Search - Qntal :: IV: Ozymandias

"Look Upon These Works Mighty, And Despair..."

John R. Harford | United States | 06/01/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Upon listening to Qntal 3: Tristan und Isolde, you think... "How can they get any better...?"



Qntal is a fusion born of Estampie - the very traditional medieval ensemble from Germany, and members who have performed with diverse experimental and electronic acts. Their sound is a dreamy, sometimes fractured, sometimes hallucinatory fusion of the ancient and modern. They only superficially resemble any other band. While some place them in the categories of "goth", "medieval", "dance", "electro" and even "new age" Qntal is all and none of these things. And in fact, their name, Qntal is a word signifying their ethos: a fusion that incorporates multi-cultural linguistic structure, yet is completely cryptic.



I was thrilled to find that Qntal tackled Ozymandias. It is one of my favorite tales. The poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley is a cautionary story of the once great and ancient fallen into decay. While the themes of love, passion, and tones of deep red permeated Tristan und Isolde, so do the hints of loss and despair seep into Ozymandias. But not all is dark in Qntal's latest outing. Blac , Indiscrete and Flamma are vibrant pieces that hallmark Qntal's amazing ability to merge ambient, dance, and ancient language and music into something potent and vital.



Lyrics from classic poetry and music are used through out the album to devestatingly beautiful effect. The strains of traditional medieval Mass music and Carmina Burana are so completely and successfully assimilated by Qntal as to make the sound something nearly entirely new.



Qntal IV took a tiny bit of getting used to after listening to Qntal III for over a year. But then, each Qntal album is amazingly different yet beautifully coherent. These transitions are what keep Qntal original, refreshing, and inspiring."

The most accomplished album of Qntal ever

xoxoxoxox | 07/23/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album already invites us to visit the medieval fascination of the Carmina Burana and other themes. Musically speaking, "Ozymandias" sounds a little bit more diversified. There's a larger electronic content on some songs, but the reverie always remains present. The amazing vocals of Syrah are once again accentuating the angelic expression of her talent. The dreamy and mystical minded "Noi e dia" is one of these cuts where the electronic parts have been accentuated. That's what the "Lasse, grant douçor" are still made of, revealing cool electronic bleeps. In a different approach, "Flamma" reveals a hard beating rhythm. The pure medieval references come back on the fabulous "Dulcis amor", which reminds me to bands like Stella Maris and Das Zeichen. The barok style appears on the quiet "Remember me". With "Vogelfluc" we even get a kind of resume of the previous elements, which are here melting together in a heavenly ambience of serenity and magic. This is maybe the most accomplished album of Qntal ever, showing a wider spectrum of ideas!"

Perhaps the best piece of music I ever have heard.

Jonas Nielsen | Sweden | 10/30/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Even though I have not received my newly bougth cd yet and I only have heard the samples from the website, then I must say that this CD is uniq in its own way. It takes you into a whole new world of mystery and unsolved riddles. The mysterius old world of the acient times that is. Or to put it in another way: You feel that you are traveling to the middelage. So if you buy this CD then I wish you all a pleasent trip :o)"