Nox Arcana is renowned for creating haunting, gothic-themed soundscapes wit… Read Full Bio ↴Nox Arcana is renowned for creating haunting, gothic-themed soundscapes with classic horror references, strong literary influences, original and captivating storylines, and hidden riddles and elaborate puzzles. The band is the musical manifestation of gothic fantasy artist Joseph Vargo. After successfully producing several gothic, horror-themed concept albums for other bands, Vargo formed Nox Arcana with fellow musician William Piotrowski in 2003. The name Nox Arcana is derived from two Latin words, which roughly translate to "mysteries of the night."

Nox Arcana's debut album, Darklore Manor, was featured as the musical score for the WB's televised special of the 1922 silent film classic, Nosferatu, and has spawned a book of original horror stories, The Legend of Darklore Manor and Other Tales of Terror. Their haunting Gothic soundtracks have also been used in theatrical productions of Bram Stokers' Dracula, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, and Lewis Carrol's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. During the Halloween season the music of Nox Arcana can be heard throughout haunted attractions and theme parks around the world, including Universal Studios, Busch Gardens, Six Flags, and Knott’s Berry Farm.

In keeping with Vargo's literary interests, several concept albums pay tribute to many of his favorite authors. The darkly seductive album, Transylvania, ventures into the land of vampires, musically expounding upon Bram Stoker's Dracula. The sinister Necronomicon is brought to life in Nox Arcana's homage to H.P. Lovecraft. And the unsettling Blackthorn Asylum explores the horrors of a forsaken 19th century sanitarium with an original storyline that expands upon Lovecraft's "From Beyond." Carnival of Lost Souls takes listeners inside an old-fashioned traveling circus that harbors living nightmares and sinister secrets, in the tradition of Bradbury’s “Something Wicked This Way Comes." The morbid and melancholy Shadow of the Raven pays tribute to the great Edgar Allan Poe, and the darkly enchanting Grimm Tales album brings the childhood nightmares of the Brothers Grimm to life. Theater of Illusion conjures a realm of mystery and dark magic, set in an old Vaudeville theater, hidden from the outside world, where master magicians gather to display their talents every Halloween night. The Dark Tower is a sinister symphony based on Joseph Vargo's original book series, Tales From The Dark Tower, and its sequel, Beyond The Dark Tower, which follows an epic saga of the vampire Lord Brom and his quest to solve the ancient mysteries of the accursed keep.

Nox Arcana also delves into the realms of fantasy with the medieval sword and sorcery epic, Blood of the Dragon, which stormed in at #4 on Amazon's New Age chart, and Phantoms of the High Seas, a ghostly adventure steeped in pirate lore that explores mysteries of the deep. The gothic-Christmas release Winter's Knight peaked at #8 on the Billboard Music Chart for Best Holiday Album in 2006. Winter's Eve continued the celebration of the magic and wonder of the winter season. Nox Arcana returned to the wintery realm of Ebonshire forest with Winter's Majesty, marking the third and final installment of winter-holiday albums.

Since the early stages of Blackthorn Asylum, Nox Arcana has been the solo project of Joseph Vargo, who has been the sole composer and musician on all subsequent albums, including Winter's Eve, Theater of Illusion, The Dark Tower, Winter's Majesty, Legion Of Shadows and Ebonshire. Vargo has also composed the music for two Buzz-Works CDs (Zombie Influx and House of Nightmares), as well as the musical scores for the cable series Eerie America and the upcoming computer game The Cabinets of Doctor Arcana.

As with all of Nox Arcana’s albums, the concepts and themes are of personal interest to Joseph Vargo, who also creates the lavish artwork, captivating storylines and hidden puzzles that accompany each CD. The section called The Arcanum offers entertaining information about Nox Arcana's favorite authors and arcane subjects.

Over the past decade, Nox Arcana has released a total of 18 full-length albums, comprising more than 380 compositions, and have never re-released any of their material on other albums. The latest release, Legion of Shadows, marks the band's 10 year anniversary, with 21 all new instrumental tracks dedicated to Nox Arcana's fans and all creatures of the night.

