Blackmore's Night
Secret Voyage

 Here is the new effort from the minstrel Ritchie Blackmore and his lady Candice Night, namely Blackmore's Night with "Secret Voyage".

In my opinion, I find this new work better than the previous "The Village Lanterne"...

Here a somewhat more inspired Ritchie Blackmore with the electric guitar, certainly, always alternating moments of medieval acoustic (which I found technically excellent in a couple of pieces!).

I find Candice's voice stunning and gritty, and a CD with strong energy.

The first track, "God save the reg" is an intro that opens with the sound of harpsichord and flutes, gradually developing with keyboards (???) and trumpets, leaving a taste of something already heard, but... at a certain point, besides the electric guitar already appearing in the background, it ends with an organ sound (which very much recalls the intro of "Can't let you go" from Bent out of Shape) and Gregorian chants from the time of the Crusades that, in my opinion, anticipate the masterpiece of this CD, the second track "Locked Within the Crystal": 8 minutes and 5 seconds of epicness, which with different tones could easily come from a CD like Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow. From the first notes, you can tell it's an epic ride, with Candice's intense voice, and after a few moments, the great guitarist shows off his guitar, hinting that it will be a song with great surprises, beautiful solos, and a beautiful singing part, for me one of the most beautiful songs from Blackmore's Night... logically it doesn't lack interludes with hurdy-gurdies, winds, harp, creating dreamy atmospheres, but a first electric solo that resembles Zeit from Difficult and a second final solo like Mike Oldfield.... Thank you Blackmore, for the chills.... Great Great Great!!!

Great voice in "Gilded Cage", a sweet ballad with a beautiful series of percussion, acoustic solo, and violin.

An intro vaguely reminiscent of Shadow of the Moon, for "Toast to Tomorrow", a "gypsy" piece, catchy and engaging, and a little "noisy" surely proposed at concerts.

Great Class (with a capital C) and intimacy of Blackmore, for these wonderful 2 minutes and 14 of instrumental acoustic... His technique blends with his musical expressiveness... a dream! this is "Price Waldecks Galliard".

And who doesn't remember "Rainbow Eyes" from Long Live Rock'n'Roll?... Ok, here it is again! and here PURE THRILL, in a non-acoustic version, yes, presented as a semi-ballad, but with great electric guitar, a skin-tingling solo in the middle and at the end... total involvement... This is the second gem of the CD.

"The Circle" from the opening hints that it's a song with medieval sounds, but the bass suggests it's more, indeed a second "ride" with epic nuances, with electric guitar in the background, great choirs, and full music with a final solo by master Ritchie and his Strat.....

Again a beautiful medieval/acoustic ballad with "Sister Gypsy".

Opening with electric guitar and a beautiful intermediate solo for this pop/rock version of the Elvis Presley cover "Can't Help Falling in Love".

The CD closes with a triptych of medieval acoustic songs: the first, a beautiful semi-epic, "Peasants Promises"... the second "Far Far Away" for those who love Enya's unmistakable style... the third, intimate "Empty Words" to close with easy and dreamy melodies this CD.

A CD of high production and sound quality and that has true gems in the middle... and that will surely stand out live.