Blood of the Dragon
Nox Arcana are truly a force to be reckoned with... Simply enchanting.   Upon listening to Blood of the Dragon, I'm reminded of the soundtrack   scores of great sword and sorcery movies like Conan, The 13th Warrior   and The Lord of the Rings. --Prognaut ReviewsIf the   Lord of the Rings soundtrack and the Conan the Barbarian soundtrack got   together and made passionate love during the midst of climactic  battle,  then this cd would be it (plus dragons). It's great fun and  great  fantasy. Huzzah! --Paizo.comThe morning sun was blacked by the scorching fire of the ancient flying demons. I tell you this one thing my friends, Joseph Vargo and William Piotrowski have returned with another offering under the Nox Arcana moniker. The one thing that amazes me about Vargo and company is that they write like classic authors. These epic stories seem to be in their blood and flow like sweet wine from their fingers to their instruments. ''Blood of the Dragon'' takes us through a land of knights, barbarians, magic, epic battle and of course dragons. There are parts of this where the celt in me awakens with inspired battle lust, but alas we live in a society where warriors are not given proper respect.     Vargo and Piotrowski take many elements from classical and world music and then add their own special brand of darkness and flash to the mix. So the story is written, a quest has been set to find the legendary ancient prize known as the ''Treasure of the Four Crowns.'' Through the album you are taken from the castle (where the quest is given) to the sorcerer, the highlands, and the underworld. Truly there is nothing left from the quest, but maybe a movie that it seems should have gone with it.     I've stated many times in the past that Nox Arcana holds the great treasure of atmospheric perfection. Don't think I wouldn't bring this up either. I believe this is one of the best Dungeons & Dragons style soundtracks I've ever heard. This even trumps the Midnight Syndicate official soundtrack. I know Vargo produced Midnight Syndicate for a while, but after having a fall out with them I'm not sure how much he had to do with that particular album. Either way if you are looking to enhance the overall mood of your sword and sorcery evening then this is the album for you.     Nox Arcana is one of my favorite modern atmospheric composition groups. The stories they weave are deep and well detailed. The emotion and unrelenting plot is unmatched in our society today. If you like music that takes you on a trip and shows you all the sights along the way then go and check out Nox Arcana and especially ''Blood of the Dragon.'' --Black Angel