Picture this, the year is 1648 and you are seated in the warm confines of the village inn. Maybe it’s called the Rusty Nail or The Village Lanterne. There is a fire in the fireplace and torches hang from the wall somewhat lighting the small stone building. There are maybe 5 or 6 other patrons at the inn each in a different state of inebriation. There are tankards of ale and plates with crusty bread and salty meat spread throughout the inn. In one of the corners stand 5 people each with different instruments. They are the bards providing the musical entertainment. Lutes, flutes, guitars, and bagpipes are their instruments.

This is where one would expect to find Medieval Folk music band Blackmore’s Night. The brainchild of former Deep Purple/Rainbow guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and his beautiful wife Candace Night, Blackmore’s Night is back with their 4th studio album The Village Lanterne. Mixing elements of rock with heavily medieval influenced folk music, The Village Lanterne is their best album to date. Candace Night’s vocals are beautiful and soulful as always and Ritchie Blackmore’s guitar/lute work is simply stunning. Also the arrangements are perfect. Not only do the lyrics tell a tale but the music tells one as well and that’s rare these days.

The record opens up with a song called “25 years.” The lyrics delve into the twisted world of dreams. From what I can gather it’s about someone who is haunted by a nightmare he/she had 25 years ago. This is an excellent song and while the subject matter might be a little strange it does tell an excellent story. Musically Candace Night is the star of this song. While the various drums and the flutes are amazing her voice has just enough of a haunted tone to pull this song off.

The title track of the album, “The Village Lanterne”, comes in 2nd. It’s a love song of sorts as well as a lesson in doing the right thing. “Some choose to fall behind/Some choose to lead/Some choose a golden path leaden with greed/But it’s a noble heart/that makes you strong/And in that heart I’m with you all along.” It’s a good, solid song and the music is fantastic.

There are people in Chicago that believe there is a ghost of a woman who stands by the side of the road in a white dress hitch hiking. It’s said that when the driver picks up the woman she doesn’t say a word until they reach her home. At Resurrection Cemetary she will ask the driver to pull over then she disappears. “I Guess It Doesn’t Matter Anymore” is a bit of a tribute to her and the lyrics do a wonderful job of telling the story of this tragic figure. This song trades an accoustic guitar for an electric but still keeps with the medieval arrangement.

“The Messenger” is an instrumental that showcases the musical genius of Ritchie Blackmore. It’s almost impossible to not lose yourself in the tapestry this song weaves.

“World Of Stone” comes in at 5th on the list. This song is inspired by the tale of Joan of Arc though I think the message gets lost in translation. This is the weakest song of the album which is a shame because about halfway through the song it’s true potential comes out.

There are two parts to the 6th song. The first contains lyrics and is called “The Faerie Queen” the 2nd is an instrumental called the “Faerie Dance”. Obviously it’s not hard to figure out what this song is about. It’s a great song in which the flutes get a chance to truly shine. I was very pleased with the instrumental part as well. The upbeat tempo will certainly make some people want to get up and dance.

There are a few cover tracks on this album the first of which gives Joan Osborne a nod of approval with a cover of her song “St. Teresa.” This is a great song as far as cover songs go. Candace Night does an excellent job on the vocals. Very upbeat song more of a rocker then a medieval folk song but it still manages to sneak in some medieval influence.

“The Village Dance” is another instrumental and an awesome one at that. The music has a nice easy flow to it.

“Mond Tanz/Child In Time” starts off as an instrumental (Mond Tanz) then segues into the Deep Purple anthem Child In Time. Another awesome song. Again more of a rocker but the sounds of the renaissance are still woven into the song.

“The Streets Of London” Is a heartbreaking but beautiful song. It’s another cover as the original was written by Ralph McTell. Candace shines once again on this tune, and the guitar work is stunning.

Coming in at the #11 spot “Just Call My Name” is a love song about a person who will be there by your side no matter what. The chorus is amazing and it is easily one of the best if not the best song on the album. There is a very good mix of rock and medieval folk on this song.

“The Olde Mill Inn” Is most likely a tribute to the historic restaurant and pub the band likes to haunt. Pretty good song especially towards the end.

“Windmills” comes in at 13th and is based on the tale of Don Quixote-the Man of La Mancha. Its about fighting on the right side for your own heart’s sake. While the lyrics do a good job of weaving the tale it’s the music that really tells the story.

“Street of Dreams” comes in at 14th and is a bit of a quasi-cover song as Ritchie Blackmore originally wrote it when he was playing with rock band Rainbow. There are two versions of this song one with Candace Night handling all the vocals and one with original “Street of Dreams” singer Joe Lynn Turner joining Candace for a duet. I like both versions however nothing is going to beat the original. Joe Lynn Turner does an excellent job hanging with Candace Night on the duet.

“Call It Love” is a bonus track and one of my favorite Blackmore’s Night songs of all time. This love song adds the element of piano along with the guitar. It’s simply a beautiful song and an excellent way to end an excellent album.

My Take: If you are looking for something new or have a deep love of the Renaissance then this album is meant for you. The songs that Blackmore’s Night writes are magical in the sense that if you were to close your eyes and listen to them, they will transport you back to the age of castles, minstrels, and Lutes. I also recommend their other albums, Ghost of a Rose, Fires At Midnight and Shadow of the Moon.