On September 24th internationally, Antiq is proud to present Dawn of a Dark Age‘s highly anticipated seventh album, Le Forche Caudine, on digipack CD format. Dawn of a Dark Age is the main project of the multi-instrumentalist Vittorio Sabelli, a classical and jazz musician who gave to the clarinet a leading role for the first time in black metal. Its dark timbre, together with fierce blastbeats and distorted guitars, allows exploration of new scenarios, from moments of pure madness to the most atmospheric dream-born soundscapes. The elements are put together in a way that when you listen to it you feel like you are watching a movie. Dawn of a Dark Age really take their time in layering up the dramatic transitions, the drums are given space to work in some expressive fills that almost play the part of lead instrument. Repeating the same patterns with ringing chords as an accompaniment. The Black Metal is mixed with the high quality and well played instruments. It is unusual, but great to be listened to.
The last saga entitled The Six Elements (consisting of five CDs) has seen the collaboration of musicians from Selvans, Enisum, and Finland’s Graveborne, and has received excellent reviews in a lot of newspapers and webzines dedicated to extreme music. After last year’s La Tavola Osca, released by Antiq, Dawn of a Dark Age now pursues a new saga of the Samnites.
Titled Le Forche Caudine, the new album concept is based on the battle of the Caudine Forks, and unfolds the event in music. Sometimes exploring the figurative music through soundscape and atmosphere, Dawn of a Dark Age‘s new album is more direct, more brutal, and also more folk, having the jazz part only some places. Consisting of two long tracks for a total of 39 minutes, it is more black metal-oriented, with some narration parts, and once again for the occasion, vocalist Emmanuele Prandoni joins the project, also performing the drums.
Antiq is a label dedicated to the fully coherent concept of making music through sound, image, video, and attitude. They have been putting their entire existence into it since 2009. Over the years, Antiq have been identified as producers of not only perfectly coherent lyrics and themes through music, but also conceptual art and, of course, the manufacturing of beautiful objects. The label tries as much as it can to work with French creators, and if possible, with the smallest and most serious structures.
The feeling I have is that I am in an Opera House, In Italy, end of 19th century. It is an amazing feeling, and also you never know what to expect. We have here a kind of more dynamic version of Drudkh with some knockoff mid-period Opeth riffs (yeah), all fine and well built. The guitars are heavy and the clarinet plays an important role here. It is like a second guitar. So it is a lot of responsibility in the repurposed use of this instrument.
Well, Vittorio Sabelli knows what he is doing, as he is the mind behind and plays all the instruments and along with him we have 10 people playing and contributing in a large range of things. It is like listen to music inside a kaleidoscope. “Le Forche Caudine” has two tracks as it was said, and don1t forget: we don’t have just the music by the music, we also have speeches, narrator voices, dark ambient, folk music, neoclassical passages and black metal! The clarinet also performs some solos, which is unusual for the Black Metal elements, but is something that brings a different energy to the music and causes a good impression. This new album is more direct, sober and have the balance between the neoclassical, folk and the Black Metal. All with that Italian touch.
Rate: 666
Here is a list of who is in the project contributing:
Members
Vittorio Sabelli: narrator voice, clarinet, bass clarinet, guitars, bass, keys
Emanuele Prandoni: lead vocals, drums
Geoffroy Dell’Aria: bagpipe, choirs
Sparda: choirs
Hyver: mandoloncello, choirs, troops voice
Marco Molino: darbuka, tambourine, vibraphone
Paolo Castellitto: violin, viola
Antonio Bonanni: trombone, euphonium, shells
Alessandro Tedesco: trombone
Graziano Brufani: double bass
Riccardo Furlan, Simone Baù: troops voice
Technique
Soundmix, master : Stefan Traunmüller (Soundtempel studio)
Cover art: Joanna Maeyens
