In the Nursery

Inspired by the German role-playing game (RPG) Engel, where angels go to war against hell demons in a futuristic world, this collection of songs captures the essence of what such a world might be like. Being a bit of a RPG geek at one time myself, I can appreciate what they were trying to do here and they do it beautifully. Each piece tells a tale with force or delicacy, bringing in tender sounds of distant voices or the pulsing of the snare drum and belting of the horn. Synthesisers are mixed in here and there to update the sound, but the music has been crafted to evoke images of far off lands, far away from now. It really does make you want to throw on a plastic armour chest plate, grab your 20-sided die and get medieval on someone. While their work has been adopted largely by goth fans — specifically those who relish anything of the Dead Can Dance variety — the arrangements are essentially classical. You won’t find anything resembling the Sisters of Mercy amidst the woodwinds, choral voices and soaring string sections. But those who feel some inexplicable connection to historical times will find room for this one. Highlights include a new recording of their 1990 classic "To the Faithful” and the haunting dirge-like "Aftermath”