“Dancer and the Moon”. With a
title like that, I knew I was in for it. I took this album review knowing
only that Blackmore's Night is a prog band, but I didn't know they are prog
folk. Even more than that, I didn't know that this band's goal is to bring
back an appreciation for medieval music. So, as you can tell, this band uses
a lot of tambourines, flutes, pipes, and wild vocal passages. The vocalist
is primarily female, though there are some male vocals strewn throughout the
album.
Don't get me wrong, there are
definitely some rockin' moments that feature some great guitar work that
interweaves with the more eclectic instruments. These moments are few,
though; and the majority of this album consists of vocally-driven tracks
with some folksy accompaniments.
What's the verdict, then? Well,
I LOVE prog rock with folk influences, but this medieval thing is a little
weird at times. It often comes off as cheesy and corny, unlike the medieval
parts on Pain of Salvation's “Be” or some of Kamelot's albums. The album is
enjoyable, but it really requires that you be in a certain mood. Plus, there
is little here to bring you back again and again. All in all, an okay album
that medieval music lovers will like, but that type of person isn't very
common. These musicians are masters of their genre: I'm just not so sure I
care all that much.