Title: Silmand
Artist: sToa
Genre: Classical /Acoustic / Electronic
Release Date: 26th September 2008
Label: Alice in…
Album Review
Founded in 1991 by Olaf Parusel as a new way to connect his musical and philosophical thoughts, STOA already left a huge impact with their debut ‘Urthona’ back in 1992 and was to continue this path with a line-up exclusively comprising classically-trained musicians and singers. Through the following years the project went through various line-up changes whilst releasing two more albums ‘Porta VIII’ (1994) and ‘Zal’ (2001). A dormant period of over seven years followed until STOA returns with ‘Silmand’ in 2008.
No over boarding electronic gadgetry or stirring rock is what we hear when entering the world of ‘Silmand’ meaning ‘Soul Month’ the title of the month September in an almost forgotten German dialect; it’s the quiet sighing of the wind, carrying the melancholy in its very core. With a consistently shower of piano, xylophone and beautiful violin play, the first song ‘Sakrileg’ casts a spell on the listener to get lost in dreamy rhythms slipping in a little stream of electronics and a clean female voice guiding us through the story of ‘Broken Glass’. ‘La Lune Blanche’ (The white Moon) barrows a bell-like angelic voice on a vast soundscapes of orchestral murk permeated with the pleading sound of a clarinet. ‘Daar’ stays remains under the roof of wistfulness though the arrangement itself is a little more challenging by itself and sometimes it seems, the strings would fight against each other and the piano stays in the background just to be a squiring element. The next piece ‘Iter Devium’ could have easily been used for a movie score, cautiously wandering through oppressive and luring landscapes to rise up to a monumental crescendo to end in fragility. ‘My last Way’ preludes with a reluctant chime and while strings take over the control again its questions like this the narrator is dealing with. “Where will I be when it’s time for me to go” or “Which last words will I say when the time has come?”
‘Pallidium’ [Night] introduces us to a rather rhythmical side of STOA and is based on a network of masterfully played percussion instruments and female chant enriched with flutes and a remarkable choir passage. ‘Ways’ couldn’t be more different, so brittle its charm due to it’s reduced kind only being played on the piano and ending in silence after only a few minutes. From one extreme into another with ‘Modesty’ where orchestral walls build up to rush down on you with their full force. It’s almost like there was a complete orchestra in the studio, during the recording session. The title of the song ‘Hanuz Nist’ descends from the lyrics of the Indian poet Hassan Dehlawi from the 14th Century and again the bewitching female vocals fly over majestic arrangements. ‘A Drinking Song’ surprises with quite poppy electronic rhythms and only understated classical elements like the choir far in the background but generating an intriguing atmosphere together with the mellow male vocals. Now sit back, close your eyes and enjoy the rich atmosphere of the wonderful ‘So many Clouds’ that once again causes goose bumps with its classical arrangements. I talked about a film score earlier and the closing song ‘Tacitum’ was actually used in one according to the band’s website. In the style of chamber music with piano and violin it couldn’t be a more suitable ending for an album like ‘Silmand’.
It is indeed an album for the more quiet moments n life; an album that invites you on a journey through autumnal feelings and over vast landscapes covered by dark clouds. The best thing to listen to on a cold evening at this time of the year.
Tracklist
01. Sakrileg – 2 :57
02. Broken Glass – 3 :22
03. La Lune Blanche – 3 :52
04. Daar – 3:24
05. Iter Devium – 3:32
06. My Last Way – 3:50
07. Pallidum [Night] – 2:58
08. Ways – 3:28
09. Modesty – 3:28
10. Hanuz Nist – 4:33
11. A Drinking Song – 3:41
12. So Many Clouds – 3:52
13. Tacitum – 3:29
Line-up
Olaf Parusel - Music, Arrangements
Mandy Bernhardt - Vocals
Louisa John-Krol – Various Instruments, Vocals
Website
http://www.stoa.de/ / http://www.myspace.com/stoa
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 9
Sound: 9
Extras: -
Total: 9
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