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Bruno Karnel — Hic Sunt Dracones
(Bandcamp no#, 2023, CD / DL)

by Peter Thelen, Published 2024-01-02

Hic Sunt Dracones Cover art

Hic sunt dracones, loosely translated from Latin as “Here Be Dragons,” is something that might be found on maps and nautical charts in the Middle Ages to mark the limits of the known world; to go beyond these limits would surely be a dangerous endeavor fraught with sea serpents and other terrifying monsters. Bruno Karnel’s latest album goes about exploring some of these extreme places, lost in oceans of ice, in the deserts at the world’s extremes and in ancient jungle heat, Karnel takes the listener outward and onward without any fear. Unlike Las Ilusiones, Karnel’s previous album which was powerful but in a gentle way, Hic Sunt Dracones pulls out all the stops, presenting eleven tracks that occupy a space somewhere between heavy progressive rock and post-rock, with an urgency that transcends the language barrier (all of the songs but the English closer, “Tromsø,” are sung in French) and I have to confess that even two years of high school French and life with my mother, born in Bordeaux, has not helped me much here, these poetic lyrics are way beyond the common everyday conversation. That said, Karnel’s distinctive vocals deliver the powerful messages to the listener, one that transcends language, driven home amid snarly guitars, gentle acoustic sounds, organ and piano, heavy bass and drums, occasional cello, and backing vocals. For his part, in addition to writing all of the music and lyrics, Karnel plays acoustic and electric guitars, mandolin, charango, and keyboards. Drummer Pavel Ljubičić plays on all tracks and bassist Julien Waghon plays on most. In addition, various lead guitarists and keyboard players leave their mark on Karnel’s work. The mood is generally dark, sometimes pensive, and often aggressive, I suspect that fans of Peter Hammill might well find Hic Sunt Dracones to their liking.

Filed under: New releases, 2023 releases

Related artist(s): Bruno Karnel

More info
http://brunokarnel.bandcamp.com/album/hic-sunt-dracones

 

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