Alcest - Écailles De Lune (part I)

Alcest @ MS

Library Additions

I am excited to have received in the mail two books that have been on my wishlist for quite some time - Did the Greeks Believe in their Myths? by Paul Veyne and Magic, Witchcraft and Ghosts in the Greek and Roman Worlds by Daniel Ogden. I got these used so money wasn't an issue, instead it's my habit of amassing large numbers of books and never finishing them. And yes, I get chastised for this a bit, thank you very much.

I am looking forward to reading them this weekend, and having perused the Ogden book today I will definitely be posting and giving some thought on some of the stories that are presented.

Vîrstele pămîntului

I received an email regarding Negură Bunget’s new album in the works, since I am on their email newsletter. I assume I got myself on it since I created their myspace page a long time ago and then handled the reigns over to Negru. The original band members split up, but after some disagreements, Negru decided to keep the band going against his ex-bandmates wishes. While I adore this band to no end, I wish they would have kept their words but that is none of my business.

I own all of their work, including reissues and copies of Negură Magazine. So in regards to the new album, I am of course very interested and very much looking forward to it, despite past/personal issues within the group.

Vîrstele pămîntului is an album about places of the earth and places of the spirit, about bounds transcending worlds. Symbolically the album is based on the principle of 9. 9 is the triad of the triads, symbol of fulfillment of the creative effect. It symbolizes the return of the multiplicity to unity (like the snake biting his tail). 9 is the number of patience, of meditation and harmony. Symbolize the plenitude of talents, the reward of the tests. It is a symbol of creation and life as rhythm and development. The earth is where we came from and where go back into, athe one from above and beyond us. Understanding and respecting it means to understand yourself, your purpose and destiny. Vîrstele pămîntului is an album about embracing your destiny, about choosing and consciously assuming a way of life.

The work on the album was done on a seclusion Negură Bunget took into the wilderness of the mountains, concentrating solely on the work for the album. The album will be released by code666 Records in a special limited edition - handmade woodbox, roped and filled with the very earth of the place it comes from (Romania). Release date is: worldwide - March 31, Germany and Italy - April 2.

They never disappoint with the style of their newsletter, but the beauty and simplicity of this new email completely blew me away. The description of the new album is also very interesting and I look forward to listening to it – I’m sure (but hope) it is no different than their amazing masterpiece releases in the past - ‘N Crugu Bradului being my top favorite album ever, followed by OM.

Negură Bunget translates to “Dark Foggy Forest” in Romanian and the album ‘N Crugu Bradului means “Through the Deepness of the Fir Tree Heights” according to an interview I once read (early editions of this disc contained a sprig of a Fir tree within). I loved the album so much that I had originally named my newly adopted Norwegian Forest cat that, but seeing people struggle with the pronunciation, I changed her name to something more normal, like Camila. Yes, I am weird, but at least I didn’t name her Beelzebub or Shehamforash (tho no offense who do; just sayin’).

Ancient Greek Podcast

A quick post - I found series of video lectures titled Introduction to Ancient Greek History by Yale professor, author and foremost Greek historian Donald Kagan.