Unearthed: Soundtrack to Ancient History

There is nothing like instrumental music to set your imagination. Unearthed by E.S. Posthumus can only be described as an epic set to music. Each song carries the essence of the culture in represents. Estremoz is broken up periodically by the soulful strum of a Spanish guitar you can almost hear the Atlantic Ocean in the background. Ulaid, the only Celtic themed song in the album represents the very best of a great genre of music complete with an Irish bagpipe. (Irish bagpipes are gentler and more venerable then Scottish bagpipes and for me preferable). When listening to Isfahan you can almost smell the spice and excitement of a great Persian metropolis. 

Many of these cities have a story of their own. Most are tragic. Menouthis, the sacred city of Egypt was taken by the Nile when it flooded you can hear the great river race through the streets. The Nile was a sacred to the people for it to engulf one of their cities must have felt like punishment from the gods. You can hear the fear and confusion in the wild symphonic music.

Pompeii was also taken by disaster. Unlike Menouthis it was not taken by water but by fire. Most children are taught the story of Pompeii and Vesuvius how the mountain erupted burying the Roman city and its people under burning ash before they could escape or even grasp what was happening to them. Thousands of year’s later archeologists find their bodies turned to stone by the mountain, statues of men cringing in fear and woman clutching their terrified children. Just as these figures from the past invokes feelings within us this song puts to music the fear as the sky turn black with ash and despair as the city suffocates.

"Posthumus" is dog or made up Latin meant to represent "all things past" and E.S. Posthumus stays very true to that theme. E.S. stands for experimental sound. This is represented in their use of contemporary drums and electronic instrument. The best example of this is Nineveh although Nineveh was an ancient trade city between the east and west the song incorporated modern electronic sounds that we relate to busy marketplaces. Every one of these songs welds the essence of the ancient and modern in a new and innovative way.

Track Listing

In keeping with the theme of "all things past", each of the thirteen tracks on the album is named after an ancient.

1.             Antissa - Ancient Greek Island City (Greece)

2.             Tikal - Ancient Mayan City (Guatemala) 

3.             Harappa - Ancient City of the Harappan Civilization (Pakistan)

4.             Ulaid - Ancient Celtic kingdom or culture (Ireland)

5.             Ebla - Ancient Amorite City (Syria)

6.             Nara - Ancient Japanese Capital (Japan)

7.             Cuzco - Ancient Inca Capital (Peru)

8.             Nineveh - Ancient Eastern Trade City (Iraq)

9.             Lepcis Magna - Ancient Carthage/Roman City (Libya)

10.          Menouthis - Ancient Egyptian Holy City (Egypt)

11.           Estremoz - Ancient Roman City (Portugal)

12.          Pompeii - Ancient Roman City (Italy)

13.          Isfahan - Ancient Persian City (Iran)

Minerva