Arise From Thorns - Before An Audience Of Stars (2000)

What do we have here? Fascinating, serene, uplifting, dynamic, dark, lush acoustic folk. These are words that come to mind when describing this breathtaking new band, now renamed Brave. Dark Symphonies has unleashed a mysterious non-metal masterpiece with Arise From Thorns. A hushed calm overtakes the soul, as if the echoes of the vocalists healing voice have escaped to brighten the corners of our pale existence. Streams of acoustic guitars flow through the listener, moving from light fluidity to sad expressive tones. At times the delicate treatment and textures of the strings recall classic Nick Drake, while other times feather-weight complexity is replaced by dark, cumbersome atmospheres. Arise From Thorns are a more involved, cheerful version of what the 3rd and the Mortal hinted at, minus the oblique metal undertones. What begins as typical female-fronted, acoustic folk-rock, quickly germinates into something far more elusive and difficult to pigeonhole, as the listener is drawn further within the heart of the music. Traditional upbeat folk magically collides with darker, medieval tones to form an interesting dichotomy of vibrant music, rife with emotion. Highlights are bountiful, as each song is refreshingly unique and would unfortunately require too much room for proper description. This album simply needs to be heard in quiet seclusion. Before an Audience of Stars should land itself into every music lovers collection.