If you want some great music to get you in the mood for Halloween, Nox Arcana’s latest disc (combining music with the works of Edgar Allan Poe – how can you go wrong) is just about perfect. The group (technically a duo) performs music that fits somewhere in the range of progressive rock or electronic music, but with a dark twist.

This music is the perfect backdrop for a dark and stormy All Hallows Eve. It is mostly instrumental, with a couple tracks that include spoken vocals. The sounds are gloomy, but still manage to hold a lot of beauty. The arrangements are quite complete and fully realized. This is gothic music that has an emphasis on the musicality.

I think that Poe would really appreciate this musical tribute. It certainly sets a great mood for his horrifying tales. It’s also a great accompaniment to whatever festivities you have planned for you Halloween celebration. The thing is, you’ll probably find yourself pulling this out and listening to it throughout the year. It’s definitely not novelty music. If you dig into the band a bit you’ll find that this is just the latest in a series of similar recordings – and each one is great.