Carnival of Lost Souls
Encyclopedia
Carnival of Lost Souls is an album by Nox Arcana
, loosely based on the story "Something Wicked This Way Comes"
by Ray Bradbury
. On this album, Nox Arcana
performs a style of music that is indicative of tunes associated with an late 19th-early 20th century circus
or Vaudeville
act, albeit with a darker, more sinister tone and effect.
Their "Calliope" song, for example, is a pipe organ melody that is performed more like a dirge
than something festive, and the song "Madame Endora" is a narrative piece featuring the gravely voice of a fortune-teller who warns the listener that "a storm is coming" and to "beware." Other tracks are accented with sound effects of things that one might hear in the encampment of a traveling circus: the tormented, bitter screams of the freaks
in the sideshow, the sound of the ringmaster
or carnival barker
, the cracking of a whip
, the distant roaring of animals and rattling of chains. The track "Snake Charmer"
combines an exotic drumbeat with wind pipes
and finger cymbals, along with the sound of a rattlesnake
.
The song "Spellbound" is the only song on the album that features full lyrics and male vocals. It was recorded twice on the CD; once as a scratchy-crackly-sounding record, like something played on an old Victrola machine, then as a goth/metal
version on a hidden track
at the end of the CD.
Nox Arcana hosted a CD release party that coincided with the album release date of 6-6-06
and played up the superstitions surrounding that date with a horror-carnival atmosphere. The rock version of "Spellbound" was performed live.
Carnival of Lost Souls is one of three albums recorded by Nox Arcana during a one-year span. Prior to this they released two full-length albums each year.
Music from Carnival of Lost Souls is regularly featured at the Knott's Scary Farm haunted attraction, "Carnevil".
Nox Arcana
Nox Arcana is an American dark ambient musical group, formed in 2003 by Joseph Vargo and William Piotrowski. Nox Arcana specializes in concept albums based on gothic fiction and classic horror literature. Such literary references include: H. P. Lovecraft, The Brothers Grimm, Ray Bradbury, and Edgar...
, loosely based on the story "Something Wicked This Way Comes"
Something Wicked This Way Comes (novel)
Something Wicked This Way Comes is a 1962 novel by Ray Bradbury. It is about two 13-year-old boys, Jim Nightshade and William Halloway, who have a harrowing experience with a nightmarish traveling carnival that comes to their Midwestern town one October. The carnival's leader is the mysterious "Mr...
by Ray Bradbury
Ray Bradbury
Ray Douglas Bradbury is an American fantasy, horror, science fiction, and mystery writer. Best known for his dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 and for the science fiction stories gathered together as The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man , Bradbury is one of the most celebrated among 20th...
. On this album, Nox Arcana
Nox Arcana
Nox Arcana is an American dark ambient musical group, formed in 2003 by Joseph Vargo and William Piotrowski. Nox Arcana specializes in concept albums based on gothic fiction and classic horror literature. Such literary references include: H. P. Lovecraft, The Brothers Grimm, Ray Bradbury, and Edgar...
performs a style of music that is indicative of tunes associated with an late 19th-early 20th century circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
or Vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
act, albeit with a darker, more sinister tone and effect.
Their "Calliope" song, for example, is a pipe organ melody that is performed more like a dirge
Dirge
A dirge is a somber song expressing mourning or grief, such as would be appropriate for performance at a funeral. A lament. The English word "dirge" is derived from the Latin Dirige, Domine, Deus meus, in conspectu tuo viam meam , the first words of the first antiphon in the Matins of the Office...
than something festive, and the song "Madame Endora" is a narrative piece featuring the gravely voice of a fortune-teller who warns the listener that "a storm is coming" and to "beware." Other tracks are accented with sound effects of things that one might hear in the encampment of a traveling circus: the tormented, bitter screams of the freaks
Freaks
Freaks is a 1932 American Pre-Code horror film about sideshow performers, directed and produced by Tod Browning and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, with a cast mostly composed of actual carnival performers. The film was based on Tod Robbins' 1923 short story "Spurs"...
in the sideshow, the sound of the ringmaster
Ringmaster
The term ringmaster may refer to numerous things:*Ringmaster , the leader of a circus* Ringmaster , the manager of a horse show ring*Ringmaster , a film starring Jerry Springer and Jaime Pressly...
or carnival barker
Barker (occupation)
A barker is a person who attempts to attract patrons to entertainment events, such as a circus or funfair, by exhorting passing public, describing attractions of show and emphasizing variety, novelty, beauty, or some other feature believed to incite listeners to attend entertainment...
