Every time I get my hands on a new BLACKMORE'S NIGHT I have the hope that Ritchie has fed up with all this medieval atmosphere and has returned to his glorious past. Well, with Secret Voyage this burning hope has eventually died! Indeed my friends, there is absolutely no chance to see this talented musician performing songs exclusively with his Stratocaster connected to a distortion pedal. Nevertheless, this is the newest release from the Blackmore - Candice Night couple and their BAND OF MINSTRELS that comes as a successor to the Paris Moon DVD.
Despite my saying in the intro I have to admit that I am a Blackmore fan and I have actually enjoyed most of his medieval works and especially the first two. But this time I think I got overdosed; so let me explain myself...
 Secret Voyage kicks in very promising with Locked Within The Crystal Ball that follows the instrumental intro. The song is groovy and fast for the BLACKMORE'S NIGHT standards and is based on electric guitar melodies. I could not escape the prime RAINBOW atmosphere that haunts this track and raises the expectations for the rest of the album. Well, these expectations hit a concrete wall with Gilded Cage that returns to the (after all these years) trademark renaissance melodies and classic guitar arpeggios and was based on a traditional French tune. Ritchie has found his muse in the face of Candice and writes music that dresses her voice excellently. More non-metal instruments enter in the almost up tempo Toast To Tomorrow that spice things up with the strong Russian folk and lets-dance foundations. Ritchie unfolds his six-string gift during the instrumental Prince Waldeck's Galliard where his classic guitar speaks of castles and medieval love stories.
The aforementioned overdose feeling showed up with Rainbow Eyes. I really don't understand why Ritchie does cover songs on some of his own classic hymns. This time they chose to do Rainbow Eyes that was originally sung by the short singer with the enormous voice (what do you mean by who?). Ok, Candice has a wonderful and warm voice but cannot be compared to Dio and that's period.
Leaving behind this unlucky choice, the album continues upon the same path that Ritchie has carved in the previous ones through medieval landscapes filled with castles, gypsies and non-metal romance stories. It is still original music with nice melodies and tunes but personally I have had enough. I have the impression that Ritchie has remained too much for me to handle to this idea that was born some years ago.
The bottom line is that this is an album of high quality music with impressive clean guitar arpeggios served by the master himself moving in the same territory with Under A Violet Moon and Shadow Of The Moon and no surprises apart from the Elvis cover on Can't Help Falling In Love. So, if you like Ritchie's works with his beloved then take this one without asking questions. The rest of us we can still dream that he will return to us some day...