Steve Orchard – Macabre

Description

1 – Macabre
2 – Maria Celeste
3 – Lady in Grey
4 – Ghost Train
5 – Dark Angel
6 – Haunted Piano
7 – The Divide
8 – Phantom Drummer Boy
9 – Stay Close to the Candle
10 – Seance
11 – The Clairvoyant
12 – Wiccan Trinkets

Macabre’ finds Steve Orchard in something of a slightly darker mood, conjuring stormy skies and mysterious shadows. However, the music is never dark or threatening.
Indeed, despite its overtones (and undertones) the music remains firmly in the realm of the melodic we’ve come to expect from Steve Orchard. While not the uplifting ‘sunny days’ style of some of his earlier works, Macabre is instantly captivating with a strong sense of depth and identity.

There is nice variation here on Macabre, some interesting rhythms, melodies and atmospheric interludes with titles that perfectly reflect this more ‘earthy’ of subjects, no cosmic ramblings here. Indeed, the whole album exudes a feel and mood the perfectly encapsulates the subject matter while retaining a compelling melodic feel that never ventures into dark territory. While it may seem a contradiction to say about someone’s whose music is always so ‘musical’. Macabre is a much deeper, more complex musical excursion than previous outings.

Steve retains the knack of being able to conjure up moods, whether it be his ambient excursions, his new age albums or something subtly a little deeper and darker. ‘Macabre’ perfectly reflects a mood of the macabre, of halloween, without ever venturing into cliche.