Tarantula A.D. – Book of Sand / 2005 Kemado / 10 Tracks / http://www.tarantulamusic.com / http://www.kemado.com / Reviewed 15 October 2005

Tarantula A.D. start out their “Book of Sand” with a progressive brand of metal that draws together Slayer as much as it calls forth psychedelic rock. “The Century Trilogy I: Conquest” is slow and sludgy, much like Isis and Khanate. The slowing and reforming of the track into something that is largely string-driven really will put the kibosh to the fans of death metal, as the following arrangement opts for nuance instead of bold intensity.

The lengthy compositions present on “Book of Sand” really move these into the realms of minor symphonies, as likening them to something akin to pop music would be a folly of the greatest sorts. When the band does foray into something resembling pop music (such as the later parts of “Who Took Berlin” (Part I) ) the result is much more like “Paranoid Android” Radiohead instead of something like Coldplay. This is not an album for the impatient; compositions work their way through in an organic “growing sense”, with much repetition necessary before the band moves into an emotionally-affecting, strong sound. The gradual assumption of a brooding, dark nature to “Who Took Berlin (Part II)” is an example of this organic arrangement; the band successfully creates a life cycle full of living and dying as it scales back the composition until nothing can be heard.

The compositions present on “Book of Sand” are not all linked together, but do tend to have some ties with one or two other tracks. For example, the more metal-sounding section of “The Century Trilogy II: Empire” is a direct continuation of the first part of the track. By and large, the most major success that one can come up with for Tarantula A.D. is that they are able to create a compelling narrative through the tracks of “Book of Sand” almost completely without any help from vocals. Tracks like “Prelude to The Fall” paint a pastoral scene, replete with insects chirping and birds singing while a traditional-sounding arrangement plays on. The amount of material on this disc is tremendous, and much like the most detailed pieces of art it may be a number of listens before one gets a majority of the hidden material stashed within. The ability of Tarantula A.D. to move between nuanced, quiet (And classical-influenced) arrangements with much more raucous and loud (metal-deriven) ones and make everything work makes “Book of Sand” and album for all to enjoy.

Top Tracks: Sealake, The Lost Waltz

Rating: 5.7/10

[JMcQ]