us a sense of antiquity. Exquisite stately keyboard work mates with it, bequeathing a sense of beauteous heartbreak. The beautiful, and the terribly woeful, blended expertly yet again.9. Phantom Procession- This piece is largely comprised of tolling vespers. Keyboard magic that bears the hint of a choral sound waltzes with it. I cannot say why, but I am put here in the frame of mind to visualize a grand gathering of specters, summoned to assemble as the dinner hour has struck, as if called unto a pale shadow of a grand banquet held in an age long past.10. Belladonna- Here, once again, we are treated to an opus of... beautiful sorrow. Heart-tuggging and very soft keyboards blend with the "star" of the piece, a lovely and somber piano tune. This.... is in my mind a tender ode to Belladonna, daughter of Damon Darklore and his bride... It is a lament, mourning the loss of innocence... A hymn to the memory of a beloved daughter, lost to shadow11. Nursery Rhyme - This piece is.... just plain eerie, and creepy. I say that not to demean it though. It is a great piece and quite effective. Bereft of music, it still manages to chill the heart, as the voice of Christine Filipak, altered to sound childlike, combined with a slight echo, and "blended" with her adult voice, delivers the following narration: "Sandman come to me tonight. Comfort me till morning light. As darkness falls and shadows loom, I bid you welcome to my room. Rest your bones beside my bed. Lay your hands upon my head. Cast your spell of slumber deep, and stay beside me as I sleep. If I should die before I wake, I grant to you my soul to take."12. Music Box - I see this as a "companion piece" to Nursery Rhyme, and perhaps even Belladonna in a way. Beautiful bell-like tones depict the title's namesake. It is combined with child-like singing, and a little girl's playful giggles. It brings to mind images of a beautiful innocent little child at play, without a care in the world, despite having a darker and a very sad edge.13. The Forgotten - A very pretty and mournful wistful piano tune is expertly blended with pipe organ to give us this composition. Tolling bells and soft strings drift through the piece on occasion. To me this is a tender, tragic ode to the former glory of the Darklore clan, forever lost when that ancient line began to walk a path of darkness.14. Nightmare - In the case of this piece, Nox Arcana ably proves once again that sometimes the most effective path is simple. Here, we are gifted with that truth. An exquisite 'waltz of keyboards, tolling bells, strings and the faintest choral hints impart the feeling that we are spinning ever further down, deep into a vortex, deeper and deeper into insanity and utter terror.15. No Rest For the Wicked- Keyboards appear to be the 'star' of this one. It is blended beautifully with mournful strings and sinister chanting performed in Latin. For me, what this feels like is... not 'drudgery' but rather an expert depiction of the eternal weight of sorrow that blankets Darklore Manor's denizens.16. Omen - Once again, here the simple is proven effective. A very soft keyboard undercurrent creates a 'bed'... upon which lies a drifting ghostly voice. Provided by co-composer Joseph Vargo, the chilling voice intones the following: "Ghostly whispers fill the air, chanting omens to beware. Shadows stir in candlelight, then rise to prowl the dead of night. Spirits lurk within these walls, and wander these unhallowed halls. Cursed to haunt this dark domain, where mortal woe and sorrow reign."17 Seance - This piece, upon first hearing, actually SCARED me, as no Gothic music had done before. Very nice keyboard work provides an undercurrent to carry the following echoed ghostly whispers: "We are among you..." "Beware the darkness..." "Lift this curse..." "End our suffering..." "Release us..." "Leave this place..." "Turn back..." The piece is ended with Joseph Vargo imparting a chilling and sinister laugh.18 Beyond Midnight - This piece to me feels... invigorating. It is a... blood-stirring mix of strings, percussion, pipe organ and Latin chanting that feels adventurous and almost... martial It brings to mind once again a stately procession, mixed with a journey through the grounds of a place replete with ancient grandeur and heart-pounding terror as the spirits of the Darklore bloodline surround you to prevent escape.19 Darkness Immortal- This is a beautiful dance between lovely swirling pipe organ, sinister strings, and beautiful choral work. Percussion provides faint and compelling accents for it. Tolling bells gift us with their presence, adding to the macabre yet somehow stately feel. To me this conjures images of standing trapped upon the dark and mist-shrouded Manor grounds as a regal Lady clad all in ebon robes beckons irresistibly for you to come, almost in the manner of a paramour... to follow her forever into the shadow to learn of and partake in its secrets.20. Incantation- Here is another blood-chilling musical opus. This time beautifully mournful strings are underscored by somber and booming percussion that to me depicts a heartbeat. Drifting softly over this is the voice of co-composer Joseph Vargo imparting the following narration:"Ab Aeterno,Ad limina Mortem et extra,Abyssus Abyssum invocatE tenebris,Veteris vestigia flammae ardere denuoIure Sanguinis,Mors tua, vita mea aeternumTerra es, terram ibisEcce quomodo Moritur,Hoc sustinate Damnosa hereditas."Translated from Latin, this says:"From the beginning of Time,To the threshold of Death, and beyond,Hell calls upon HellOut of the darkness,Remnants of an ancient flame burn anewBy the rite of Blood,You must die, so that I may live eternallyYou are dust, you shall return to dustBehold the way of Death,And endure the inheritance of the Damned."21. Resurrected - This is the closer of the CD, and it is a darkly invigorating masterpiece. Mournful keyboards