Customer Reviews

Into The Labyrinth (Ltd Ed)

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

After many spins in my CD player, this CD has become one of my favorite DCD albums. Of course, when I first got the CD, I would never have said that. It just seemed really strange to me then. Luck for me, this CD was not my introduction to DCD, which was The Serpent's Egg (their finest, in my opinion, due to the marvelous song "The Host of Seraphim"). So, while I recommend this album to all true music lovers, you should be aware that it was a turning point in DCD's musical career, and it is very different from their earlier more European, Classical works, which I heartily recommend you sample first. The best songs on the album for me are: "Ariadne," "Yulunga," and "Towards the Within." A lot of people I know also like "The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove" and "The Carnival is Over." Finally, I would like to point out that this is DCD's best selling album but not necessarily their absolute best overall, although I really love it.

I was turned on to "Dead Can Dance" by a Npr radio (Krcc 91.5fm) out here in Colorado. The show was, overnite FreeForm the station had at the time. I am the owner of "Into the Labyrinth". Two Thumbs up !!

I was first introduced to Dead Can Dance with this album in a high-end audio store. The dark, etherial, eclectic, and unique style of music on this album is wonderful and well recorded. Being an audiophile truly unique and exciting music to playback on good audio equipment can be hard to find. This album (as well as many other of DCD's albums) delivers in large quantities. Musically I really appreciate Brendan Perry's song lyrics, especially in "The Ubiqutous Mr. Lovegrove", and the haunting way he executes them. Thus this album is probably my favorite by DCD along with "Within the Realm of a Dying Sun". I heartily recommend this as a good album to start with if you've never heard DCD before. The sonic magic will transport and amaze you...a fantasy for the ears. If you're an audiophile this should be on your "Records to Die for" list, great stuff!

I think this album is the best one. I listen it every day and Dead Can Dance is one of the most wonderfull, fantastic, genial group.

What else can I say about Lisa and Brendan?

When I first got "ItL", I actually did not like it. There is a long intro which turned me off right away, and at first I didn't grasp it. It wasn't until several years later, when I gave it another chance, that I actually connected with this music. It is very unique, with some exotic instruments. Yes, it is slow paced (I was at the time a rabid Death-Metal fan), but, as I later found, there is nothing wrong with that. When you put this on, you better be ready, willing and able to quietly let the music take you away on a blissful journey. They have a male and female singer, but they sing on different songs, never together on the same one. I find that odd, but truth is, each song fits marvelously with the vocalist chosen, and I could not imagine it otherwise. For those with the desire for something different, something that will take time to sink in, something that doesn't pummel you with sound from the get-go and takes time to unravel, look no further. I enjoy unrelenting, fast, violent music, but I also love mellow, meditative music like this. Enchanting.

It is interesting that opinions on this release are so polarised between either highly congratulatory or greatly disappointed. As with any music that exhibits such an individual character, the ingrained likes and dislikes of the individual listener are a larger deciding factor than usual. Many 'rock attuned' listeners prefer the more 'singular' focus of Aion or The Serpents Egg, The Goth/Dark wave set (predicably) err in favour of Dying Sun etc.

This is a very eclectic album, when measured against the earlier records. 'Ambitious' is a label that comes to mind, and this can be a dangerous road for a musical artist to tread. On one hand is the possibility of a groundbreaking achievement, on the other extreme, a self-indulgent, flatulent output bogged down in cliché' despite it's lofty aspirations. (And the middle, the 'interesting failure'- a rather flat-footed achievement.)

My opinion, I consider this to be an EXCELLENT album, although this CD took a long time to really grow on me, as it has doubtless done for many others. Ironic that another reviewer voiced a dislike of the 'pop structure' of some of the songs, because this music does not function in the same manner as pop song writing despite that influence. This stuff really needs to be listened to a lot more than once or twice and digested slowly. Like all 'serious' art (an interpretive category, admittedly) the listener only walks away with what they make the effort to invest in the experience. Anyway, lets say SOMETHING about the music.....

'Yulunga' - A longish work that creates a somewhat lysergic quality, a slow moving but forceful mood-setter for the album.

'Ubiquitous Mr Lovegrove' - 'love song' in a way, though not in the conventional sense. The signature wind melody recalls something of 'Aeon'. Brendan is limited in range as a singer and it is noticeable that his musical arrangements work around this by punctuating his vocal phrasing with dashes of string, flute, percussion and providing well-timed build-ups at key points in his lyrics

'Where Soft winds shook the Barley' (traditional)- a cappella piece by Lisa. Rather charming, although easily skipped when one is not in the mood. For attentive listening though, the shaping of the vocal phrases is nicely put together.

'The Carnival is over'- A highpoint for me, I love it. The slow delicate arpeggio at the beginning with the build-up of multiple parts is very nicely done, a signature Brendan piece. The same remarks for 'LoveGrove' apply. The lyrics in combination with the music are highly visual and appear rather personal, as though we are being offered a glimpse of a particularly poignant memory.

'Ariadne' - 'flows' out of 'Carnival', almost as though they were two separate aspects of the same work. The closing chord of Lovegrove becomes the opening chord of Ariadne and it builds beautifully from there. Lisa's voice works well here too.

'Saldek' - A short, simple work with the Arabic and Sepharidic influences coming to the fore. Literally a single chord over and over with Lisa singing on top. Almost for sure a Lisa work. (Interesting how Lisa and Brendan's strengths/weaknesses, are sort of reverse images of each other, Brendan a good composer/arranger if limited singer, and Lisa the great singer/voice sculptor, but minimalist in her writing and musical arrangements)

'Toward the within' - simple ingredients overall but the arrangements are highly ingenious and very well thought out.

Tell me about the forest - more highly interpretive lyrics and, yet again, well fleshed out arrangements like the way the music functions as a whole yet allows the listener to focus on specific elements without loosing the thread of the work.

The spider's stratagem - similar to Towards the Within to a degree.

Emmelia - Another strategically placed 'break piece' like Saldek or 'Barley'.

How fortunate the man with none -. Builds nicely and lets you down nice and gently at the end. A perfect closer to one of my favourite discs.

This album is great. It is dark and haunting (I always think of a tomb when I listen to it). Tribal, celtic, hypnotic, erotic, eclectic, multi-layered, deep, beautiful. A fabulous album for those already familiar with this unique group, and a terrific introduction for those curious.

Definitely worth the buy. One of my favorite albums. You will want more...

I first heard of Dead Can Dance on a yoga video that featured their music. I loved the music on the video and HAD to find out who did it...I love it! This whole CD is fantastic..very different...

The haunting and soothing vocal of "Yulunga" has calmed my fractured nerves on more than one occaision. "Tell Me About The Forest -- you once called home" is one of the songs that grows on you. If you have never listened to any Dead Can Dance CDs, then let this CD be your first purchase.