Transylvania

This is an EXCELLENT and STUNNING piece of musical ingenuity that pays homage to the dark mastermind called Bram Stoker. It successfully manages to satisfy even the most demanding of listeners. An album that stands as a landmark in the gothic-horror instrumental genre.
      Beware ye who dare to venture where angels fear to tread... And thus, my journey begins to the dark mountains that lie beyond this barren land, long forgotten by human God. The desolate castle that stands atop the hill, only a sign of the eternal suffering that has swept this land through centuries past...
     Nox Arcana invites you to embark on a darkly erotic musical journey to a barren land, where the children of the night never seize to quench their savage hunger for human life. From the beginning 'til the very end, the dark orchestrations and haunting melodies and rhythms will transport you straight into the land of the undead, only to bear witness to the massacre that takes place every unholy night. "Venture forth...if you dare!"

Transylvania is yet another stone in the musical tower of Nox Arcana. So, just take a step forward and cross the border of dream and reality. The Victorian midnight tales and adventures full of blood, dark romanticism perfectly wrapped in gothic aura await!

Transylvania is darkly atmospheric with its shadowy grace... The production work is brilliant. Overall, the whole album is awesome, the musicianship excellent—melodic beauty mixed with chilling doom-laden darkness.

Nox Arcana's Joseph Vargo and William Piotrowski are at it again, taking on the long dark history of vampiric lore with their release Transylvania. The chilling soundscapes are mesmerizing, creating wonderfully wicked movies in the mind for those who dare listen with their eyes closed. It is no small undertaking trying to create the atmosphere of darkest Carpathia through music, but Nox Arcana executes it perfectly, allowing you to envision every blood-soaked detail.
     "Transylvanian Overture," a narrated piece performed by Joseph Vargo, starts us off, perfectly capturing the eerie mood of the album. "The Voyage" and "The Black Coach" lead us right into the heart of darkness, the tension forever building as we await the inevitable arrival at "Castle Dracula." For the duration of your passage through the land of darkness gothic choirs sing wraithlike in your ears, while an orchestra of the damned plays ceaselessly. It is so easy to become lost here, time seeming to stand still as each of the tracks lead us deeper into the realm of one of the most beloved and feared creatures of literature. We are taken everywhere in the castle, from the belfry to the crypt, all the while the sounds of bats and wolves accompanying our every step.
     One piece that adds to the ambience of this release is the CD booklet, which includes some of Joseph Vargo's amazing artwork alongside the lyrics for some of the narrated portions of the album. These haunting images make it that much easier to immerse yourself in Nox Arcana's Transylvania.
      If this is your first trip into the nether realms created by Nox Arcana, I can assure you it will not be your last. Vargo and Piotrowski have a way of creating evocative environments that linger in your psyche. I can honestly say they are without equal, and they have fast become one of my favorite bands.
     So what are you waiting for? Take a one-way trip to Transylvania, a world that will live on in your nightmares.

As a lone traveler trekking across the eerie landscape of the Carpathian Mountains, one might wonder as to the sounds that might accompany this ethereal panorama. Transylvania is the sound of legendary Romania. Nox Arcana's compositions are manifested into a cornucopia of Gothic Greatness. In this celebration of the creatures of the night, Nox Arcana take you to Nosferatu's inner sanctum. The listener is led from black velvet-shrouded coaches to gypsy caravans, werewolf infested woodlands to the castle itself where the Lord of Darknes awaits. Every track has a distinct theme and one can guess what track it is without following along on the CD insert.

Nox Arcana are known to take their subject matter seriously and apply a level of professionalism that is unmatched since Bram Stoker created his neverending tale over a century ago... Nox Arcana's take on the subject in Transylvania stays truthful and infuses the atmosphere with the perfect backing to any Victorian gothic horror. Nox Arcana's treatment is deep, meaningful, frightening yet beautiful.

Nox Arcana musically explores the ultimate gothic atmosphere in Transylvania, the forth concept album that Joseph Vargo and William Piotrowski have produced in less than three years. Vargo re-examines one of his favourite subjects, a gothic myth which he has approached from different angles in the past, Count Dracula and his dark disciples. The descent into the Transylvanian myths, the enchanting 'land beyond the forest,' begins with the narration of the first poetical lyrics.
      The concept, as with the previous Nox Arcana projects (with the exception perhaps of Winter's Knight, with more vocals included) is developed cinematographically, which brings the album closer to the musical category of movie soundtracks, with influences from classic horror film and cinema fantastique composers, such as Wojcieck Kilar (Dracula), Jerry Goldsmith (The Omen), John Carpenter, or even Vangelis The many fully-developed musical works evoke a dark and dangerous atmosphere, mysterious at times, with gypsy melodies of violin and female chants, and at times epic, with crescendos of a large symphony orchestra, and further reinforced by the heavy Gregorian chants: Vargo's own voice filtered through several layers, resulting in an impressive quality sound.
     Especially recommended for the lovers of horror movie soundtracks, dark fairytales, as well as to the vampire breed and fans of Stoker's legend.

As a magician/escape artist, I look to music as a form of inspiration and creativity, and Nox Arcana contributes magically on all levels. Their music pierces the veil of darkness and has actually helped me to create magic effects based on many of their alluring themes. Rarely can one sit back and actually visualize music, but in this instance Nox Arcana echoes from the crypt.

Nox Arcana are setting the bar higher and higher with each release. Each one just gets better than the last one.
     As much as we enjoyed being lead into the dark crypts of Lovecraft's world with Necronomicon, with Transylvania, they take us on a wonderfully dark journey through the land of the Carpathian Mountains, filled with bats, howling winds and wolves. Their musical storytelling, with the spoken words, the chanting, and the wonderful organ music, is something that all horror and gothic fans will enjoy.
     Nox Arcana continues to deliver great music for those Halloween nights, or any dark and gloomy evenings, when you want to add a little bit more atmosphere to your night. Or even to bring some of that darkness to you in the blinding daylight hours as well.

