*. Blackmore's Night .*

Album: A Knight In York (2012)(Live 2 Cd's)
Genre: Prog Folk (Celtic/Medieval Folk)  /  UK

Richie Blackmore is known especially from his days of DEEP PURPLE but also for his own band RAINBOW, not to mention his career as a session musician and involvement with countless other outfits. With his wife, Candice Night, he’s created BLACKMORE’S NIGHT, classed as traditional Folk Rock and became well known on the Renaissance fairs and festivals and even castle tours and they have eight studio albums out. ‘A Knight in York’ is their live they played in York in September last year, captured on CD, DVD and Blu-ray. This review only concerns the CD part of the release so if you’re wondering about the visual part of the release you’ll have to look elsewhere. The sound quality is great and the interaction of the band and audience come out well too without obscuring the songs. The collection is a truly rich offering; fourteen songs take you over an hour of listening, mostly taken from ‘Secret Voyage’ (2008) and ‘Autumn Sky’ (2010). At once classical and modern in a wonderful balance, let’s pick through few songs, ‘The Circle’ and ‘The Journeyman’ will satisfy those who want to hear Blackmore’s guitar solos, soft and slow songs amongst the lively ones - ‘World Of Stone’ and ‘Darkness’, ‘The Peasant’s Promise’ which has both the soft and lively moments, ‘Toast To Tomorrow’ represents the superbly lively ones, its celebratory spirit wouldn’t be amiss in Southern Europe by the Mediterranean. It’s sure to want to make you dance! Not to mention a humorous intermission of LADY GAGA sketch. BEE GEES cover ‘First Of May’ provides quite a wonderful, striking and touching closing to the CD part of the release. Night’s vocal is beautiful and pleasingly textured; everyone performs with great confidence and obvious skills. And the performance comes out as very warm, embracing and engaging. If you’ve not come across their project, then it’s a superb introduction to BLACKMORE’S NIGHT, even if you’re not a fan of the genre, you’ll find this an agreeable and interesting album. And you’ll probably want to go to one of their shows, especially with the added spectacular nature of the venues they choose with castle tours. Review by "Petra Whiteley" (www.reflectionsofdarkness.com).

RATING:  8.75 / 10   **MARVELLOUS**

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