Conjuration
Nox Arcana Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Cauldron blazing in the fire
Lapping flames grow ever higher
Tongue of toad
And wing of bat
Mixed within this bubbling vat
Raven's claw
And serpent's scale
Dragon's blood

And scorpion's tail
A plague of nightmares I invoke
To raise up from the ash and smoke
Spider's web and eye of Newt
Viper's venom
And mandrake root
Harken yey to my commands
Come forth to haunt this withered lands
Unleashed from depths of blackest night
Slider, crawl and take to flight

And in the darkest midnight hour
All gather round the witches tower

Overall Meaning

The lyrics in Nox Arcana's "Conjuration" depict a scene of a witch performing a ritualistic spell. The cauldron is ablaze as she combines various ingredients, including the tongue of a toad, wings of a bat, serpent's scales, dragon's blood, and scorpion's tail, among others. These elements together create a potion that she uses to summon a "plague of nightmares" to haunt the surrounding lands. The witch calls upon creatures such as spiders and snakes to "crawl and take to flight," as they all gather around her tower in the dead of night.

The song's lyrics are chilling and evocative, painting a vivid image of a witch's mystical workings. The repetition of the cauldron being "blazing in the fire" and the flames growing "ever higher" heightens the intensity of the scene. The use of alliteration and imagery, such as "raven's claw" and "eye of newt," add to the dark and foreboding atmosphere of the song. The witch's incantation is meant to raise fear and terror in those who encounter the creatures she has summoned.

Line by Line Meaning

Cauldron blazing in the fire
A boiling pot heating over the flames of the fire

Lapping flames grow ever higher
The flames fueling the pot burning more and more vigorously

Tongue of toad
The vocal organ of a frog, symbolizing a magical ingredient

And wing of bat
A bat's wing, which is believed to have magical powers for the cauldron's potion

Mixed within this bubbling vat
All ingredients, both tangible and mythical, merged and stirring in the boiling pot

Raven's claw
A part of the raven's bird anatomy, believed to have mystic properties for the potion

And serpent's scale
A flake from the skin of a snake, believed to hold magical properties for the cauldron

Dragon's blood
A vital fluid collected from a dragon, which is considered essential for the potion's mystical powers

And scorpion's tail
The stinger at the end of a scorpion's body, believed to have a magical contribution to the potion

A plague of nightmares I invoke
Summoning a curse of terrors and horrors in the form of nightmarish visions

To raise up from the ash and smoke
Calling forth an apparition to emerge from the aftermath of the potion's fiery creation

Spider's web and eye of Newt
The spider's intricate net and the amphibian's eye - two mystical ingredients for the potion

Viper's venom
To collect the poisonous secretion of a serpent and use it in the cauldron

And mandrake root
A magical plant root believed to increase the potency of the potion while being dangerous to extract

Harken yey to my commands
Calling upon the supernatural forces to heed and obey the witch's commands

Come forth to haunt this withered lands
Directing the summoned apparition to materialize and influence the chosen location

Unleashed from depths of blackest night
Releasing the entity from the recesses of the darkest obsidian shade

Slider, crawl and take to flight
Commanding the entity to move in different ways and in different directions to accomplish its task

And in the darkest midnight hour
Assembling everyone in the tower of the witch at the blackest hour of midnight

Contributed by Elizabeth H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Comments from YouTube:

wamenslot

10y↑14

Love Nox Arcana music!!

dtrix10kc

10y↑15

There are evil things in the darkness of night. Can you hear them? Can you feel them? Careful now. Watch where you step. I hear that the Reaper walks tonight. Cold as ice. Blood runs free. It's a mad world. Don't you see? Oops. Excuse me for bumping into you this night. Did I frighten you? I did? Well good. That was my intent. Why you ask? Because I am the Reaper and your soul is mine to take. ::horrified scream from the victim::

Happy Halloween, Nox Arcana. ::insane laughter::