Caul -- Light From Many Lamps -- Malignant Records, 1998.

1. I Will Awake The Dawn
2. O Thou Bright Crown Of Pearl
3. The Blood Within The Veil
4. Thine Is The Day, Thine Is The Night
5. At Midnight I Arise To Give Thanks To Thee
6. By The Breath Of God, All The Stars
7. Midnight's Tongue
8. A Tapestry of Bone
9. The Twelth Golden Swan
10. The Mirror of Simple Souls
11. The Saint And The Seraph
12. Crux Est Mundi Medicina
13. Euangelos
14. Penuel
15. La Sua Volontate é Nostra Pace

    Bret Smith brings us a dark expressive neo-classical / ambient piece of electronic music on Light From Many Lamps. The opening track is light moving ambient, bells twinkling in the background, and moves into "O Thou Bright Crown Of Pearl" which combines the sounds of low horns, strings with waves of shifting timbres. Very beautiful. "The Blood Within The Veil" is moreso a minimal piano piece with a sad violin in harmony together. The overall expression of this CD is quite dreary and sad, yet not depressing in the slightest. I tend to relate it to the human drama of personal loss and the reflection of sadness.
    The orchestration on this release is tight and ambitious -- rating right up at the top for this type of music. It's lucious and inviting, almost mesmerizing. Long drones resonate ["By The Breath Of God, All The Stars"], slowly drifing horns with an exotic flair coupled with female vocals ["Midnight's Tongue"] "I can fear your heart, I can taste your mouth, I can smell your body..." are very enticing. "A Tapestry of Bone" is even more mysterious and flowing, reminds me of the Phantom of the Opera with the heavy organ.
    Deep drums in a slow and solemn beat with horns in the forefront remind me of a funeral march in "The Mirror of Simple Souls", while patterns of whirring drone with single notes on the piano and synth bring out a simple melody in "The Saint And The Seraph". The whole release is dark angelic, conjuring up a dream world within itself ["Crux Est Mundi Medicina", "Euangelos"]. The feelings this release brings out are not all too quickly forgotten.
    This release was created by Caul, except "Crux Est Mundi Medicina" by Russ Upman, arrangement and piano by Caul. Mastered and burned by John Bergin at Grinder Tool & Die. An excellent release whether you have heard this type of music, or not. I think you'd enjoy it if you are remotely or intensely interested in dark classical music.