German tech death institution Obscura has returned and is ready to start a new chapter in their prolific career accompanied by their new label, Nuclear Blast Records. A Valediction, their sixth full-length record, explores the concept of final farewells while ushering in a fresh start for the lightning fast quartet.
One of the most dramatically accomplished of all the bands lumped into Britain's late-'60s prog explosion, Curved Air was formed in early 1970 by violinist Darryl Way, a graduate of the Royal College of Music, and two former members of Sisyphus, keyboard player Francis Monkman and drummer Florian Pilkington-Miksa. Adding bassist Robert Martin, the band named itself from avant-garde composer Terry Riley's A Rainbow in Curved Air, a touchstone that would inform much of their early work…
On Night Owl, she is joined by a wealth of veteran Celtic musicians, including John Faulkner (guitar and vocals) and Eoin O'Riabhaigh (uilleann pipes and whistle). In addition to traditional Celtic instruments, Keane's haunting vocals are enriched on this breathtaking recording by the Greek bouzouki, the Olwell bamboo flute, and the cello. The results are extraordinary: lyrics that harken back to days long past find perfect realization through the use of exquisite contemporary arrangements.
~ Alula Records