Blood and Roses for Lady McBeth

A beautiful and gripping title and an alternation between darker and luminous, tender and energetic themes, with the eponymous track being one of the highlights of the album. The reference to a "canonically" sinister literary character such as Lady Macbeth could not be better accompanied than by blood and roses, both symbols of femininity and metaphors for the dangerous facets of the human soul.

Not unlike Lady Macbeth - the cynical and unrepentant killer who, in her own way, also epitomises female power and seductiveness - life has two seemingly contradictory aspects: it may be full of resplendent moments and images, like the flight of storks in the sky or an idyllic promenade around a fountain, but at the same time, frightful shadows lurk in the corner. Some of the prettiest flowers have the colour of blood; beauty hides a poisonous thorn, the golden sun of early morning rises upon a grave covered with yellow roses.

God of Fire and Riders in the Dark, as well as Blood and Roses for Lady McBeth, are perhaps the strongest but also the darkest compositions of this album, balanced by the high-spirited melodies of luscious musical "descriptions" like A Glow in the Sky, Oceans of Flowers, Angel with a Red Rose or A Painting of Sunflowers, where sweetness and dynamism mix in a pleasurably harmonised blend.

The last (bonus) track, Noizy Hardnoize, differs in style from the rest of this collection, but its inclusion provides for a vigorous and impressive finale - not devoid of a subtle dose of humor, as indicated by its title.