2013-11-04 0:40:00 ¶ ●

By Mark Hadley

Harlequin with a side of jazz. The sax and bass interludes between the main cover melody give it a little more of an edge.

2013-11-04 3:20:00 ¶ ●

By Mark Hadley

Another bass, piano, and drum trio, but this time the piano and the drumset are there for backup. This is a bass-led jam, and it’s that much cooler for it.

2013-11-05 4:21:00 ¶ ●

By Mark Hadley

The unofficial theme of the Midnight Crew. The saxophone suggests style, but that ominous string section says ‘beat with a sack full of doorknobs first and ask questions later.’

2013-11-24 1:40:00 ¶ ●

By Mark Hadley

Its combination of slow, quiet, otherworldly ambient effects provides a good sample of the type of music to follow on the rest of the album. I would say that it’s what the Furthest Ring sounds like, but it’s not horrifyingly terrible in any way. More likely, given the title of the next song, it simply represents ‘before Skaia.’

2013-11-24 4:20:00 ¶ ●

By Mark Hadley

My favorite track on the album (and the title track is very good, too, so it was a difficult choice). The best part about the song is the subtle transition point at around 1:09. Prior to that, it’s shaky and unsteady, with concerned strings backing little snippets of a melody to come. Afterwards, the song exudes reassurance and confidence.

2013-11-25 1:40:00 ¶ ●

By Mark Hadley

An ambitious reimagining of Skies of Skaia. The deep strings section and the plucked harp gives it a new grandiosity. The lyrics confused me until I looked it up – it’s got Latin and Lord of the Rings Sindarin going on there.

Sometimes, on other tracks, vocals can feel forced. That’s especially so when the song is something that people are already familiar with. But here it works very well. The singer’s voice fits in as cleanly as another instrument, and it creates a new, interesting layer on the base track.

2013-11-25 4:20:00 ¶ ●

RATING: 10 / 13 – FR3SH L1K3 R3C3NTLY L34V3N3D GRUBLO4F

A solo effort by Mark Hadley, whose contributions to the catalog tend not to be prolific, but always high in quality. The album is short – it’s more like a single release with an A and a B side than an album. But taken together, it’s a strong eleven minutes of music.

All three tracks run with the musical theme first established in Skies of Skaia. None of the songs could be called remixes, though: that would be unjust. The album is symphonic, atmospheric, and very much new-age (if you draw a blank on that genre, think Enya). And I can’t help but be reminded of the soundtrack for the first couple of Lord of the Rings movies – and the Elvish-looking script in the album cover title (and, as it turns out, Elvish lyrics) only reinforces that presumption.

The transitions between songs are a little abrupt for a single concept in three songs, but that does little to detract from its vibe. It’s good stuff.

Click here for individual song reviews for Song of Skaia.