New Dark Ages - Felonious Bosch

Somewhere in this country there's a group of SCA members drinking mead and listening to New Dark Ages, the first full-length effort by Felonious Bosch. FB take Eastern European and Celtic folk music and then combine them with some rock'n'roll yet somehow make it all sound like something from The Middle Ages. Co-founded by Drew Miller of Boiled in Lead fame, the band are stablemates with Madison's own Reptile Palace Orchestra on the Omnium label out of the Twin Cities.

"Opium" begins the spirited set on a rather raucous note and the surprising inclusion of an electric guitar with wah-wah pedal. The traditional "Drunken Brawl" is given new life with lyrics by singer Katy Thomasberg and features one of the catchiest flute melodies ever committed to aluminum. Midway through the album, things take a turn towards the ethereal with a cover of Black Sabbath's "Behind the Wall of Sleep". The arrangement here is based on that of Rondellus, a group that does nothing but cover Sabbath tunes as if they were medieval monks.

Another traditional piece, "Valle", is a highlight of the album's second half. It's an Albanian song with a wonderfully simple melody. The genius here is in the arrangement. The melody is first played on guitar and then followed by a chorus of spectral voices singing it. Even the bass gets a turn to step to the fore here. The use of voice and the varied instrumentation really takes an ostensibly simple song and transforms it into something much grander. The song that I find myself listening to repeatedly is "Sunshine". Thomasberg's soaring vocals atop flute and fiddle entwined makes for a wonderful ride. While nothing on this album really jams in the way that we usually think of with that word, the instrumental section that closes "Sunshine" comes closest. Drew Miller's bass chugs underneath sounding like a 14th century Chris Squire giving the music some muscle.

One of my top 2 albums of 2006. Granted, I've only heard two albums from this year, but still...