Album Review: Beyond Skyrim: Three Kingdoms by Various Artists

If you're looking for a phenomenal fantasy music soundtrack to immerse yourself in, especially during the colder months of the year, then you’ll certainly want to grab this fantastic set of music that spans over a sojourning six-and-half hours in length. Beyond Skyrim: Three Kingdoms (Original Game Soundtrack) is an extended collection of music by five different recording artists – one of them being Jon Richards whose excellent work I’ve been intimately familiar with for several years now via his past releases on Medywn Goodall’s MG record label. The other four artists in the impressive line-up include Alex Catana, Alex Jordan, Sergey Neiss and Vladislav Saturian – each of whom contribute a full album’s length worth of music in this expansive musical set.

Although not a gamer myself, I've certainly become quite a fan of the many atmospherically immersive soundtracks that much of the gaming world churns out – and this album is certainly no exception. As part of The Elder Scrolls action role-playing video game series, Beyond Skyrim is a cinematic blend of symphonic ambient and ethereal neoclassical music that ranges from atmospherically dark and minimal to brightly epic and celebratory. From thundering crescendos to droning soundscapes, Beyond Skyrim takes the listener on a fascinating journey though varied musical landscapes of otherworldly enchantment. 

Like being transported back in time to a supernaturally mythical realm that simultaneously occupies earth-plane reality, the cultural and geographical backdrop for this listening adventure conjures images of cold northern European terrain where ancient Norse, Celtic, druidic and medieval legends are reimagined and revived through creative musical interpretation. In fact, fans of David Arkenstone’s Celtic, medieval and fantasy inspired works like Music Inspired by Middle Earth are particularly apt to enjoy this album, with similarly evocative imagery of castles, dragons, elves, wizards and mist-filled landscapes imbuing these compositions.

A thoroughly captivating collection of music that’s especially suited for autumn twilights and winter nights, Beyond Skyrim: Three Kingdoms naturally serves as a perfect listening companion for avid readers especially of fantasy novels, who will easily find themselves lost for hours in whatever fascinating storyline they choose to embark on! ~Candice Michelle

Available at Amazon, Bandcamp and other online music retailers. 

Album Review: Earthlight by Jon Richards

Earthlight is the sixth album from musician and composer Jon Richards. Comprised of eight compositions spanning just over an hour, the album showcases a beautiful array of electric guitar melodies and textures, perfectly interwoven among encompassing synthesizers, electronic rhythms and ethereal voices throughout.

The title track, “Earthlight”, opens like an approaching dawn, introduced by warm, enveloping synthesizers and gentle guitar plucks. Encroaching drums soon give way to a steady electronic rhythm, as the piece takes on a more cinematic quality full of keyboard layers and soaring electric guitar that collectively impart a feeling of flight. “Falling Star” continues in this mode while introducing cello, as exotic female vocals lend a touch of world to the piece. The leisurely-paced “Daybreak” is one of my favorite compositions, which showcases a gorgeous electric guitar motif along with cello and airy bells. “Satellites” takes things up a notch with more dynamic electronic elements, as the familiar female voice injects a worldlier feel into its spacey arrangement. “Afterglow” is especially dreamlike, in which choral voices and ethereal guitar soar among echoing drums. The aptly-named “Solar Winds” opens with the sound of cosmic winds that eventually morph into a melodic and mesmerizing chill-style arrangement. “Eternity” is initially led by the sound of Dakuk, a gorgeous instrument from Armenia that I’ve long been particularly fond of. Clocking in at nine-and-a-half minutes, it’s the lengthiest track on the album, in which all of the familiar elements mark their presence throughout. “Majestic” signals the end of our stratospheric sojourn, concluding with a mystical female voice that seems to represent Gaia herself transmitting a secret message into the ethers.

Infused with a global spirit and cosmic sensibility, Earthlight seems to behold our earth in all of its glory. I was often reminded of Mike Oldfield’s longtime seminal work, The Songs of Distant Earth, especially with regard to the album’s overall concept, as well as the electric guitar as its lead instrument. Magnificent and moving from beginning to end, Earthlight is easily Jon Richards’ best album to date, as well as one of the most beautifully inspiring recordings I’ve had the pleasure of listening to all year! ~Candice Michelle

Available at Amazon and other music retail platforms.