Shadow of the Raven: Hauntingly Romantic
What else can be said about Nox Arcana that has not been yet. I think this may be my new favorite cd by the Kings of Haunting Soundtracks.

This tribute to Poe hits the mark in every way, and should be a part of every Halloween buffs collection.

Nox Arcana manages to mix spooky, romantic and entertaining whilst staying on target with the subject. The tracks with the haunting violins absolutely create the perfect imagery.

Bravo Nox Arcana you have outdone yourselves!

Amazingly Macabre
There are almost no words to describe this amazing album. Every track has its own macabre beauty. my favorite pieces on this disk are The House of Usher, Madeline's Lament, Annabel Lee, Legacy of Sorrow, Mysteries of the Night, The Raven, Morbid Reminesence, and Lenore. I hope you enjoyed this album as much as I did.

Quothe the Raven "Nox Arcana!"
You know you're holding something spectacular when you get chills just reading the track listing. Such was my response upon holding the latest gem from Nox Arcana, Shadow of the Raven, in my hands. A tribute to one of the greatest Gothic writers of all time, Edgar Allan Poe, this cd is a masterpiece of art; flawlessly capturing in musical notes what Poe set down in ink.

Based upon some of his greatest stories and most famous poems, this disc is their finest work to date.

Starting with the vocal track "Darkest Hour" you enter the despair and sorrow that was Poe's life. This feeling never really leaves you as you move onto the other songs. Some of the best are "Descent Into Madness" which will leave you with the feeling of growing dread, "Madeline's Lament" holds a gentle touch of sadness and "Haunted Memories" lives up to its' name with a haunting quality lying within each note. "Annabel Lee" is soft and poignant. "Mysteries of the Night" is simply beautiful while "The Raven" is heartbreakingly so. "A Dream Within A Dream" has an almost ethereal quality to it while "The Tell-Tale Heart" will have your own pounding with terror. "Murders in the Rue Morgue" is pure suspense and "The Pit and the Pendulum" is absolutely disturbing.

This album is definitely a must have for fans of both Poe and Nox Arcana. To be without this album? Well....quothe the Raven "Nevermore!".

Dark, Macabre, Brilliant.
In a word, Brilliant. The work of Nox Arcana keeps getting better. As a professional Magician, I not only enjoy this music at my leisure, it serves as inspiration in my work. I am especially moved with Annabel Lee, Lenore and of course, the Raven. When this album was released, I did not hesitate to purchase it because I have enjoyed their past works. Carnival of Lost Souls and Darklore Manor to name two. Edgar Allan Poe himself would seem proud, in his own melancholy way, to have a soundtrack to accompany his immortal works.

Quoth the raven...
I personally think this is Nox Arcana's best work, topping CARNIVAL OF LOST SOULS. They take you inside the tortured mind of Edgar Allen Poe and not only musically represent his personal demons but nearly a dozen of his most famous works including "The Pit And The Pendulum, "Murders In The Rue Morgue" and "Fall Of The House Of Usher." In fact, several tracks deal with the latter story. I kind of wish Nox Arcana had musically adapted one or two more of Poe's stories and done less with representing Poe's mindset. Don't get me wrong; all the tracks here are very moody and some rather pretty, but the tracks in the middle ("Legacy Of Sorrow", "Mysteries Of The Night", "Morbid Reminiscence" and "A Dream Within A Dream") all kind of ran together for me and made the CD drag just a bit. Anyway, I found the tracks focusing on Poe's stories to be the strongest on the CD. "The Black Cat" will creep you out. "The Tell-Tale Heart" will have your heart pounding. "The Cask Of Amontillado" builds just like a vengeful man laying brick to seal you in your doom. "Murders In the Rue Morgue" has a great sense of dread and use of tympani...although I'm not sure it makes me think of a gorilla with a razor blade...but it's quite good. There are also 2 hidden tracks after the final track "Nevermore". One is a partial recitation of "The Raven" which I personally entitled "Quoth The Raven" and put it bewteen "Masque Of The Red Death" and Nevermore". The other track is "The Premature Burial" which I end the CD with. A CD should always go out with a bang...or in this case a man buried alive and banging on the inside of his casket to be let out. All in all this is a very creepy and well produced CD.