Where do you come from? When you walk through a hallowed place do you sense that you have been there before? Why do leylines converge on sacred ground? To produce this album Serundal has gone back to the future.They have taken what is pure and unique about the music of other centuries and made a potion. In the mix, light mesmerising vocals and harmonies are ingeniously blended with a powerfully raw and edgy sound produced by 21st century instruments. Every track in this album is driven by an unseen energy. Listen in a darkened room. The colours and images are amazing. Are you sure you haven’t been here before?

Leylines
The Book
The Chain
Apocalypse
The Secret Garden
The Painting
Lady Elena
The Sword of Lunamar

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Review

author: Pete Brown

Serundal - CD - Leylines
(www.serundal.com)
 
'Leylines' by Serundal is the prequel to the story of the Legend of Serundal and is intended to promote the trilogy of albums on the theme of the legend and The Kingdom Of Roth, 'Ab Initi' being the first in the series. I'm impressed with 'Leylines' and I marvel at the creativity and productivity of Serundal and their beautiful visionary epic. Serundal's website tells of "A Celtic World of Music Poetry and Magic" - and, make no mistake, that's exactly what you get!

'Leylines' actualy feels more cohesive and generally more confident than 'Ab Initi' (and that was pretty damn impressive!!); there's a fantastic flow to this work; it drifts effortlessly along and seems to cradle you in its being. Superbly laid back but offering a warm place to go on a dark autumn's night, 'Leylines' is evocative, descriptive, at times haunting and at others, hypnotic. Everything's just so smooth and peaceful sounding - it's a wonderfully dreamy work that reminds me in parts of Mike Oldfield, in other parts Renaissance, then I hear Sonja Kristina, Sandy Denny, loads of famous names come to mind but actually it's all just Serundal! It's wonderful!!

Serundal have done a bloody good job with 'Leylines' - their story telling prequel to the trilogy is magnificent and as a stand-alone work it's equally as compelling and works just as it is. I don't know how long Serundal have taken to get this far but 'Leylines' feels as though an awful lot of heart and soul has been put into it; it's beautifully polished, it's maturely composed and performed, it's thoroughly entertaining and extremely enjoyable. Serundal should be very proud of what they've achieved here.

I really hope 'Leylines' does its job and Serundal can get their trilogy out there and accepted - it thoroughly deserves to be successful. 'Leylines' is a splendid piece of work and bodes well for the second and third release in their epic aural adventure. Great work, beautiful to behold, remarkably assured and relaxingly tantalising.

Peter J Brown aka toxic pete (www.toxicpete.co.uk)

(Rhythm & Booze rating 10)