CD Review: SKRUK's 'Sangen fra Katakombene'

SKRUK
Sangen fra Katakombene
KKV

SKRUK is a Norwegian choir that presents a collection of liturgical songs sung in Norwegian. There are also vocals from monks in Turkish monasteries. Per Oddvar Hildre is the conductor for the album, while Siyavush Karimi and Henning Sommerro are talented arrangers. The entire album is vocal without any instrumentation; except for a lone duduk played a couple times. There are twenty spiritual tracks that are heavenly and haunting in the same manner. The spiritual roots of the music originate from the early, primitive church and historical roots with the Syrian Orthodox Church. The alternating male and female vocals are great without any slip-ups. Many of the songs are one to four minutes long, but a couple are five to six minutes. In the end, it doesn't matter how long the songs last. The songs have lasted hundreds of years and will continue to inspire people around the world. Fans of choral and vocal music will rejoice with high marks. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Turiya Nada's 'Arakara: Ecstacy Of The Awake'

Turiya Nada
Arakara: Ecstacy Of The Awake
White Swan Records

Hypnotic, sensual, and mesmerizing tunes, beats, and arrangements are at the forefront of yogi Turiya Nada's latest release. The album is rich with yogic melodies and spiritual leanings that combine repetitive chants with instrumental greatness for a truly satisfying musical journey. There are eleven long tracks tied to Sanskrit chants and liturgies. Turiya Nada is the chief vocalist, but Winston Raval plays keyboards, Rob Kholer plays electric bass, EdWing Sankey plays electric guitar, zither, and butterfly harp, Jeronimo Sexton is on cello, Ena Vie is a backing vocalist, and Howard Lipp is a programmer, synth player, and flutist. A variety of earthy arrangements create a wonderful world of musical sound that is as spiritually transcendent and evocative as anything from Tulku or Enigma. However, the music tends to be more primitive, ancient, and yogic without modern beats or urban grooves. Nevertheless, Turiya Nada knows how to meld these seemingly opposite worlds together without venturing too far into the modern world. Overall, Arakara... is a contemplative and trance-inducing album with loads of yogic charm and spiritual tendencies. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Peter Link's 'Goin' Home'

Peter Link
Goin' Home
Watchfire Music

Peter Link's new Watchfire release is a true gospel cantata, which means musical compositions for voice and orchestra are based on spiritual texts. The thirteen-track release presents a slew of performers with a gospel and Broadway-esque singing style, including Jenny Burton, Margaret Dorn, Angela Clemmons, Keith Fluitt, John James, Kevin Osborne, Catherine Russell, Vaneese Thomas, Darryl Tookes, Julia Wade, Tom Tipton, and the blaring trumpet sounds of Barry Danielian. The music contains R&B melodies, gospel harmonies, and contemporary arrangements with percussion and piano. The soulful vocals work off of each other during many of the choruses. The classically-tinged, "Come To Me As A Bird," is a solemn Broadway-type tune with magical chimes and sweeping vocals with light string accompaniment and acoustic guitar. The scattered percussion of "I Ain't Gonna Grieve" sets a stylized dance tune of trip-hop with Western-type male vocals early on and female vocals join in by the end. This is not a particularly traditional tune, which is not a negative. "When The Saints Go" is a jazzy, dance-floor beat with soaring female vocals and blaring brass. An electric guitar adds a little frenzied music to the '80's-like arrangements to a traditional tune. There is a bit of funk and gospel ambiances that showcase the musical diversity throughout. Fans of gospel, Christian, Broadway tunes, and inspirational vocal music will find Peter Link to a beacon of light for all seeking musical (and soulful) salvation. ~ Matthew Forss     

CD Review: White Canvas' 'Hundreds Of Ways'

White Canvas
Hundreds Of Ways
Ozella Music

White Canvas is vocalist Rena Meyer Wiel and guitarist Rolf Beydemueller. Together, the German duo create natural soundscapes of aural color with new age nuances and improvisational, experimental, and divine melodies. Rena's diverse, but poetic, vocal style is at times very spiritual and pleasant. The vocals are artfully constructed with a Sufi spirit, which is where the album title originates. In fact, a line from the Sufi poet Rumi describes the nature of the music. Hundreds Of Ways connotes a world of improvisation and spirituality with fine guitar strumming and soundscape embellishments. The avant-garde elements are inventive, ear-friendly, and solemn. The mournful and wistful vocals are a thing of beauty. Coincidentally, there are also a hundred ways to love this album! ~ Matthew Forss