Edgar Allan Poe - The Raven [Cadabra - 2016]Cadabra Records has been very busy this year releasing wonderful spoken art and music capturing some iconic pieces of horror literature. Focusing mainly on H.P. Lovecraft, 2016 saw them branch into the works of Clark Ashton Smith and now Edgar Allan Poe. Released on a limited, one-sided 7", their new disc continues Cadabra's vision of matching well delivered readings, interesting scores, and finely crafted horror art. Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven is arguably the most identifiable piece of horror literature ever written, so making one's mark with a reading of this poem is a rather tough thing to do. Fortunately for Cadabra, they enlisted the help of Canadian-based filmmaker and actor Anthony D.P. Mann. His lively reading is coupled with a score performed by Maurizio Guarini of Goblin fame. Although no stranger to scoring, Maurizio's music is the weak link in this release. While the score itself is pretty nice and well done, it seems out of place with the material. Oft times sounding like something out of a Zelda game, the score feels a bit hokey and almost takes away from Anthony's passionate reading. Regardless, the two work well enough together to really hammer home the piece and show why The Raven has kept audiences enthralled since its writing. Cadabra Records' commitment to releasing classic horror with intense readings continues with their 7" of Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven. Although this one doesn't have quite the power of their earlier H.P. Lovecraft releases, The Raven is still a solid recording and a great addition to their growing catalog    Paul Casey
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