TRIARII MUSE IN ARMS ALBUM ETERNAL SOUL RELEASE: DECEMBER 1, 2008 REVIEW: FEBRUARY 9, 2009

There is a decidedly imperial tone to Triarii's third album "Muse in Arms", thunderous percussion and swooping orchestral arrangements abound throughout the duration of this record. Triarii employ a devious sense of both historical somberness and a righteous indignation at the world as it is today.

Christian Erdmann, who is Triarii, makes quite the photogenic poster boy for teutonic aloofness and Mediterranean cool. I look through the liner notes of this vindictive album and who do I find in the credits, none other than ambient/experimental/"martial" pioneer J. Hauvukainen. The man behind In Slaughter Natives. It all coalesces upon this little revelation just why it is that I'm so beguiled by the sounds of "Muse in Arms".

This is not to say that Mr. Erdmann is without merit on his own, as his previous two albums clearly show but the stridency has been tempered by some requiem-esque symphonic passages which rend my soul. Having a pair of ears belonging to the likes of In Slaughter Natives mastering your work is never a bad thing for this line of music.

Triarii is an act that when one closes their eyes they can see things happening to. Whether these things are good or not is entirely up to the disposition of the listener. As he clearly states in the sleeve: "Art is never only left or right, nor is it only black or white. Life is not that simple". I suppose the closest approximation I could make for how this album rates to me would be to compare it to the first time I heard Sophia's "Herbstwerk" in 2001. I simply did not know exquisite beauty could be contained in the midst of such bombastic overtures.

This truly is a splendid record, one which I happen to think is quite pretty, despite the tones of aggression which like leaded lashes leave their scars across it's porcelain skin.

PETER MARKS