CoC : Arcana - Inner Pale Sun : Review

Arcana - _Inner Pale Sun_
(Cold Meat Industry, 2002)
by: Xander Hoose (6 out of 10)

Arcana, consisting of Peter Pettersson and Ida Bengtsson, is one of CMI's top ranking bands. The neoclassical output these two produce has been of a steady level from day one (_Dark Age of Reason_), shifting more and more towards a heavily Dead Can Dance-influenced sound on _The Last Embrace_. With Peter's side project Sophia, the darker and more sinister part of the music has been expanded further, leaving the angelic bright side to Arcana. _Inner Pale Sun_ is a clear result of this two-way split. Medieval bombast is sparsely present; most of the songs are focused on an almost ambient-esque, vocal-driven flow. This creates a downside: with the absence of a darker side, the songs tend to become too sweet, almost boring. With an average running length of four to five minutes per track, I would have preferred shorter songs instead. Still, _Inner Pale Sun_ is a worthy episode in the Arcana series, and I don't think many fans will be disappointed.

(article published 27/10/2003)

ALBUMS
7/29/2012	C Drishner	8	Arcana - As Bright As a Thousand Suns
8/12/1996	G Filicetti	5	Arcana - Dark Age of Reason