, the cracking of a whip
Whip
A whip is a tool traditionally used by humans to exert control over animals or other people, through pain compliance or fear of pain, although in some activities whips can be used without use of pain, such as an additional pressure aid in dressage...
, the distant roaring of animals and rattling of chains. The track "Snake Charmer"
Snake Charmer
Snake charmer can mean:*Snake charming, the practice of "hypnotizing" snakes*Snake Charmer, a 1983 album by guitarist The Edge, bassist Jah Wobble, multi-instrumentalist Holger Czukay, drummer Jaki Liebezeit, and DJ/remixer François Kevorkian...
combines an exotic drumbeat with wind pipes
Pipe (instrument)
Pipe describes a number of musical instruments, historically referring to perforated wind instruments. The word is an onomatopoeia, and comes from the tone which can resemble that of a bird chirping.-Folk pipe:...
and finger cymbals, along with the sound of a rattlesnake
Rattlesnake
Rattlesnakes are a group of venomous snakes of the genera Crotalus and Sistrurus of the subfamily Crotalinae . There are 32 known species of rattlesnake, with between 65-70 subspecies, all native to the Americas, ranging from southern Alberta and southern British Columbia in Canada to Central...
.
The song "Spellbound" is the only song on the album that features full lyrics and male vocals. It was recorded twice on the CD; once as a scratchy-crackly-sounding record, like something played on an old Victrola machine, then as a goth/metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
version on a hidden track
Hidden track
In the field of recorded music, a hidden track is a piece of music that has been placed on a CD, audio cassette, vinyl record or other recorded medium in such a way as to avoid detection by the casual listener...
at the end of the CD.
Nox Arcana hosted a CD release party that coincided with the album release date of 6-6-06
Number of the Beast
The Number of the Beast is a term in the Book of Revelation, of the New Testament, that is associated with the first Beast of Revelation chapter 13, the Beast of the sea. In most manuscripts of the New Testament and in English translations of the Bible, the number of the Beast is...
and played up the superstitions surrounding that date with a horror-carnival atmosphere. The rock version of "Spellbound" was performed live.
Carnival of Lost Souls is one of three albums recorded by Nox Arcana during a one-year span. Prior to this they released two full-length albums each year.
Music from Carnival of Lost Souls is regularly featured at the Knott's Scary Farm haunted attraction, "Carnevil".
Track listing
Music composed and performed by Joseph Vargo and William Piotrowski.- "Ghosts of the Midway" – 1:48
- "After Hours" – 2:16
- "Harlequin’s Lament" – 3:39
- "Calliope" – 2:46
- "Madame Endora" – 1:03
- "Nightmare Parade" – 2:38
- "Shadows Fall" – 2:18
- "Hall of Mirrors" – 1:32
- "Spellbound" – 1:04
- "Cries in the Night" – 1:21
- "Soul Stealer" – 2:28
- "Haunted Carousel" – 3:12
- "Theatre of Sorrows" – 2:35
- "Living Dolls" – 2:52
- "Lost in the Darkness" – 4:15
- "Snake Charmer" – 4:26
- "Freaks" – 1:24
- "Circus Diabolique" – 3:24
- "Pandora’s Music Box" – 3:08
- "The Devil’s Daggers" – 3:17
- "Storm" – 2:40
- A hidden track contains a rock version of the song "Spellbound". Lyrics and music by Joseph Vargo, vocals performed by Jim Hamar, lead guitar performed by Jeff Endemann. In the song, Vargo recites the phrase "By the pricking of my thumb, something wicked this way comes..."