Bel Canto/Faskil

The atmospheric, melancholy, somewhat medieval soundscapes of Bel Canto (Italian for "beautiful song") mix an essentially synth-based chamber rock sound with a wide range of orchestral and folk instruments. The group hails from Norway and began as a trio consisting of ethereal vocalist Anneli Drecker plus Nils Johansen and Geir Jenssen. Bel Canto have claimed to draw their inspiration from powerful energy fields, including those of the female and the Earth's gravitational pull. Debuting in 1987 with White-Out Conditions, they started out with a sort of abstract synth pop style...