The music you hear paints vast, rapid-fire visuals of epic battles under swirling angry skies, swords and sorcery that span the ages as mystical militant queens cast visages upon army’s marching to conquer and industrial noises of production coming from the darkest, most hidden corners of a darkened land. These are the sounds created by Barcelona-based neoclassical darkwave outfit, Der Blaue Reiter presenting their ominously haunting vision of future oblivion from desolation to hope to devastation.
Le Paradis Funèbre II – L’ Adieu Du Silence out via Neuropa Records is a far reaching audio voyage, with songs that lash out grabbing the ear to the ripping point, with a virtual instrumental message minus a few eerie and militant chants that scream/command war, new age movement and apocalypse without a single raised voice. Secret societies bordering on mind-crime, warfare blessed by spell-casting and laboratory abominations created and born with civilizations final days cometh are all taken in with bombastic simplicity orchestrated by booming atmosphere and classical notes as the music tells the story. Du Silence is a sequel to their 2004 debut, L’enver Du Tristesse/Le Paradis Funebre. Formed in 2005, Der Blaue Reiter fuses warfield ambience with dark spoken poetry and the drums of incoming army strong iron and are of the romantic Catalan tongue.
Underworld Dreams II begins from memories of the grand ole opera house as the ladies of past performances sang themselves happy and deep throated hellish wind roars from the darkness with backdrop soundscapes of survivors coming out to see the once plentiful land turned to smoldering smoke and rubble. Drumbeats issue in the new conquering inhabitants and a new breed of human terminators emerge.
The blacksmith hammers his iron in a distant room as sparks fly under the fires illumination. An Anthem for Doomed Youth as an airborne choir sings the hymns of this weapon of the future in the making as voices speak the oracle of the doomed. Conquest Glory, the clanking of an old industrial beat down forgotten piece of metal startles the silence with a haunted, demonic piano echo. Mischievous marching keyboards sneak in ushering a hard slammed thunderbolt on the land as the projected spirit of the ruling uniformed queen speaks her spell over the chosen army. Knights, soldiers and demons march under a blood red sky.
L’ Adieu Du Silence Part 1 starts as soft piano keys fast forward speaking the tales of battle fought, won and lost. Violins weep the memories and spilled blood of both sides and why so many sworn enemies lay dead atop each other, though a flicker of hope hovers in the air for a new beginning. The bombastic levels of despair hit with dark brooding force as musical voices out of the dark murk give a sphere of hope before the queen squashes them down in damnation on Il Tempo La Disperazione.
The old time jazz crowd signals The Beginning of the End singing their song in ancient fading memory as the heartbeat of the new genetic war-burnt breed pulsates. George W makes an appearance. The eerie choir ambiance is Under Deadly Rain with military drums marching under the watchful eyes and sky shaking voices of the Gods.
Monks chant echoes down the hall as the dark hollow breath of war flows through the air accompanied by tranquil keyboards mixed with statuesque classical piano notes playing a hymn of dignity and despair called Requiem for a Dying World. The New World Order comes with sirens blaring bringing the revolution and rise of a new enemy as keyboards hasten the approach.
There’s Conspiracy theories abound at every dark, secluded corner where whispering voices and suspicious wondering eyes are present. Drums hit with a whirlwind of vices with separate agendas. L’Adieu Du Silence Part II ends the massive tome of sound but not without resolution to the conclusion.
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