After the wonderful "Shadow Of The Moon" and "Under A Violet Moon," the saga of Blackmore's Night continues in 2001 with "Fires At Midnight", an album that, despite its seventy-minute length, doesn't show any drop in style, fillers, or dead points, transporting the listener on a timeless journey suspended between medieval music, folk with ethnic influences, and the rock energy that returns to flow from Ritchie Blackmore's rediscovered electric guitar, adding a new element that further enriches the already eclectic and varied sound of this wonderful musical project.
The evolution compared to the first two albums can be felt right from the opener "Written In The Stars", which after a very soft beginning dominated by Candice's soothing voice transforms into an epic ride supported by the guitar of the Man in Black, in "I Still Remember", which takes the oriental sounds of "Morning Star" and reworks them in a more rock key and especially in songs like the title track "Fires At Midnight", evoking ancient superstitions and magical rites, and "Storm", imbued with romantic contemplation of the power of nature, two visionary frescoes of the darker side of a now lost world, characterized by restless and nocturnal sounds, very intricate musically and rich in time changes without ever sounding artificial or cloying. But "Fires At Midnight" is not just epic rock: it is a very intricate album, full of nuances, that with each track shows something different, from the lively and engaging tarantella of "Home Again" to the spring-like and airy flavor of "Crowning Of The King", passing through ballads like the poignant "Hanging Tree" and the sweet "Midwinter's Night", partially sung in Provençal, all the way to "All Because Of You", which unexpectedly veers towards pleasantly pop-rock sounds, and the album's lead single, the Dylan-esque "The Times They Are A Changing", the only cover on the record, masterfully transformed into a medieval minuet in perfect Blackmore's Night style and perfectly interpreted by Candice's wonderful voice.
"Castles And Dreams" is yet another demonstration that talent has no age: honor to Ritchie Blackmore who, like many of his peers, could have lived off the greatness of his past work with Deep Purple and Rainbow; no one could have blamed him, and instead, he preferred to put himself back in the game, disregarding market logic and following his instinct and desire to continue being a 100% musician, thus experiencing a wonderful second youth that has given us gems like this 2001 album, perfect as a soundtrack for long, cold autumn evenings. Perhaps the most suitable rating would be four stars, but for the musical depth, for the eclecticism, for Candice, one of the most expressive and sensual female voices in the entire world scene, for Ritchie's courage, for the inspiration that animates this project, why not give the highest score?
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