The first review is in for The Armageddon Overture. Zlatin Balevsky from LimeWire contacted me a few days ago offering to publish a review of the CD.

"Ever wonder what the end of the world feels like? Thanks to Stephan Carroll, you don't have to wait until 2012 to find out. The songwriter has explored the range of emotions mankind will go through as the end of time unfolds. In "The Armageddon Overtures" -- a full orchestra and choir suite -- feelings of hope, sorrow, anger, and euphoria form the soundtrack of the last day on earth. The music is accessible and deeply touching; it simultaneously captures the glory of the human race and its vulnerability.

With kind permission, we are offering the first part of the suite - "Dawn/Sunrise (Hope)." Carroll has made the entire orchestral score available for download as well. Oh, and fans of Nine Inch Nails might be pleasantly surprised..."

     Thanks Zlatin!

http://blog.limewire.com/

http://blog.limewire.com/posts/1313-MP3-The-Armageddon-Overtures-Dawn-Sunrise-Hope-

     The Armageddon Overtures: The Final Day on Earth is now completed! Nearly seven months after finishing the intial outline and notes, the music is finalized, the CD artwork compiled, and arrangements have been made to begin production. The CD and paperback score are now available to purchase online (see below). The mp3s have been uploaded to my website, and can be downloaded free of charge, however the CDs will be a much higher quality recording, mastered from 44.1khz 16 bit wave files.

     As I reflect back on these last seven months, I am humbled and amazed by the experience of completing this project. It has been a long journey, but one that I very much needed to make. I realize this music is of a much darker nature than what I usually compose, but despite the ominous nature of this work, I believe it contains several moments of true joy and exaltation as well. I feel I have grown immensely as a musician and composer through this project, and it is my sincere hope that you will be touched by this music.

     Enjoy!

I. Dawn/Sunrise - (hope) 7:41 II. All That Was - (sorrow) 5:58 III. The Agony of Farewell- (love) 7:22 IV. All That Is - (anger) 6:35 V. A Midafternoon's Nightmare - (anxiety) 5:22 VI. All That Could Have Been- (euphoria) 6:13 VII. Sunset/Twilight- (acceptance) 5:55 VIII. And All That Is To Come-(anticipation) 7:05 IX. Ω (omega) - (terror) 6:23

Download the full orchestral score in PDF format (2.28mb)

BONUS TRACK: Beyond This Twilight (4:25 8.11mb) - In 2007 Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) released a new album "Year Zero." Later that year, he released all of the songs from that album in multitrack format. He invited the public to take his compositions and remix them in any way they wanted, completely free of charge. This piece is Stephan's remix of one of the tracks from that album, "In This Twilight," which was also an inspiration in the creation of The Armageddon Overtures. This arrangement is a full orchestral and choral score, utilizing the lead vocal and drum tracks from the original album.

     The package arrived Thursday afternoon, and I was excited to open it when I got home from work. I was a little disappointed, though, to discover that the CDs were not formatted correctly, and really not at all what I had ordered. However, I was more impressed by the two books containing the written score (pictured below).

     It's difficult to put into words how I felt upon seeing my music transcribed on paper for the first time in my life. As I flipped through the pages of music, I immediately noticed a few minor mistakes that need to be corrected. But overall, the format, layout, and design are perfect. This book could have been printed along with any of the other full scores I've purchased over the years. Wow.

     Now it is time to submit the book for copyright (once I get a revised copy of it, of course). It's also time for me to prepare to produce  the first batch of CDs. I've been looking into some companies through the internet that seem to have good rates. After the problems I had with the first CDs I ordered, I tried printing the cover artwork myself, only to be disappointed in the quality and appearance. So I know it's time for me to go professional with this.

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