To truly take the imagination to realms in which one may have never pondered to visit, to carry one on a journey upon the backs of the sounds resonating within an album in my opinion is truly a remarkable feat, for you have not created just sounds to entertain, but now your very music is the architect which meticulously carves each stone, surveys the world, and places each block precisely where it needs to be. This is exactly my sentiments when it comes to "Le Forche Caudine 321 a.C - 2021 d.C." by DAWN OF A DARK AGE.

Do you fancy being transported to an inn where you are served a pint? Perhaps you prefer ale o' weary traveler and shall you prefer to be serenaded by the bards as you take off the heavy fur cloak and put aside the blood-soaked steel? If sounds could become skin to transform you and your surroundings then DAWN OF A DARK AGE truly are the sculptors, for the use of the folk infused symphonies even as far melding Black Metal riffs with that of clarinet melodies to carve a world that feels medieval in tone yet worn and lived in. "Le Forche Caudine - Atto I" , the first track, which clocks in close to 21 minutes, drapes the stage as it provides the atmosphere as making one feel they are a voyager whose faced the elements of nature, the cold that racks the bones, and the sweltering heat that dries the tongue as you trek on to an unknown destination with your sword at your side. Now one may shun a track based on the length, but I urge you to take your senses upon this experience, for it is rather episodic, and one that demands your full attention where the sounds should be able to submerge you in its aura, and where you reemerge in a world where motion and sound are one. This is the very merit that DAWN OF A DARK AGE brings towards this album, for if a warrior's saga were to be condensed into a montage , it would be this track, with the clarinet ( an outstanding piece which essence illuminates vastly throughout) combined with the folk-like influences that unfurl themselves in an array to erect the landscape around you, even the progressive elements feels not contrived nor do they glean a forced effect, rather I chose to view it like the complex topography of a citadel of stone that is viewed by naked eyes, where the land meanders and undulates, so too does these progressive tones add much needed color to this panoramic portrait.

"Le Forche Caudine - Atto II" which is the second and final track, with a duration of approximately sixteen (16) minutes continues along the vein of the first track however it climbs the mountains to a crescendo where new heights are explored with the upbeat yet vibrant approach with the clarinet combined with the strings evoking an organic yet nature-filled spirit, as though the noises churned are enough to awake the naiads and dryads that reside in the wood land areas, the progressive moments fused with the drumming gives the radiant sensation of that of the ever-changing seasons, as it emits an energy that is enough to melt away the frost, yet change the texture of leaves, even the classical instrumental moments charm the mind into picturing an imagery where flowers may be in bloom as the wind carries the petals afar. However, one of my favorite aspects within the album is the vocals, for it is the very mystic tongue of the nature, it is the wind that howls and the ice that groans with the frost, it is the waters that flow with a calm demeanor, in other words, like the instruments that forge an atmosphere that grants the illusion of the seasons that coalesce into one another, so too does the vocals breathe life into this structure with the blend of the harsh Black Metal vox and the folk-infused chants that fosters a sage-like spirit.

DAWN OF A DARK AGE has molded a work of art that can stand toe to toe with that of a picturesque landscape painting for they both can be discerned for the same qualities in which they invoke upon the spirit. But the highlight which this album exists upon is using the ink that is contained within Black Metal to produce a myriad of colors to express this imagery, and in my opinion this is why the album can be considered perfect.