I stumbled on this cd looking for pagan music and I sampled all of the songs. I loved the cd so much I listened to all of the other cd Nox Arcana had and now I have all 13 of them... I meditate to his music )O(

This is the first Nox Arcana album I heard, I bought it because I love Dracula and I thought for certain I would find good music in here. I was wrong... EVERY single song has a beauty that cannot be compared. Whether a short monolgue or achingly elegant music, the haunting and beautiful melodies within are a true treasure. I have since to purchase the other albums, and while I have not yet found one which quite compares to Transylvania, none of
are a disappointment. For the first time I can truly say I cannot wait to see what they come up with next. Although admit, even though I love the music, it's the actual not lyrics, more monologues that I love. The one in the overtur "From Dusk Till Dawn" are my favorites. Melody wise, I confess to be in love with Gypsy Caravan, Memento Mori of course Grand Masquerade.

Nox Arcana is amazing and dark i love it !

All I can say about Nox Arcana is that they musically realize my deepest dreams... and nightmares. This is pure horror or rather horror as it SHOULD be, where mysterious creatures howl in the night and castles swallow you whole—unfortunate mainstream of psychopaths with chainsaws. Buy their music instantly, listen to it at night with headphones, but beware... it just might consume you.

Running Call of Cthulhu on Saturday... my friends are gonna be freaked out with this :)

This album is amazing and filled with so much complex and dark emotion it is an album that will shake you to the with its haunting lyrics and dark strange melodies. In my opinion the best song on the album is probably Gossamer Mist, this is due to how haunting and strange the vocals overlayed with the background piano makes for an incre creepy atmosphere. So overall ide say but this album if oyu enjoy the dark creep and mysterious realms of our world.

Wow..... Nox Arcana is one of the best groups i've heard playing this kind of music.Dark and beautiful. If you like t much as i do, I'd also recommend midnight syndicate and dark sanctuary.

Domm, gloom and dark despair music that should be heard everywhere. Just kidding but it is well done and is pe for halloween. It has the spooky feeling that you would want to hear when dealing with monsters.

One of my favorite soundtrack tunes was the theme to Amityville Horror -- and these are in that vein. (Ahem, sorr They are as cartoony as a haunted house; and yet when you give them time to sink in, they're really very well-cra and beautiful. I could have done without the narration here and there myself.... but it's dark and glimmery fun.

I loved this album, Gypsy Caravan is my favorite!!

This album is perfect. It makes you travel into your mind and close your eyes. You can even hear the distant voic especially in the last track "Lair of the Vampire." You can just hear them, it's so amazing. You feel like you're in a different world. Truly enjoyable! iTunes should definetely get more albums of Nox Arcana.

I am a normal average generally preppy girl, but i have to say...... THIS IS AWSOME!!!!!!! very intense and deep an very well with Twilight books.

This was the first album of Nox Arcana's that I found/bought, I can't describe how in love I fell with this music! Th really has to be the best album, my favorite song has to be "Bats in the Belfry," "Gothic Sanctum"... the way the choral music is used is absolutely enchanting! And if I had kept track better of when the newest album came out Grimm Tales I would own it already! You continue to rock my world Nox Arcana!

This music creates the perfect ambient for any Gothic person like me. It´s amazing how you can almost feel the darkness, the humidity of a cursed forest or maybe inside of an old world´s castle. This definitively will be just the one of many in my collection of Nox Arcana.

I'm making a youtube movie with animation, this music is perfect for some parts of it! I really love the "Night of the Wolf song.

I found this album by randomly typing in "Transylvania". I listened to the first song and was instantaneously trans my seat. I listened to track after track and then without even thinking just clicked "Buy This Album"! If you are a fan of Stoker's novel, or Copolla's movie, or Rice's books, or you just like dark classical music with scary sounds that re make you feel as though you are in Transylvania, I recommend buying this. A terrific album!

Amazing! Nox Arcana's music travels through the inner reaches of your spirit, and to the depths of your soul. This album is a masterpiece, and though not quite as good as Carol of Lost Souls, it's a wonderful piece of work.

MAGNIFICENTLY BEAUTIFUL! I love this CD it is by far my favorite Nox Arcana CD however, I had a bit of a hard time matching it with "Blood of the Dragon" but, I finally made the decision, Myfavorite songs are The voyage, Memento Mori (Remember you will die) Castle Dracula, and Gothic Sanctum! THANK YOU NOX ARCANA.

this is absolutly amazing and beautiful music.

Ok, this might sound Geeky as all hell but here it goes. I sometimes run D&D games as a Dungeon Master, and this music is the perfect backdrop while running a game. And plus by itself it is Great.

I cannot believe the sheer beauty that Nox Arcana's music brings, so dark and forbidding, it claws at your soul. I hope to get Carnival of Lost Souls. Nox Arcana's newest album.

Nox Arcana is lovely. I especially enjoyed Brides to Darkness and Gypsy Caravan. And I'm sure my ghosts did, too. ;-)

This is great stuff, especially if you have to chop up a body or two and bag the pieces and need something relaxing to listen to. Seriously though, this music is unclassifyable and this release is an exceptional effort. I just got turned on to this act and have bought up just about all of it. I like classical, black metal, death metal and Pink Floyd and this does it for me. Well worth the Ten bucks. Enjoy with a bloody steak and some expensive red wine, and a pale lover.