Spleen and ideal

"The straightforward goth affectations are exchanged for a sonic palette and range of imagination ... The overall feeling is of an ancient religious service suddenly brought to life in a truly modern way, with stunning results".

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"With this amazing album, Dead Can Dance fully took the plunge into the heady mix of musical traditions that would come to define its sound and style for the remainder of its career. The straightforward goth affectations are exchanged for a sonic palette and range of imagination. Calling it "haunting" and "atmospheric" barely scratches even the initial surface of the album's power. The common identification of the duo with a consciously medieval European sound starts here - quite understandable, when one considers the mystic titles of songs, references to Latin, choirs, and other touches that make the album sound like it was recorded in an immense cathedral".

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