Analog Missionary- Voyage of the Demeter

Containing 14 tracks of music written for the classic 1922 silent film Nosferatu, Analog Missionary's Voyage of the Demeter is, understandably, a bit different from the band's previous album, Transmitter. Mainly instrumental, it falls a little closer to the ethereal/orchestral soundtrack realm with rock elements and a few rock numbers included for good measure, even occasionally throwing a little atmospheric theremin into the mix. While they actually aren't the first alternative band to write an original soundtrack to that particular film, their take on the film is an excellent 14-track foray into lovely ethereal/orchestral rock territory.

Whether it be orchestral/ethereal instrumentals ("Oceans of Sorrow", "Belltower", "Arrival", "River Pass", "Passage to Bremen", "Zeit", "The Plague"), moody rock ("Mina's Letter", "Harpoon", "The Secret Race", "From flight to capture", "Son of the Dragon"), or a hybrid of the two ("The Black Carriage"), Voyage of the Demeter is a spectacular album in its own right. From the lovely cascading piano of "River Pass" to the beautiful operatic vocals and ambience of "Oceans of Sorrow", the disc's ethereal material is excellent, as is its rock material, from the spectacular moody piano-centered "Mina's Letter" to the downright heavy "The secret Race".

While apparently written as a soundtrack, Analog Missionary's Voyage of the Demeter actually works rather well as a standalone album. It's well performed and produced with impressive arrangements and an appropriate sense of drama and emotion. Instrumental ethereal/rock fans, especially those with a penchant for film scores, should certainly give this album a listen.