:Theater of Illusion
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Theater of Illusion
| type = Studio album
| artist = Nox Arcana
| cover = Theater of Illusion.jpg
| alt =
| released = July 15, 2010
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = Gothic, Dark cabaret, Dark ambient, Neoclassical dark wave, New-age
| length =
| label = Monolith Graphics
| producer =
| prev_title = Winter's Eve
| prev_year = 2009
| next_title = House of Nightmares
| next_year = 2010
}}
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = Fangoria Magazine
| rev1Score = {{Rating|5|5}} [http://www.fangoria.com Fangoria]
| rev2 = Metal Maven
| rev2Score = {{Rating|5|5}} [http://metalmavenblog.com/?p=141 Metal Maven review]
| rev3 = Metal Sound
| rev3Score = {{Rating|5|5}} [http://noxarcana.com/illusion.html#reviews Metal Sound review]
}}
Theater of Illusion is the fourteenth album by musical duo Nox Arcana's. Its theme is that of an old theater haunted by a masked magician. The album is a popular source of music for professional illusionists.[http://hauntcast.net Hauntcast review]
Story
The world-famous and mysterious masked magician named Doctor Arcana captured global attention with his astounding illusions and spectacular, death-defying escapes. However, at the peak of his career, the magician vanished without a trace under mysterious circumstances. Several rumors began circulating, concerning his whereabouts and fate, but the truth remains a mystery to the present day.
A Gothic mansion at a secluded country estate once served as Doctor Arcana's home, thus christening it as Arcana Manor. Since the magician's disappearance, there have been reports of strange sounds and shadows from within the sprawling mansion, but no living soul has been able to gain entry to investigate the matter, and Arcana Manor has stood abandoned and undisturbed for more than two decades. Unknown to many, a hidden theater lies within the dark manor. This venue, hidden from the outside world, is where master magicians gather to display their talents every Halloween night.
=Video game & soundtrack inspiration=
Joseph Vargo expanded this storyline with the release of The Cabinets of Doctor Arcana video game and soundtrack in 2018, followed in 2024 by the game sequel and soundtrack Doctor Arcana and The Secret of Shadowspire.{{cite web |url=https://doctorarcana.com/ |title=Doctor Arcana website |accessdate=2024-12-23}}
Track listing
- "Abracadabra" — 1:40
- "Cobwebs" — 2:40
- "Nostalgia" — 2:24
- "Forgotten Dreams" — 4:17
- "Edge of Darkness" — 3:09
- "Phantom Theater" — 3:03
- "Hypnos" — 1:05
- "The Curtain Rises" — 0:56
- "The Crimson Hourglass" — 3:03
- "Sinister Cabaret" — 2:57
- "Necromancer" — 3:46
- "The Mask of Arcana" — 3:41
- "Shadow Play" — 3:54
- "Voodoo" — 3:52
- "Mysterium" — 4:01
- "Swords of Kali" — 3:57
- "Smoke and Mirrors" — 3:19
- "The Prestige" — 2:52
- "Black Fire" — 3:04
- "Dark Destiny" — 3:16
- "Lord of Illusions" — 6:51
- The song "Lord of Illusions" ends at 3:45, but there are two untitled hidden tracks: the first hidden track starts at 4:15 and ends at 5:20; the second hidden track starts at 5:30 and ends at 6:51.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.noxarcana.com Nox Arcana's official website]
- [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0002041007|pure_url=yes}} Theater of Illusion] at Allmusic
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