For many music fans what inspires artists to create their records is of secondary importance, if it’s a subject of interest at all. What matters more is what the music inspires within the listener. After all, what we take away from the experience, what makes immediate impressions and creates lasting memories, is in part a function of who we are, and might actually have little to do with what drove the creativity of the musicians.

Yet in some cases the back-story leads to a deeper appreciation of the sounds, and can become interesting in its own right. We have one of those cases here, in the story of Murk Rider and their debut album Exile of Shadows — a conceptual work that consists of three tracks ranging in length from 21 minutes to 30 minutes, one of which (the album opener) we’re presenting today. Continue reading »