Night Thoughts

Sad and decadent Medieval/Neo Classical with mournful female vocals. For fans of Arcana, Sopor Aeternus and Autumn Tears.

"Night Thoughts" could well be said to come forth from the same womb than gave birth to names like Arcana, Autumn Tears or Ataraxia, yet this particular birth seems to have been somewhat more laborious - they are slightly less bold than Arcana in their endeavors, and hardly as theatric as Autumn Tears or as ecclectic as Ataraxia. Gothica delve slightly deeper in the decadent beauty of neoclassical/medieval music, and evoque its darker side, sometimes using the same colors that Sopor Aeternus used for "Todeswunsch", but with song structures that still recall what Dead Can Dance established in their work. Solemn church organs resound, yet it is as if the dust that had been accumulating for ages still hangs heavy on its notes. Violins seem to mourn the lost ones we once held dear, and the delicate flute melodies join in on their weeping, as if whispering calm blessings. The dense keyboards weave a ominous shroud around it all, and finally, we have the blissfully sad voice of Alessandra Santovito, whose classical formation comes to add a more formal and severe tone to things every now and then. Tracks like 'Spirits Of The Dead' add a ritualistic mood to things: tribal percussions and minimalist synth lines serve as the backdrop for the mesmerizingly monotonous voice of Roberto and memories of Endvra will certainly come to mind quickly. 'Penelope', on the other hand, bring these tribal percussions to a more contemporary timeframe thanks to the use of electric guitars. I don't really recall ever having heard anything so miserably beautiful and somber in a long while, and although I cannot recommend this enough, "Night Thoughts" may sometimes prove to be slightly disturbing.