Liste des groupes Dark Ambient Aardia Conquest of the Ancient Halls

If the Lord of the Rings soundtrack (Howard Shore) and band/composers such as Nox Arcana, Za Frûmi, Jesper Kyd and Joseph Loduca got together and made music to a film this is how it would sound! Maybe that sounds bold and like an odd mix but honestly all those above mentioned composers are the ones I come to think of while listening to Conquest of the Ancient Halls, the debut album of three Swedish artists.

This is the kind of CD where every other song is punctuated by thundering, booming drums while a choir urgently sings sinister tunes far away. Aardia is a force to be reckoned with. The music is enchanting. Upon listening to Conquest of the Ancient Halls, I'm reminded of the soundtrack scores of great sword and sorcery movies but also some more darker pieces and the compositions of Za Frûmi.

I mentioned Joseph Loduca who has composed music to films like Evil Dead, Army of Darkness, Brotherhood of the Wolf to mention a few. Sometimes in Aardia's music I can feel the same atmosphere as Loduca. Jesper Kyd, whom I also mentioned above, is mostly known for his music to games. I most of all think Aardia is similar to the sound Kyd sometimes touched in the game Assassin's Creed II but Aardia is more dramatic and not so folk or east influenced.

Aardia create amazing melodies and arrangements. The majestic feeling of the music is built up by the sound and structure which surely will take you to ancient lands, the ones imagined by this trio. I am impressed.

Irma S. Mandel