VOIVODE DRACULA

With this release' Richard Wileman has moved even further away from the musical conventions that would normally be given the term progressive rock, and even deeper into the world of modern classical music. Richard has a skill for bringing to life images and thoughts through music, which is always interesting and intriguing, and in this case blessed with a gothic darkness. Ileesha Bailey again uses her voice more as an ethereal musical instrument, but the main melody is often carried by woodwind, in particular the oboe. This CD is broken into five parts, and is Richard's interpretation of the legend of Dracula. It is a haunting dramatic piece of music, with Richard bringing into play little tonal colours that add greatly as they move in and out of the whole. This is incredibly dramatic, with Richard using his guests wisely, and the result is a towering piece of music. This deserves to be taken out of the progressive field and used by those looking for exciting film music, or just listened to intently by those who want their music to be vibrant and intriguing, if more than a little dark.

Originally appeared in Feedback #80, Jul 2004