666: Aphrodite's Child
{VI A.S. Music composed, and produced by Vangelis Papathanassiou. Genre: Eclectic.}
Before The Omen, and before Vangelis departed upon a solo career yielding electronic music for various films, there was this interesting "rock opera" conceptual production based upon the apocalyptic Judeo-Christian myth's book of Revelation, and seems to be a rather darker answer to 'Jesus Christ Supertar' so prominent at the time.
Essentially considered "progressive rock", it does contain some rather pleasing pieces setting a mood for celebration and 'sinful' vice, as well as somber orchestrations incorperating an eclectic combination of classical, rock, and even tribal mixes of instrumentation, combined with haunting narrations ranging from both the 'angelic' to the 'demonic' in countenance.
Track List:
* Disc one: 1. "System" 2. "Babylon" 3. "Loud, Loud, Loud" 4. "The Four Horsemen" 5. "The Lamb" 6. "The Seventh Seal" 7. "Aegian Sea" 8. "Seven Bowls" 9. "The Wakening Beast" 10. "Lament" 11. "The Marching Beast" 12. "The Battle Of The Locusts" 13. "Do It" 14. "Tribulation" 15. "The Beast" 16. "Ofis".Nefarious chanting introduces the opus in 'System', preparing the mood for some morbid storyline; Appropriately, "Babylon" casts the impression of a carnal city in the midst of a celebration of the flesh in joyful rapport; "Loud, Loud, Loud" seems to admonish the humanimal towards the natural acceptance of the self, and a breaking forth of perfidious contraints from white light enslavers; 'Aegian Sea' is an instrumental in Ur sound orchestration, wherein one may visualize the vast misty shores of a glistening crest upon the ancient waters; "The Battle Of The Locusts" and "Do It" are violent guitar solos illustrating warfare; "The Beast" is rhythmically heavy with a memorable chorus, which may have your hoof tapping; The brief though amusing "Ofis" contains a humorous "shilgne" reverse speech inunciation amidst the throes of apparent 'possession'; The other intervening songs seem to link these together as segueways, preserving a smooth flow.
* Disc two: 1. "Seven Trumpets" 2. "Altamont" 3. "The Wedding of the Lamb" 4. "The Capture of the Beast" 5. "∞" 6. "Hic and Nunc" 7. "All the Seats Were Occupied" 8. "Break"."Seven Trumpets" opens in carnival barker style, as a british voice welcomes the listener back to the show, as the curtain opens to... "Altamont" alludes to that infamous concert by The Rolling Stones in Northern California in which "the hunter became the hunted" {pun intended}; "Hic and Nunc" includes a choir singing "Here and Now", jaunty piano, some handclapping, and voice complimentations; "Infinity" is primarily comprised of a rather orgasmic woman in the throes of devilish ecstasy, again alluding to 'possession' - in this case, perhaps the "demon of lust", and/or Lilith; "All The Seats Were Occupied" spans near twenty minutes, incorperating many different effects therein, including bits and pieces from previous songs in the background, the return of the ringmaster, several other voices, chants, monks, to multiple shifts in harmony, and a cavalcade of instruments including scitar and sistrum; The opus concludes with "Break", a melancholy ballad utilizing piano and guitar in concert, creating a pleasant interchange.
'666' integrates the arcane with the modern, one complimenting the other in kind. Ironically, this album just may be the zietgeist which launched similar concept albums into the mass consciousness, both musically and thematically, inspiring subsequent diabolical expressions in a myriad of genres.
"DO IT." 4/5.
V a n g e l i s
Heaven & Hell
{X A.S. Genre: Electronic / Orchestral}1. Heaven And Hell Part I/So Long Ago, So Clear 2. Heaven And Hell Part II.
The magical hands of the composer emerge from the whirling hellfires, touching upon the 'sin-thesizer' to entertain the infernal hordes with rippling and dancing notes, manifesting the mesmerizing Fates from the misty flames...
Bombastic soundscapes from the genius of this one-man band, sonically describing the mythological battle between 'good' and 'evil', making for a great hypothetical soundtrack. But more than that, it is repleat with glorious choral rises, militant permutations, eerie interludes, and inspirational Ur sound bliss cascades upon the senses like a sonic waterfall, both placid and torrential.
In the last six minutes of "Heaven And Hell Part I", one can perceive the faint origins of "Chariots of Fire" right before gracefully floating into the melancholy "So Long Ago, So Clear", sung by the enchanting vocal talents of Yes' Jon Anderson, reminiscient of Bryan Ferry's style of singing, with Tangerine Dream-like orchestration. Quite moving.
'Heaven And Hell Part II' begins darkly brooding, until we are treated to a haunting aria slowly blending into a choral duet, then on to further arcane adventures of the mind...
A musical journey into the multi-dimensional subconscious where the imagination may project into the darkness, and otherwise can serve as ritual musick for victory and compassion.
5/5.
