David Arkenstone Atlantis CD

A musical tour of the mythological underwater continent, ATLANTIS bears all the hallmarks of New Age composer David Arkenstone's craft. A rich combination of instruments and orchestral colors, rolling percussive and melodic motifs, and a flair for rich cinematic sweep, ATLANTIS comes to life before the listener's ears. The album is so detailed, dramatic, and grand in scope, that it is not difficult to imagine it as the soundtrack to a major Hollywood blockbuster, with the music's accompanying images spilling across the big screen in dazzling array.

From the atmospheric introduction of "The Dream of the Gods," with its strings and chimes, to the swelling grandeur of "Across the Great Oceans," Arkenstone draws on the swirling patterns of composers like Phillip Glass, and the mainstream ideas of film score writers like John Williams. Medieval and Renaissance flavors crop up here and there, such as the lilting flute melody on "The Gardens of the Citadel," giving the imaginary landscape an ancient, historical feel. Arkenstone's narrative comes to a head with the majestic feel of tracks like "The Painted Sails" and the tense, tribal percussion on "Fire and Water," completing a dramatic arc that resolves in the calming tones of the album's closer, "Below the Ocean."