Phantoms of the High Seas is Nox Arcana's

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...

 tenth full-length album in just under 5 years. The theme of the album is pirate lore and stories of ghost ships. Instrumentation includes deep bass horns, pounding drums, string instruments, and narration by Joseph Vargo telling the tale of a doomed pirate vessel called The Tempest. The instrumentals are accompanied by sound effects that include a howling wind and the snap of sails, the sound of creaking as of a wooden boat left derelict at sea, an eerie yet alluring chorus like that of a siren

Siren

In Greek mythology, the Sirens were three dangerous mermaid like creatures, portrayed as seductresses who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island. Roman poets placed them on an island called Sirenum scopuli...

 calling sailors to their doom, male voices of the ship's crew as they call out to the beat of 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...

 while rowing, and thunderous sounds of canon fire.

In the spirit of Nox Arcana's ongoing quest to incorporate puzzles into their cd packaging, the album artwork contains a treasure map

Treasure map

A treasure map is a map that marks the location of buried treasure, a lost mine, a valuable secret or a hidden locale. More common in fiction than in reality, "pirate treasure maps" are often depicted in works of fiction as hand drawn and containing arcane clues for the characters to follow...

 and several ciphers

Cipher

In cryptography, a cipher is an algorithm for performing encryption or decryption — a series of well-defined steps that can be followed as a procedure. An alternative, less common term is encipherment. In non-technical usage, a “cipher” is the same thing as a “code”; however, the concepts...

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From the liner notes: "Hearken ye pirates and black-hearted sea dogs... Nox Arcana beckons ye to set sail upon the haunted seas where ghost ships prowl the misty dead of night and ancient treasure lies buried far below the endless waves. This epic soundscape explores the mysteries of the deep with dynamic orchestrations, ghostly melodies, pirate anthems and gothic choirs. Set a course for high adventure!"

The release date for this album coincides with Columbus Day

Columbus Day

Many countries in the New World and elsewhere celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas, which occurred on October 12, 1492, as an official holiday...

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Tracks

Music composed and performed by Joseph Vargo and William Piotrowski. Vocals on "Fate of the Tempest" performed by Ty Cook. Lyrics by Joseph Vargo.

1. "Dead Men Tell No Tales" — 2:26
2. "The High Seas" — 2:56
3. "Edge of the World" — 4:21
4. "Pirates" — 5:10
5. "The Gallows Jig" — 1:50
6. "Crossfire" — 3:00
7. "Oblivion" — 3:00
8. "Racing the Wind" — 4:15
9. "Siren’s Call" — 2:33
10. "Trove Island" — 3:23
11. "Against the Storm" — 3:21
12. "Lords of the Deep" — 2:27
13. "Maelstrom" — 1:22
14. "Out of the Mist" — 3:02
15. "Still Waters" — 2:22
16. "Black Sails" — 3:01
17. "Fate of the Tempest" — 4:11
18. "The Fog Rolls In" — 1:32
19. "Widow’s Harbor" — 2:56
20. "Ghost Ship" — 2:47
21. "Skull and Crossbones" — 3:11 +hidden track