Opening with the uninteresting titled, yet lustrous, “Intro” we are thrown into the neo-classical moribund world of Arcana. This is a world of lush sorrow and heartstrings plucked in funereal pace as the organ and voices rise to crescendo.

There’s always a similarity to Arcanas work, you always know which band you are hearing, even when the music doesn’t quite fit the genre you expect, however as Intro finishes and Emperor Of The Sun begins the mood remains the same and the arrangements follow the natural course – slow lugubrious strings, slow drums and heavenly voices rising out of the orchestrations.

"Body Of Sin" is almost them doffing their cap to Death In June, however (and thankfully) there’s more than just a slightly off key vocal and a guitar in the mix, as the funeral march drum reverberates across the landscape the dulcimer takes up a lilting moribund aspect to complete the track.

Taken as a whole this album works perfectly, you wouldn’t think there are almost decades between the various tracks. There’s variety (not huge amounts of it but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it) and there’s a passion that communicates both loss and hope in almost equal measure.

Arcana make beautiful music, sometimes medieval, sometimes neo-classical, occasionally neo-folk yet always ethereal. Oddly for a band who have been around for over twenty years their body of work is not that large (eight albums and four Eps).  However,  each release is strewn with the kind of heart-wrenching emotion and vocals that will leave you bereft but wanting more.

Petrichor is a superb introduction to an already highly renowned band. It serves as both a reminder and as a tying up of loose ends for completists.  Enjoy!