‘For Iran, I place my life in the bow’ — Iranian design displayed on a billboard in Tehran’s Vanak Square during the conflict with Israel in June 2025.
The design shows Arash the Archer, a character from Persian mythology, firing his bow while missiles fly behind him. The text reads in full: ‘For Iran, I place my life in the bow; the arrows of Arash split the sky.’ In the mythology, Arash is best known for being the archer whose arrow set the border between Iran and neighbouring Turan. Following a war between the two, a peace agreement stipulates that Iran’s borders will stretch as far as an arrow flies: an angel grants Arash divine strength and he fires the arrow a great distance, expanding Iran’s borders.
This design was apparently commissioned and produced by the Owj Arts and Media Organization, a cultural organisation associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (or IRGC) that had produced many similar designs for display in Tehran’s squares. The artist is named as Rouhollah Mokhtari in a post on Owj’s Telegram channel.
On their ninth full-length release, Arditi once again demonstrates their monumental force, sounding more powerful and relentless than ever while pushing their Epic Martial Industrial into even brighter and deeper territory.
An uncompromising vision that stands as a profound affirmation of their singular sound and their mastery of its unmistakable aesthetic.
“The old gods are dead; the Eastern belief in an emperor who rules ‘by
the grace of God’ is irretrievably lost, and the deification of ‘the
state in itself’ has likewise vanished, because it had become a
bloodless schema devoid of substance.
Democracy triumphed even as it was already in a state of parliamentary
decay, and the rigid churches no longer satisfy the seeker; therefore,
an army of sectarians seeks inner stability from street apostles or tent
preachers who ‘seriously explore’ the entire Jewish Bible in order to
prophesy eternal life here on earth for themselves and their followers:
the race-less idea of internationalism has thus reached its zenith.
Bolshevism and global trusts are its harbingers of the downfall of an
era more hypocritical and dishonorable than any European history has
ever witnessed.
Chaos has today been elevated almost to the status of a deliberate
agenda item, and as the final consequence of an era eroded by democracy,
the unnatural heralds of anarchy are making their presence felt in all
major cities of every nation, with the fuel for unrest being present in
Berlin, just as it is in New York, Paris, Shanghai, and London.
As a natural defense against this global threat, a new experience is
sweeping across the globe like an indescribable force, one that
instinctively and consciously places the idea of national identity and
race at the center of thought, linked to the organically given highest
values of each nation—values around which its sentiments revolve and
which have always defined its character and the richness of its culture.
Millions now suddenly grasp as their task what had been partly forgotten
and partly neglected: to experience a myth, to create an archetype, and
to build a state and a way of life out of this archetype.”
ALFRED ROSENBERG - The Myth of the Twintieth Century
I remember always dreaming that Edgar Froese would one day turn to the works of his dark literary namesake. Edgar Allan Poe is, after all, a perfect subject for musical visionaries like Froese. As we know, The Alan Parsons Project handled this theme brilliantly on their debut album from 1976. One could also mention the dark masterpiece by Peter Hammill, leader of Van der Graaf Generator — The Fall of the House of Usher — as well as Lou Reed, who together with a group of friends created The Raven, something like a rock opera inspired by Poe’s stories.
And now, here it is — my wish has finally come true. I admit I had doubts whether Froese could truly capture the gloomy atmosphere of Poe’s tales. In my mind, I hoped the music would revolve around the minor-key moods of Tangerine Dream’s excellent film score Motta Atma, and… fortunately, that is exactly what happened.
Of course, there is no trace of the stereotypical Tangerine Dream sequencer patterns from recent years. For example, the astonishing track “Fay Bewitching The Moon” surprised me in the best possible way. It is precisely this element of unpredictability in Froese’s music that I love so much. It’s true that in recent years his compositions have become somewhat predictable, but the fantastic, fiery cello performance moved me deeply. The musical background is also fascinating — reminiscent of his old solo albums. These pulsing, misty synthesizers tell a story, I think a mysterious one, as if something is lurking on a path full of surprising paranormal phenomena. I see beautiful yet dark visions, something like a polar aurora on the horizon, something foggy passing by… hmm… perhaps hallucinations, illusions? I must admit, the magic of this piece overwhelms me, and the only disappointment is its short duration. A pity. Every self-respecting lover of the “mandarin dream” simply must obtain this album for this mystical track alone.
