This is Arcana's fifth album, and the genius that is Peter Bjargo is evident throughout, unlike his former releases, this is not as flamboyant and grandiose, but rather a low-key, more atmospheric release, it still retains the middle ages influences, but this time harnesses them with Arabic and ethnic musical influences.

The only real comparison can be made to Dead Can Dance, though the album can easily be the soundtrack of a mystical horror movie with Arab subject matter and ethnic overtones.

The album opens with the more etheric and rambling In Search Of The Divine before delving into the Arab sounding title track, where Bjargo's mastery of Arabic percussion instruments is amazing to behold, and the song has this energetic feel to yet.

Other tracks, such as Seductive Flame have a bit more ominous and forbidding tone, but in all the album sounds like a sequence rather then separate songs.

A fine way to enjoy a warm summer night, its no meat and gravy for the metal heads out there, but its an epic journey for more adventurous listeners, which rewards with rich atmosphere and a hypnotizing rhythm. -Alon Miasnikov

This album is pointed out by Bjärgö in the liner notes as being a collaboration between the visual and aural arts, the artwork that of the decayed splendour of Agnieszka Szuba, her artwork serving to enrich the package with suitable arcane ornation.

Hypnotic, the music skirls caparisoned melody and percussion that would not be amiss in an old world seraglio with artful dancing masked behind diaphanous sendal and sensuality. As such, the music garbs itself not as ritual by rote but as ritual by life, solemn procession is replaced with symbolic spirituality of the intrinsic animism inherent in ancient Egyptian and other pre-Abrahamic culture. Vocals take a back seat in Arcana’s new direction, percussion the new prominence; educed not from soft-synth but from a selection of physical instruments, Egyptian finger cymbals, timpani, handdrum, tambourine, shakers and more. There is a tendency for the album to slip into pseudo-ambient territory at times, yet the lush production and powerfully enticing drums deftly pluck the listener out of any subsumed reverie. Not wanting to pass over Arcana’s achievements, but one can’t help find certain symmetry with Dead Can Dance not just in Arcana’s earlier works but with this album itself, yet don’t let that detract you from what is a sumptuous and thoroughly enjoyable album, for aesthetically the music is well honed and performed. -NYR

In my estimation, Arcana is the only worthy successor to Dead Can Dance. Both groups create music that draws on older traditions, yet seems otherworldly; both utilize the sounds of forgotten instruments and evocative male and female vocals. If this comparison holds true, then Le Serpent Rouge is certainly Arcana's answer to The Serpent's Egg: on this album Arcana have made a move away from the neo-classical Dark Ages to a sound more informed by the music of the Middle East. Exotic rhythms pound and jangle while ominous synths simmer in the background. Of course, Arcana is not simply a poor man's Dead Can Dance; the group has always been more inclined to craft soundscapes than songs and the vocals rarely take center stage. The atmosphere of Arcana's recordings has always been a bit cold and distant, almost as if they defy you to glimpse into their world. Le Serpent Rouge may not be inviting, but it is stoically beautiful. - Jack Shear

"Under the Sun" certainly hits hard with an evocative chord structure menacing throughout. "Seductive Flame" conjures unease; the hairs on the back of one's neck stand on end. "The Nemesis" is exactly that, it precisely chronicles aurally the cruel irony of such an elusive concept. About the only complaint I have is that the execution of some of this instrumentation could have been a bit sharper. Bjargo is certainly to be commended for his efforts, however. Most artists who have tried this style have, in my opinion, botched it quite badly. As the album draws to a close, you can feel the sands of the desert slowly begin to envelope you, twilight falls across the dunes and in the distance perhaps a lonely nomad's fire burns... just beyond it's reach, you can make out the subtle movements of a great red serpent... edging ever closer. -PETER MARKS

Medieval and Middle Eastern soundscapes permeate “Le Serpent Rouge,” Arcana’s sixth full-length CD.

Peter Bjärgö started Arcana in 1993 to explore his fascination with medieval music. His newest release, “Le Serpent Rouge,” is an impressive CD that combines electronic ambience, choir (Stefan Eriksson, Ann-Mari Thim, Cecilia Bjärgö), and Middle Eastern rhythms (in addition to vocals, Eriksson also plays percussion).

Peter Bjärgö’s musical talent is profound, as he performs on many instruments, contributes vocals, and handles programming and sampling duties, as well as recording, mixing, and mastering. Instruments such as the Armenian duduk, the dulcimer, Egyptian finger cymbals, and ceremonial cymbals, as well as other instruments, provide the album with a seductive and mysterious quality. The songs build up slowly and subtly, so they have a seeming repetitive nature.

The CD has a textural trancelike ambience, with tracks such as “Le Serpent Rouge,” “Amber,” and “Serpents Dance” leading the way. As this review represents the European release, the CD was also released in the U.S. on the Projekt label, and definitely fits in well with the Projekt roster. Rating: 8 out of 10. -Michael Casano