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"Spiritchaser" is also a very earthy, sexual CD for me. As the liner notes state, there is a belief that organic instruments, made from living creatures, then contain part of the soul of the creature and make each instrument the voice of the soul from which it was created. That kind of reverence permeates the eight songs on "Spiritchaser," where the sounds and the voices seem to manage to seep into the listener's essence, touching hearts as gently as they touch minds. (Although you have to smile as the song "Indus" gracefully references George Harrison's "Within You Without You.") To close, "Spiritchaser" is the kind of CD you listen to when you wish to have an environment that surrounds and envelops you.

PS. I will heartily recommend this CD to fans of Delerium, Deep Forest and earlier Enigma, even though they are only marginally related.


Black rock   July 18, 2000
 17 out of 22 found this review helpful

"Spiritchaser" is not as bad as some previous reviewers have said, but it's also a far cry from DCD classics like "Aion" or "Within the realm..". On the other hand, it's difficult to compare this album to the group's prior work, since the band decided to ditch all medieval elements and to steer into a fairly obvious world music sound which especially draws from African folk music. The majestic, menacing edge of earlier efforts has been replaced by a laid-back, somewhat artificial feel and overly mannered arrangements. With voodoo percussion, unintelligible vocals, and environmental noises it would be quite o.k. if only the songwriting wasn't in decline. The tracks often have too few ideas for their length. On "Song of the stars", "Indus", and "Song of the Nile", Brendan and Lisa drone on and on for up to ten minutes on a single track. I just find most of the material here largely unfocused and unmemorable. The only interesting tracks for me are the densely percussive "Nierika" and "The snake and the moon" with some catchy guitar lines. People tend to love world music because it sounds unfamiliar to them, but let me tell you, it's all been done before with more passion and drama, particularly by artists from Peter Gabriel's "Real World" label.


the Dead apparently CAN Dance!   September 7, 2004
 17 out of 17 found this review helpful

This being the last album with all new material by Dead Can Dance you expect nothing but great things from this incredibly gifted duo who has transcended music as we know it, and even though some seem a little disappointed in their final offering, I feel that they have not let us fans down at all. Sure, this specific record may not be a crowning achievement, such as the powerful Renaissance of 'Aion' or the Gothic beauty of 'Within the Realm of a Dying Sun' are but I enjoy 'Spiritchaser' immensely. The melodies are still moody and atmospheric, only a bit more upbeat than usual, exuding soundwaves of hypnotic energy, and I simply can't get enough of these songs laden with percussion and a vast array of other influences too. But perhaps I am biased as I do prefer Brendan Perry over Lisa Gerrard and he's heard quite frequently here. Now don't get me wrong, I love them both and like how they balance each other out so well but whenever Brendan Perry starts singing I go into some kind of a trance. Chills race throughout my entire body - especially when he talks over the music, like on "Song Of The Stars". Lisa, however, is truly unique and haunts me with her deep, resonating vocals that seem to soar up into the heavens above. And given the name Dead Can Dance it's no wonder this album would center on how some cultures used to sacrifice living beings so that their soul would become a part of the instrument; otherwise known as the "singing dead".