Monastery
The Garden of Abandon

They called it the "Garden of Abandon" because those who entered could abandon all their fears, worries, and anxieties. In this garden, Proserpina used to indulge in dances and laughter with her sisters, naively unaware of the evil, pain, and suffering that lurked outside the Garden, trying in vain to climb over the high walls like wicked ivy. Daughter of Ceres and Jupiter, with dark hair, exceedingly pale skin inflamed by blood-red lips and cheeks, and emerald green eyes, she stood out among her sisters for her beauty and grace.
There was a cave in this Garden, which the maidens never visited: dark, damp, framed by ivy, it seemed to emanate something terrible and arcane: it was the gate of the Underworld, placed there as a reminder of the fleeting nature of beauty and life: the "Garden of Abandon" was an Eden for non-human creatures like Proserpina, but for common mortals, it appeared as a passageway, a moment of extreme freedom and life immediately preceding the abandonment of existence.
From the cold cave, fiery red eyes greedily watched life in the garden: Pluto, king of the Underworld, tired of the constant darkness and pain from being cast out in a world of sadness and suffering, yearned for the joy and happiness embodied in the maidens who inhabited the lush meadow. Among these creatures, the Demon desired Proserpina; he had fallen in love with her grace, her ethereal features, her elegance. He wanted her by his side to reign in Hell, hoping the girl could bring a bit of sunshine into his non-life. And so one day, he emerged from the cave, surprising the maiden who was seated gathering violets: he embraced her and, heedless of her screams, fled with her to his Kingdom.
In the realm of Darkness, the Demon tried to make the girl feel at ease, bringing her flowers, which died shortly due to the lack of light and excessive heat; bringing her animals, which soon grew weak because of the absence of clean air; bringing her foods, which she refused because she knew that, once she accepted anything to eat from the realm of the Underworld, that would forever be her dwelling.
And so time passed, and Ceres, Proserpina's mother, began searching for her, as she didn't see her anymore: her anger and anguish increased daily, and she lost interest in the world, leading to famines and droughts. Humanity gradually perished, and Jupiter, seeking to put an end to these sufferings, sent his messenger Mercury to search for the young girl: when he finally found her, he did not recognize in her eyes the emerald light that distinguished her. Due to her growing hunger, the maiden had indeed yielded and eaten a pomegranate seed, effectively condemning herself to be Pluto's bride and never leaving the kingdom of Darkness again.
Ceres's fury did not subside upon learning of her daughter's sad fate, and the days of famine turned into months. Jupiter, arbitrator of the affair, then imposed a condition that would, in effect, reconcile Pluto and Ceres: Proserpina would spend six months in the world of the living with her mother in the Garden of Abandon, and six months in that of the dead, ruling with Pluto in the Underworld.
Together she would be Queen of Summer and Mistress of Winter, and those emerald-colored eyes never shone as they once did, not even when illuminated by the warm light of the sun.
"The Garden of Abandon" is the second effort signed by Monastery, a moniker behind which hides Robb Kavjian of 1476. As in his previous "Peculiar Storms," we are faced with an album whose musical references can be found in ambient music with electronic, folk, and synth inserts. Although critics classify the genre proposed by the Artist as "dungeon synth," the dark and gloomy connotations that characterize much of this genre are completely absent: it would therefore be almost more correct to speak of "Fantasy Synth," provided such a label exists.
The main source of inspiration for this album is the art of the Pre-Raphaelites: our artist has developed a sort of concept that gives a literary and musical form to this fascinating English pictorial movement, creating a magical and delicate world wherein historical, mythological, or fairy-tale characters come to life. An added value is the artwork of the album and the texts written to comment on each piece, necessary to best render the atmosphere they wish to recreate with the music offered.
It is a listening experience well suited to this season when the harshness of winter gives way to the mild temperatures of spring, and Nature is awakening, ready to tell us the wonderful stories it dreamed during its months of rest.