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Am'Ganesha'n - Somnia review



Reviewer:
8.5
Band: Am'Ganesha'n
Album: Somnia
Release date: 2003


01. Yidam
02. Lumen Mentis
03. Gloria In Excelsis
04. Procella
05. The Last Procession
06. Canticum
07. Litania
08. Mesmerized Mirror
09. Agni
10. Solstice
11. Gashanda
12. Chimera
13. Aeternal
14. Epitaph

"Am'Ganesha'N" is a French project composed of members of different bands like "Speaking Silence", "Rajna", and "Les Secrets De Morphée". Even if we can classify "Am'Ganesha'N" in the gothic scene, I must be very clear, this is not a classic gothic metal band. This band is in the same way as "Dead Can Dance". They do an excellent and beautiful Ethno Gothic.


"Somnia" is not this kind of album very easy of access, it's true the music of Am' Am'Ganesha'N is very special. Like "Dead Can Dance" in the past, this French combo use to do a music that is not very common to listen. With a lot of orchestrations, piano and organ, instruments from Africa like Djembe [percussion], or just zither and especially the beautiful voices of the female singer.
Because Am' Am'Ganesha'N have an interesting structure for their vocals, with the beautiful voice of their female lead singer [a subtle mix of Gregorian and Oriental sing] and the speaking and sometime singing of two other members of the band. I must add that a lot of their texts are in Latin, nothing to say more. The result is just magic full of poetry and enchantments and it's not very hard to be charmed by this beautiful and surprising music.
The 14 songs of "Somnia" are all well composed and this album is the prefect production if you want to travel all around the world. Take your Discman and your headphone, close your eyes push on play and the big journey will start?
With a very good production and a very good sound, "Somnia" doesn't have anything to envy to a lot of famous bands of Ethno and World music.
Now sad, now happier but always very disorientate the music of "Am'Ganesha'N" maybe could be uninteresting for someone who want guitars and basic musical structure but people who like good music and the "true" gothic metal lovers will be very attached to the beautiful music of this French combo.


I will recommend this superb album to all the real gothic fans that will be, I'm sure, dazzle of "Somnia". If you like Dead Can Dance and beautiful voice as Lisa Gerrard you will be enchanted by the magnificent of this album. On the other and this kind of album will have the pain to touch a lot of people due to its difficulty of access.
By the way "Am'Ganesha'N" is a great band with great musicians and we must thank Holy Records to produce this kind of band.
A big surprise with a lot of originality, for a magnificent album, a must for the gothic fans.

Written by Jeff | 08.12.2003





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