Upon listening to Qntal 3: Tristan und Isolde, you think... "How can they get any better...?"

Qntal is a fusion born of Estampie - the very traditional medieval ensemble from Germany, and members who have performed with diverse experimental and electronic acts. Their sound is a dreamy, sometimes fractured, sometimes hallucinatory fusion of the ancient and modern. They only superficially resemble any other band. While some place them in the categories of "goth", "medieval", "dance", "electro" and even "new age" Qntal is all and none of these things. And in fact, their name, Qntal is a word signifying their ethos: a fusion that incorporates multi-cultural linguistic structure, yet is completely cryptic.

I was thrilled to find that Qntal tackled Ozymandias. It is one of my favorite tales. The poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley is a cautionary story of the once great and ancient fallen into decay. While the themes of love, passion, and tones of deep red permeated Tristan und Isolde, so do the hints of loss and despair seep into Ozymandias. But not all is dark in Qntal's latest outing. Blac , Indiscrete and Flamma are vibrant pieces that hallmark Qntal's amazing ability to merge ambient, dance, and ancient language and music into something potent and vital.

Lyrics from classic poetry and music are used through out the album to devestatingly beautiful effect. The strains of traditional medieval Mass music and Carmina Burana are so completely and successfully assimilated by Qntal as to make the sound something nearly entirely new.

Qntal IV took a tiny bit of getting used to after listening to Qntal III for over a year. But then, each Qntal album is amazingly different yet beautifully coherent. These transitions are what keep Qntal original, refreshing, and inspiring.

I am new to Qntal's music, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Now I am glad to have purchased this gem of an album: the singing is operatic,yet ethereal with a celtic flare and the beat of the music ranges from celtic, to gregorian-ish, to electronica type beats.

The CD has a certain depth to it that is a rare find these days. Qntal is ideal for the listener with a sophisticated palatte or anyone who is willing to stray from the manufactured "pop, punk, eclectic" music that pollutes our air waves. Enjoy.

Hope that helps,

Bohema

This is something different to try if you like medieval music but with a New Age-ish, rock twist. It's hard to describe (other reviews have done a nice job). Female vocalist with percussion and other instruments. Nice selection of lively settings to medieval texts. You will enjoy this if you like medieval music (Anonymous Four), Celtic Fusion (Clannad, Enya, Steeleye Span). middle eastern (felt like belly dancing). Renaissance Fairs, and English literature.

I bought this from Amazon after I sampled every track and thought, WOW. These guys will not dissapoint. Lush vocals and orchestrations mixed with electronic beats create an ambience for many settings. Being new to their music, I have not memorized band names. I noticed many different elements here, all I can say is give them a listen. They are wonderful and I plan on buying everything they have out.