dance with percussion, pipe organ, energetic swirling strings and Latin chanting. It paints a portrait of an ancient evil raised from slumber to live for evermore. After a minute or so of silence, the musical homage to Belladonna Darklore is reprised on harpsichord, before Joseph Vargo gifts us with another chilling laugh. After another brief silence, the final section of this piece is provided by keyboards and pipe organ, joined once again by the voice Joseph Vargo, speaking to us "as" Damon Darklore, relating the tragic fate of both his ancestors and himself:"Woe befalls all who dwell withing Darklore Manor. For those who have met their fate within this blighted place are cursed to forever wander its unhallowed halls. Within this sanctuary of shadows, the restless dead can find no surcease from their eternal suffering. I have brought this curse upon myself, as did my ancestors before me. I hereby confess my guilt, for I have conspired in blasphemous acts, and have committed grievous and ghastly deeds. And though I be the last of the Darklore bloodline, this curse shall not end with my death... For we have awakened a great darkness, and it's hungers... cannot be quenched."In closing, this is a brilliant piece of work. Stepping from the shadow of Midnight Syndicate which he helped to cast, Joseph Vargo with this work proves himself a master of weaving deliciously dark and hauntingly beautiful and tragic tales. Together with musical partner William Piotrowski, he has crafted a splendid ghost story for the modern age, replete with every bit of the grandeur of the best of ancient and classic horror tales... and then some. Behold! Nox Arcana is born, and has quickly risen to leave its indelible mark. Verily indeed has Nox Arcana come to claim the throne and title of the true masters of the Gothic horror soundscape. One listen to "Darklore Manor" , and you may find yourself within their clutches forevermore. Enjoy the journey, if you dare, for upon visiting Darklore Manor, you may find that you never wish to leave it.5Good investmentLoved the music. Order was perfect55 stars for the body of work, but 4 for this CD.I have a bit of a hard time rating this CD. I have 5 Midnight Syndicate CDs and 5 or 6 Nox Arcana CDs (for those who do not know, the reason I mention those two groups is because John Vargo was a principal in MS and is in NA, and stylistically they are similar musically). The body of work is outstanding. The weakness of this CD is, I think, a result of how good the previous disks have been in the "creepy", "moody" genre. They have done it before, and done it supremely well. I don't think this disk reveals anything new. It is still very good. If you are looking for creepy, halloween-ish music, you cannot go wrong with this disk or just about any from Midnight Syndicate or Nox Arcana. I especially like "Born of the Night" and "Realm of Shadows" by Midnight Syndicate, and "Vampyre" by Nox Arcana. I really love "Grimm's Tales" by Nox Arcana, but want to mention that it has a little more of a fairy-tale feel to it than purely creepy halloween type music.One side note about Nox Arcana -- I really like that they have expanded out from just halloween type music into more dramatic and varied things. That is great. I am very fond of "Blood of the Dragon" and "Winter's Knight." And again, this is sort of the weakness of "Darklore Manor." There isn't anything new or anything they have not already done. It's very good, just not exciting. For my part, I think it might be time for Nox Arcana to break new ground, perhaps try something longer or more cohesive, like a full symphony in this style with movements that blend into each other. Just a thought.4WOW!! Wow wow wow. Did I say wow?What a masterpiece this is. I am speachless. I've never heard anything like this before. I can only say the other reviewers have been dead on accurate in their descriptions, which I won't bother to try to duplicate or imitate. I'll be honest... I boutht this CD to try something different for my Halloween haunted house. I have been using a very good CD with creepy sounds (howling dogs and cats, moans, screams, wind, tolling bells, etc etc). But on a whim, I searched Amazon for something else to try. I stumbled upon Darklore Manor and after reading the reviews and listening to the samples, I realized I'd discovered something very special. The music is creepy, chilling, haunting, and powerful. The base on some tracks is so strong I couldn't use the portable "boom box" I'd used for years with the other CD (at the volume level I wanted - which actually wasn't even that loud) because the speakers would crackle. I ran about 40 feet of speaker wire from my indoor stereo to my front yard and hooked up one of my home theater speakers out front. The bass was so powerful (and my speakers are pretty good), I could feel it vibrating... even outside in the open air. The overall effect gave my haunted house just the macabre feeling I was wanting. Much more so than the "creepy sounds" CD (which, don't get me wrong, was very good... this is just much better). I did end up burning a CD with just the tracks I wanted. Since the average trick-or-treater won't be around for an hour to absorb the entire theme of the CD, I had to keep just the tracks that helped maintain the mood I needed.Outside of using this CD once a year on Halloween, I found the music appealing on so many more levels (again, please read other reviews -- which I wholeheartedly agree with). Suffice it to say, I find myself listening to this CD "just because". And believe me, I am as far from "goth" as you can get (middle aged, white bread, white collar, wife, two kids, a dog, live in a nice middle class neighborhood). I just appreciate the wonderful tapestry that the music weaves; the story that it tells. It is hauntingly beautiful.5

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