But that is not the last enchantment on this release. Here comes “Cycle Of Eternity”, which begins in darkness and then transforms into an extraordinary, eclectic musical journey. Once again, we hear cello improvisations, beautifully highlighting the historical aspect of the era in which the extraordinary protagonist of this musical tale lived and created. There are graceful melodies that gently weave into a ticking, sizzling pulse forming the backbone of this intriguing composition. The combination of cello and modern synthesizers fills me with admiration — something that hasn’t often happened in Tangerine Dream’s recent productions. Is this the end of my subjective impressions? Not at all.
“Death In The Shadow”, as its dark title suggests, is not a trip to a sunny beach — it is an entry into the mysterious, shadowy world of Poe’s stories. Froese’s musical vision introduces his modern instrumental palette, and fortunately it does not clash with Poe’s darkness. The electronics open our senses even further; through various sonic details Froese expands my admiration for what Poe once created with his pen.
The final composition, “Darkness Veiling The Night”, is a very melancholic ending to the album. The sonic ornaments are surprising, and the music — despite dealing with a dark subject — is charming and gives a kind of positive energy. At least that’s how I perceive it; this is only my subjective commentary. But I think it would be very unfair to dismiss this release as “just another Edgar production.” Absolutely not. If someone disagrees, so be it. I fear that in an era of emotionless music consumption, in these schizophrenic times, this Tangerine Dream work may be forgotten. I listen to this disc again and again, constantly discovering fascinating sonic details. To encourage Tangerine Dream fans to buy this album, I’ll mention the characteristic analog sounds used by Froese — the very ones that defined the band’s sonic identity in the 1980s. Those who love such now‑cult albums as Poland, Exit, or White Eagle will, thanks to The Island Of The Fay, once again experience moments of mandarin‑colored delight.
I strongly recommend this new Tangerine Dream work. Yes — work of art. I have absolutely no doubt about that.
The grave steel of the shipwrecked Demokleides – A minimalist work from the 4th century BC about the immenseness of the sea, the solitude and the pain of a heroic death.
The deceased Demokleides, son of Demetrius - his name is engraved on the epistyle, above his head - is depicted sitting on the ground with his knees raised, in front of the prow of a war trireme, as indicated by the protruding, curved ram.
He wears a tunic with short sleeves and sits on his chlamys. He has placed his weapons, a shield and a Corinthian helmet, next to him. He was a hoplite.
He supports his head with his right hand, resting on his knees, immersed in immense sadness for his lost life or for his cruel fate that destined him to remain unburied far from his homeland.
The sculptor emphasizes the idea of the infinite sea by shrinking the figure of Demokleides, placing him high on the stele, leaving a large void to occupy the greater area of the column, thus emphasizing the dramatic effect of his story.
The abstraction and minimalism of the column are accentuated by the absence of colors that would once have emphasized the details of the ship. The lower smooth part of the column would have been colored light blue to indicate the sea.
Both the armament and especially the ship's ram testify that the young man met a heroic death in a naval battle. The stele was probably erected by his family over his cenotaph, in his homeland, since the sea became his grave.
Since there is too much fuss lately about Nolan's trash-film and the herds of ignorants, racially inferior and other similar degenerates claiming that Homeric Epics are "myths" and not reality (and based on that any of their Heroes can of any race), here is the message that the archaeologist Henrich Schliemann sent to King George of Greece. Schliemann based his research upon the Homer and also other ancient sources so to locate the original places that Homer describe on Iliad. The Mycenae and Troy. With this proved that the Homeric Epics were not just fantasy but stories based on real historical facts.
"With great joy I announce to your Majesty that I have discovered the monuments which the tradition proclaimed by Pausanaias indicated to be the tombs of Agamemnon, Cassandra, Eurymedon, and their companions, all slain at the banquet by Clytemnestra and her lover Aegisthus. These tombs enclosed by a double, parallel circle of slabs, which was undoubtedly built in honon of the aforementioned great persons.
I found in the tombs an immense treasure of archaeological objects of pure gold. This treasure alone is enough to fill a great museum, which will be the most magnificent in the world, and which for all the ages to come will draw myriads of foreigners to Greece from every land. Since I labor from a pure and sole love of science, I have no claim whatsoever, and rightly so, upon this treasure, which I hand over with boundless enthusiasm, untouched, to Greece. May it be, Your Majesty, that with God's help these treasures become the cornerstone of immense national wealth."
