Product Description
- Arcana The Arcane*
- Dark Sanctuary Summoning of the muse
- Autumn’s Grey Solace Musica Eternal*
- Faith & the Muse Chant Of The Paladin*
- Black tape for a blue girl Fortune presents gifts
not according to the book - Rajna Cantara
- Mirabilis The Writing On My Father’s Hand*
- Chandeen In power we entrust the love advocated
- Arcana Enigma of the Absolute*
- KOBE Bird*
- Athan Maroulis with Surface 10 Ulysses
- Stoa Cantara*
* Exclusive track
“What really makes this album successful is that all of the bands manage to offer something unique and personal, yet they still keep the attention on the vocals and capture the atmospheric vibe that Dead Can Dance always brought to their music.” – Virus Magazine
As one of the leading musical innovators, Dead Can Dance’s 20 year musical history inspires fans and artists alike. Shaped by their beginnings in the 4AD / Darkwave scene and later world music influences, vocalist Lisa Gerrard and multi-instrumentalist Brendan Perry create haunting music that touches a deep emotional chord. Summoning of the Muse ~ a tribute to Dead Can Dance gathers together eleven of the world’s most respected ethereal / heavenly voices / darkwave artists to lovingly recreate the master’s songs. At times one could swear this is a live release from DCD, or unknown outtake from their studio albums – the homage is so astonishing. On other tracks, uniquely original interpretations take the songs into neo-classical and shoegazer realms.
Reviews Editor –
From Gothic Paradise
Out of all of the labels in the world, Projekt Records is the perfect choice to gather and compile the best possible tribute to the legendary band Dead Can Dance. With the label showing good activity with some incredible releases in 2005, it’s only fitting that this tribute should round out the summer releases with possibly the best piece out this year.
After enchanting us with their own legendary music, Arcana enters onto this tribute with two excellent covers of “The Arcane” and “Enigma of the Absolute”. Both of these tracks sport the bombastic approach to neo-classical and medieval music that we’ve enjoyed so much from them over the years. Another absolute favorite of mine appears on this disc as Dark Sanctuary presents their beautifully captivating version of the title track “Summoning of the Muse.” This is truly a rendition to be remembered and cherished by fans worldwide.
A true treat and something entirely unexpected is the guitar-laiden, dreamy, shoegazer version of “Musica Eternal” from Autumn’s Grey Solace. Among the many other great covers we’re presented with Black Tape for a Blue Girl covering “Fortune presents gifts not according to the book”. As their style over the years has dictated, this seems to be the perfect cover by Sam, Lisa, Vicki, Elysabeth and Athan to do. Another slight surprise was presented in the form of “In Power We Entrust the Love Advocated” by the now defunct band Chandeen. Many fans will remember this track from several years ago.
The album packs a dozen excellent tracks, all to be highly commended and excellently done. Each band presents their own style and interpretation of the legendary works, but stay very true to the original styles to provide something that Dead Can Dance fans can really enjoy. I think that is the real key to these tribute albums, providing something that fans of the original band can listen to, relate to and really enjoy. This album is highly recommended not only for DCD fans, but for anyone that enjoys anything by any artist on this compilation. Be sure to check it out! Rating: 5/5
Reviews Editor –
From All Music
Released as the reunited duo carried out its first American tour in years, Summoning of the Muse, much like the previous year’s double-CD tribute The Lotus Eaters, is an enjoyable enough collection of reinterpretations of the work of Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard that can (understandably enough) never fully capture the beauty of the originals. It’s still a fine collection in its own right, serving as a bit of a sampler for the Projekt label along the way — Projekt head Sam Rosenthal’s band Black Tape for a Blue Girl contributes to the collection, bemusingly enough with the very same track they did for The Lotus Eaters, “Fortune Presents Gifts Not According to the Book.” The other songs are a mix of previously recorded and released efforts and newer work, beginning with Arcana’s appropriate choice, “The Arcane” — as Peter Bjärgö’s arrangements always clearly took inspiration from Dead Can Dance, it’s a fine start. (As seems appropriate, Arcana are the only band to appear on the album twice, returning with a majestic though admittedly straightforward take on “Enigma of the Absolute”). As is often the case with tributes, the strongest songs are the most original interpretations, often the ones where the group’s own personality reframes the core song. Thus, Autumn’s Grey Solace’s post-Cocteaus wash of guitar and singing provides a new spin on “Musica Eternal,” while Chandeen’s “In Power We Entrust the Love Advocated” gives a surprisingly modern, almost mainstream twist to the song. Stoa’s downcast version of “Cantara” is also noteworthy, piano-led and darkly serene. In contrast, efforts like Rajna’s own take on “Cantara,” Athan Maroulis and Surface 10’s “Ulysses,” and Mirabilis’ admittedly beautiful “The Writing on My Father’s Hand” are enjoyable but not revelatory, appreciative but contributing little to Dead Can Dance’s remarkable legacy. -Ned Raggett