Nox Arcana

Nox Arcana was formed in 2003 by Joseph Vargo and William Piotrowski. The name Nox Arcana is derived from two Latin words, which roughly translate to "mysteries of the night." Nox Arcana is primarily known for creating conceptual, themed soundtracks with classic horror and Gothic literary references. Many of their albums also contain hidden riddles and interactive puzzles. Nox Arcana's debut album, 936983, was featured as the musical score for the WB's televised special of the 1922 silent film classic, "Nosferatu", and has spawned a book of original horror stories, "The Legend of Darklore Manor and Other Tales of Terror". Their soundtracks have also been used in theatrical productions of Bram Stokers' "Dracula", Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein", Edgar Allan Poe's "The Pit and The Pendulum" and Lewis Carrol's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland". Their music is used by professional magicians and dance troupes, aired on the Fox TV show "So You Think You Can Dance," and appears in several games like Civilization IV, Warhammer and Into The Dark. During the Halloween season the music of Nox Arcana can be heard throughout haunted attractions and theme parks around the world, including Universal Studios, Busch Gardens, Six Flags, and Knott’s Berry Farm. Several of Nox Arcana's concept albums pay tribute to classic authors: 1401780, ventures into the land of vampires, musically expounding upon Bram Stoker's Dracula. 936989 pays homage to H.P. Lovecraft. 1883275 explores the horrors of a forsaken 19th century sanitarium with an original storyline that expands upon Lovecraft's "From Beyond." 1402157 takes listeners inside an old-fashioned traveling circus in the tradition of Ray Bradbury’s short story "Something Wicked This Way Comes." 1493654 is a tribute to 21 horror stories by Edgar Allan Poe, while 1493640 brings the childhood nightmares of the Brothers Grimm to music. Nox Arcana created the music for 1404169 in 2006, an album featuring vocals and lyrics by author and vocalist Michelle Belanger. Nox Arcana also delved into the realms of fantasy with 1493650, which opened at #4 on Amazon's New Age chart in its first week of release. Phantoms Of The High Seas explores the mysteries of the deep with a ghostly adventure steeped in pirate lore. Their gothic-Christmas release Winter's Knight peaked at #8 on the Billboard Music Chart for Best Holiday Album in 2006 and 2007. In 2009 Nox Arcana became a solo project of Joseph Vargo, who is the sole composer and musician on 1883275 and all subsequent albums, with William Piotrowski still providing the engineering. 2218016 and 4298942 continue the medieval winter holiday theme. 2411938 is set in an old Vaudeville theater on Halloween night. 3535016 is based on Vargo's original "Dark Tower" book series which follows the story of a vampire lord in his quest to solve ancient mysteries surrounding an accursed keep. Vargo also composed the music for two Buzz-Works albums, 5863383 and 7474216. Vargo has also written songs for albums by Midnight Syndicate, Acid Witch, and Legion Of The Damned. In October 2013, Vargo released 5863339 as a dedication to fans and to mark Nox Arcana's 10 year anniversary. Piotrowski simultaneously debuted 11228038 for a vampire film of the same name. In December 2013, Joseph released the first volume in a series of winter holiday EPs, culminating with the full-album release of 12884092 in 2018. With the release of 8426875, Nox Arcana defined the genre, while 11386077 explored the various aspects of the craft, both good and evil. In 2019, Joseph Vargo released 13573429 following the video game success. For Halloween the same year Nox Arcana released 14099223 which tells the tale of a tormented musician who becomes obsessed with creating a dark masterpiece dedicated to his lost love. Guest Vocalists and Musicians Jeff Endemann performed vocals on "Coventry Carol" (Winter's Knight), "Treasure of the Four Crowns" (Blood of the Dragon), "Winter's Eve" (Winter's Eve), and "Scarborough Fair" (Winter's Majesty), and played lead guitar on the rock version of "Spellbound" (Carnival of Lost Souls). Michelle Belanger performed as a guest vocalist on "Past Time with Good Company" (Winter's Knight), and collaborated with Nox Arcana on her solo album: Blood of Angels. Jeff Hartz collaborated with Joseph Vargo on two albums: Zombie Influx and House of Nightmares. Christine Filipak performed background vocals and narrations for "Nursery Rhyme" and "Music Box" (Darklore Manor), "Hall Of The Witch Queen" (Grimm Tales), and "The Messenger" (Winter's Eve). Jim Hamar performed vocals on the rock version of "Spellbound" from Carnival of Lost Souls. Ty Cook performed vocals on "Fate of the Tempest" (Phantoms of the High Seas).