Triptych (Part Two) by Harvestman
The power of the stones
The second chapter (useful background info on the first here) of Steve Von Till's fantastic path round ancient megaliths of Europe creates a doom-filled sense of unavoidable circumstance, like reading a history book, aware of the plot and feeling helpless in changing its course.
The incantation on opener The Hag of Beara vs the Poet, like Hallaïg by Martyn Bennett (with Sorley MacLean's spellbinding narration) places the listener in a time when people were pious and simple (think: witch burning) and religion was a dominant force in law and order. Damascus, with its experimental loops and descending drones perfectly captures this crepuscular vibe.
Von Till guides us on a complex journey, one not of celebration but equally not of condemnation, relaying stories of optimism (check the circular guitar motif on Galvanized and Torn Open) and lament (the heart-wrenching, distorted bagpipes on The Unjust Incarceration).