“…a wealth of musical treasure….” — Decibel Magazine
Decibel Magazine is currently hosting an exclusive premiere of An Embarrassment Of Riches, the captivating third full-length from Canadian progressive instrumental quartet, THE NIGHT WATCH, featuring Musk Ox guitarist/Agalloch collaborator Nathanael Larochette and Musk Ox violinist Evan Runge. The exclusive stream comes on the eve of the record’s release, Friday, November 15th.
Much like the looming peaks adorning its Alice Duke (Cormorant, Avenging Force) cover art, An Embarrassment Of Riches is a towering and richly detailed journey through external and internal landscapes, where post, progressive, black, doom, and folk metal weave their way through a tapestry of post-rock, folk, jazz, and classical textures expertly sewn together by virtuoso violinist Runge and company. From cavernous valleys of solitude and paranoia, to soaring peaks of transcendence and affirmation, the turmoil and triumph one would imagine facing on an isolated land mass are herein expressed through harrowing tales of dynamic sound, carrying listeners on a wordless journey to the root and summit of human experience.
Offers Larochette, “On behalf of THE NIGHT WATCH, I am thrilled to finally share An Embarrassment Of Riches in its entirety and grateful to the mighty Decibel Magazine for the opportunity. This album represents our attempt at making a (hopefully) classic prog/metal concept album with all of its peaks, valleys, hidden pathways, perilous corridors, and tongue-in-cheek epicness firmly intact. Although it may seem odd for an unknown independent band to release a seventy-two-minute concept record — instrumental no less — in this musical climate, the original essence of prog was always one of exploration and imagination and this approach has been at the heart THE NIGHT WATCH since day one. We still believe that an album has the power to transport and transcend listeners who fully engage and hope to offer such an adventure to those willing to visit An Embarrassment Of Riches. This album would not exist without the legions of prog and metal concept classics that paved the way before us (Dream Theater’s Scenes From A Memory, Ayreon’s The Human Equation, Opeth’s Still Life, Camel’s The Snow Goose, and so on) and we are humbled to share our modest musical offerings as we forever roam upon the endless ocean of sound. Happy sailing.”
Hailing, “a wealth of musical treasure,” Decibel further elaborates of the record, “The pirate nod is no mistake, but Alestorm this ain’t. There are no lyrics referencing misadventures at sea, though the music aims to tell the saga of a shipwrecked sailor. Still, through this the Ottawa, Ontario quartet deliver their sound with cheek. The folk-laden metal of ‘Land Ho
