From Heathen Harvest
http://www.heathenharvest.com/article.php?story=20090614153328240


Second full length by Swedish band Rising shadows present the trio a lot more concise and mature in their quest for romantic music. A blend of stylized medieval folk dressed in ethereal ornaments, beautiful neoclassical arrangements and dismal gothic undertones. Female vocalist leader Linda-Li which seems like a live personification on Galadriel dazzles with her mesmerizing elvish chants and performing excellent melodic vocal sets that transport you to a reign of magic coldness and mysterious landscapes amidst ancient snowy woods illuminated by a gigantic crescent moon. “Found in the cold” has a certain similitude with previous album also released on Twilight Records but this time the mood of the album is less luminous and transparent, more gothic in a sense, prominently melancholic and obscure, very focused on atmospheric leanings set to let the listener in the coldness of their snow field visions. The additional elvish duo that accompanies Linda-Li is composed by Fredrick Klingswall, main composer and arranger evidently shows a meticulous dedication given to the keyboard arrangements and orchestral ornaments, Guillaume Le Huche plays the bass adding a special darkness influx , amplifying the somber tonality that the album presents. This is could be an excellent soundtrack for the perdition of the elvish reign in their exile from a world devastated by an ever increasing evil, or in reverse an analogy of the current times of human race.

Atmosphere is the centre where everything else circumvents this work, where instruments plays a crucial role in pursuit of this task, the fluent course within the tracks cleverly alternates cinematic passages generally conformed by this instrumental narrative that establishes an aural landscape full of mystery and dreamy textures along with sophisticated melodic arrangements anchored in neoclassical composition.  The pieces evoke some influence from medieval folkloric tradition on the arrangements, mixing the ominous influx from the profane with the often sacred tonality from classical construction. Take for instance the elegant harpsichord harmonies that appear on “Like fire” permeating the track with a sense that lies in the camps of immortal eternity, in a medieval like cadence contrasting with the pastoral and equidistant coldness quality from the voice chant. Or the tragic sacral omniscience coming from the powerful organ tones on opener “Vacui” mixed with a subtle touch from tense martial rhythm and covered like an ethereal halo by the faerie like vocals from Linda-Li. This ominous organ appears also on “Imagine the palace of nothingness” and again displays this atmosphere of elevated spleen, a tragedy constructed on mystical elements while preserving a strange magical form that attracts the listener with its fluid course.  

The keyboard and orchestrations preserve a delicate and sweet aura where organic texture becomes essential in the preservation of the magic synthesized, these effects never sounding out of key or suffer from synthetic flaws perceivable; this is why the listener ends floating in a majestic joint of vivid organic instrumentation like dream. The often dreamy, ethereal cadences and textures presented during the work are mainly created by rather simple but abundant instrumental effects such as the subtle notes of Glockenspiel seemingly evocating mesmerizing snow flakes falling, caressing lutes, sweet dulcimer, incidental piano melodies, complex gothic harpsichord arrangements, ethereal flutes, tense cello and subtle synth lines that enhance the instrumental mood. Some more complex passages alternate though amidst the vast array of instrumental apparitions also. The heightened delicacy from this work is simply incredible, the magic evoked, the clever and elegant composition surely locates the band as one authentic creator of magical aural narrative. Now the voice from Linda-li is cleverly taken advantage by not reducing her range and inflexion to just chants but also as an adhesion to the instrumentation, often sounding like an additional exotic instrumental element amongst the incredible array of other instrumental joints displayed through the body of sound from the work. Subtle distortions and effects were applied to her voice during the production reinforcing the notion of mythical and magical presence abundant in the sound from the work. When she sings the coldness suggested and the melancholic mood gets heightened by her magical presence, like a goddess from the ice, or like a gentle deathly character singing a lullaby to a moribund wanderer immersed in the cold winter from a deserted valley of snow. Nevertheless there is a sign of gracious life in the music even though the mood evoked is lonely and distant, perhaps this comes as product from the junction between the often vivid medieval folkloric incidences mixed with the general atmosphere of lifeless charm found during the course.

This is faerie music played deep inside the cold reigns where life weakly dwells but which beauty is astonishing. Authentically evocative music, elegantly poetic with a subtle paintbrush of death and dark magic that grants a characteristic delicate beauty to it and eerie sense on spiritual feel that will surely seduce the listener and will be able to submit him into his freeze embrace. The strange energy that the album displays conformed by its meticulous compositional value, finishes and enormous aural beauty equips them to face a more fantastic and sinister Dead can dance version where they act as deserved differentiated heirs. Track by track and piece by piece “Found in the cold” consolidates as a great album with strong character and solid musical construction with such a succulent finished line. Hurry up and buy it because it’s limited to just 500 copies. Recommended!