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Review - Spleen Arcana

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Spleen Arcana's "The Field Where She Died" - available for free download

Genre: Progressive (Space/Prog Rock/Floyd Sound)
Release: 2008
Artist: Julien Gaullier (French songwriter and pioneer of Spleen Arcana)
Tracks:

1.Trample On Me 09:07
2.The Missing Piece 03:42
3.A Picture Of Two Lovers In The Mist 10:12
4.Tears Are Made To Flow 09:49
5.A Kind Of Heaven 10:04

Overall review:

I have always had a weakness for the Pink Floyd sound. So when I wound up finding myself with gold mines on bandcamp (which I recently joined and am contributing in), there was a lot of awesome sounds I heard.

Among my favorite findings were Robb Murphy, Glass Kites, Distorted Harmony, Essex Metal, Axis Of Metal - The Axis Of The Underground Vol. 2, and then the subject of today's review:

Spleen Arcana is a good band. Julien's sound in the whole album (inclusive of lyrics) is... to sum it up in a single word, its sexy.

I found in his works (and virtually most of what I heard, which is this album and the song Platypus) a strong influence of Pink Floyd, along side other progressive themes experimented by Dream Theater (the second sharpest influence), Opeth (instrumentally), Anathema (thematically), a bit of The Doors (just two songs really: "People are Strange" and "The End"), alongside Planet Caravan by Black Sabbath (it was too substantial a song to miss out, in my honest opinion). Lyrically, what I love most about this album is that each song is coming back to the title itself: "The Field Where She Died". In essence, the whole album revolves around that concept:

Trample on Me, lyrically (and depicted in the same way musically) is a song about being broken, about a misanthropic disarray that is because of betrayal. In essence, the person (the protagonist, represented as a man) is feeling herself die. (Some things will never change/ Ashes in your mouth/ You own the world/ A view on every ocean/ But your dreams are dead/ Clutching at yourself/ You can’t understand/ The deal is done/ You can’t carry on is the chorus).

The Missing Piece, is a continuation of that original idea. here, however, that particular death from whence this album started is now taking upon a whole new perspective: one in which the man is understanding what had led to his state. Its basically realization (this song has no chorus, but mentions its title in the lyrics: The more you hate it, the more you feel it/ The more you deny it and the more it is strong/ The more you stain it and the more it will shine/ The missing piece will haunt me until I'll be gone .

A Picture of Two Lovers in the Mist is my personal favorite in the whole album. The opening is the most haunting I've heard in a long time. The best part about the album, is its presentation: Julien doesn't shy away on this one (and in fact, the songs leading to this one also help in adding to the environment of this song). The most painful portion of this song lied in the lyrical portion: This is a picture of two lovers in the mist/ What can we do now the passion's gone away/ I admit I don't know how long I will last/ Colors have faded but still remain the same

Tears are Made to Flow... while it is dedicated to Northern Ireland (Troubles and IRA and the Good Sunday Peace Agreement and U2 que to follow), in my opinion, it is also a significant part of this song. In my opinion, the person's an Irishman who has felt the guilt of her leaving him. Or rather, its the guilt of her leaving this world... and now he's remembering the good times when she was around. I say this because of the last portion:

This is a picture of who she might be
A star in the sky, wild and free
She’s lost the faith she has before
But never, no never, she will be a whore
She’s so alone, but she is so brave
She needs someone to be saved
She will find someone in you


Note that its one of the few songs in this album with a rhyme scheme. the others are open ended and left for the listener (although in terms of their playing, they're well orchestrated).

And finally... the last song: A Kind Of Heaven. Its divided into two portions, "A Crimson Past" and "Regrets". I won't go into the details of this song, but I'll say simply that it is a conclusion that makes you listen to each song individually. Its a good conclusion - leaves no room for doubt over what's happened.

I haven't gone into the details of the musical sound because, well... it wouldn't be given the justice it deserves if I started describing it. You have to listen to it in full to truly admire this album. The instruments are very well handled, the composition of the music is brilliant, and the vocals in all the songs is consistent, and individually unique.

Concluding Summary:

This is a sexy progressive rock (going from the genre) album. Its short, its crisp, and its guaranteed to stay in your mind. If not for prolonged durations, then it'll stay as a reminder of a good concept and a good presentation. Spleen Arcana, is definitive for experimentalist lovers of the "progressive" genre in both metal and rock.
Here's another review of another band. Spleen Arcana... its honestly good stuff.

for those who would like to see what the album cover's like: [link]

Happy reading and hope to receive responses. Cheers :)
Comments2
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Exnihilo-nihil's avatar
Great band! Thank you :la: