This is quite the little gem. Pianist and composer Yelena Eckemoff evokes the dark ages with a blend of medieval-inflected yet jazzy progressive rock. Instrumentation includes a number of different keyboards, electric guitar, flutes, violins, bass, and drums / percussion (by the legendary Trilok Gurtu no less).
The album features floating melodies with prominent piano lines and lightly distorted guitar. These passages are strangely reminiscent of certain John Zorn recordings, especially those where he employed a similar lineup to explore ancient music (in his case, Middle-Eastern).
While Eckemoff and company never go that far outside, Scenes From The Dark Ages has a lot to offer those who appreciate fairy tales, stories of kings and castles, and their fusion with a dose of prog. Very nicely done.
