Blackmore's Night - Secret Voyage CD Review

Blackmore's Night has now been together for an uninterrupted 11 years, which is longer than Ritchie's original tenure in either Deep Purple or Rainbow. Secret Voyage is the group's 7th studio album and it was released on the SPV record label last month.

Secret Voyages follows in the spirit of the band's 2006 release The Village Lanterne as the tracks are a combination of the medieval renaissance music that Blackmore's Night started out with in 1997 crossed with Joe Lynn Turner-era Rainbow. As on old Rainbow fan, it is nice to hear Ritchie bring a heavier sound back into his music.

For anyone who has been keeping up with Blackmore's Night, there are no real surprises on this disc. On the rock side, "Locked Within The Crystal Ball" is a strong first single. This disc also includes covers of Rainbow's "Rainbow Eyes" (originally sung by Ronnie James Dio) and Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling In Love". On the renaissance side, Ritchie and Candice rework traditional folk melodies from France (“Gilded Cage”), Russia (“Toast To Tomorrow”), Germany (“Prince Waldeck’s Galliard”) and England (“Peasant’s Promise”).

While this disc doesn't stray far from the established Blackmore's Night sound, Ritchie's guitar work continues to be stupendous and the heavier sound that has been drifting into the last few BN releases may start converting a few Rainbow fans.

Links:
Blackmore's Night Website

Blackmore's Night Releases New CD, "Secret Voyage", on SPV Records

Ritchie Blackmore and Candice Night are back with their seventh studio LP, "Secret Voyage".

This release continues with Blackmore's Night's established style of renaissance music and Candice and Ritchie have adapted some the tracks on this release from the folk traditions of numerous countries including France (“Gilded Cage”), Russia (“Toast To Tomorrow”), Germany (“Prince Waldeck’s Galliard”) and England (“Peasant’s Promise”). There are also two covers - the 1961 Elvis Presley hit “Can’t Help Falling In Love” and Rainbow’s “Rainbow Eyes”— redone in Blackmore's Night style.

For anyone hoping for a Deep Purple reunion, don't hold your breath. Ritchie has said "[w]ith Blackmore’s Night...we have the creative freedom to play any style of music we want. We can play folk, rock, ballads, instrumentals, or tavern songs. I couldn't do that in Deep Purple. Now I feel as if I'm not in a box anymore. ”

Here is a link to the second track on the disc: "Locked Within The Crystal Ball"

Links:
Blackmore's Night Website
Blackmore's Night MySpace Profile