Phantoms of the High Seas is the tenth album by dark ambient duo
Nox Arcana. The theme of the album is
pirate
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...
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 or sirens may refer to:
Common meanings
* Siren (alarm), a loud acoustic alarm used to alert people to emergencies
* Siren (mythology), an enchanting but dangerous monster in Greek mythology
Places
* Siren (town), Wisconsin
* Siren, Wisco ...
calling sailors to their doom, male voices of the ship's crew as they call out to the beat of a
dirge while rowing, and thunderous sounds of cannon fire.
In the spirit of Nox Arcana's ongoing quest to incorporate puzzles into their cd packaging, the album artwork contains a
treasure map and several
cipher
In cryptography, a cipher (or cypher) 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''. To encipher or encode i ...
s.
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.
Tracks
*Music composed and performed by Joseph Vargo and William Piotrowski. Lyrics by Joseph Vargo.
# "Dead Men Tell No Tales" — 2:26
# "The High Seas" — 2:56
# "Edge of the World" — 4:21
# "Pirates" — 5:10
# "The Gallows Jig" — 1:50
# "Crossfire" — 3:00
# "Oblivion" — 3:00
# "Racing the Wind" — 4:15
# "Siren’s Call" — 2:33
# "Trove Island" — 3:23
# "Against the Storm" — 3:21
# "Lords of the Deep" — 2:27
# "Maelstrom" — 1:22
# "Out of the Mist" — 3:02
# "Still Waters" — 2:22
# "Black Sails" — 3:01
# "Fate of the Tempest" — 4:11
# "The Fog Rolls In" — 1:32
# "Widow’s Harbor" — 2:56
# "Ghost Ship" — 2:47
# "Skull and Crossbones" — 3:11 (+hidden track)
;Notes
*Vocals on "Fate of the Tempest" were performed by Ty Cook.
References
External links
Nox Arcana's official website*
''Phantoms of the High Seas''at
Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
{{Authority control
Nox Arcana albums
2008 albums