Through more than a decade of enchanting melodies encompassing percussive, plucked, and hammered instruments from all over the world, Dead Can Dance have managed to artistically steer clear of the stereotype of "world music." A Passage in Time is a compilation of songs from the first six years of the Australian duo's career. Utilizing traditional instruments in untraditional combinations, Dead Can Dance have created a sound that is distinctly their own, and instantly recognizable.

Originally released in 1991 and recently rereleased by ethereal giant label 4AD, the album is actually a greatest hits compilation of sorts. Picking at only some of the most memorable moments from four of the band's first five albums, Passage attempts to drown the listener in every demanding emotion the band has to offer. From the enchanting "Ullyses" to the majestic and overwhelming "The Host of Seraphim," there is little doubt that this is a disc that'll knock you back into your sofa and leave you helpless and entranced by the perfectly mesmerizing voices of Lisa Gerrard and then husband, Brendan Perry.

The band's influence on other artists is apparent-- the goth epitome, Bauhaus, largely based their reunion tour around the song "Severance," which they covered several times, and a number of songs on Passage are easily recognized as themes from dramatic moments in independent movies. As a bonus, the disc also features two songs recorded specifically for this release, the nature- inspired "Bird" and the melancholic celebration of the cycle of life, "Spirit."

If you've always wondered about Dead Can Dance, but haven't yet psyched yourself up to the point of buying one of their albums, A Passage In Time is about the best packaged representation of Dead Can Dance there is. While the future of the band is in doubt, with Lisa Gerrard spending time on her solo career and thus landing a spot in this year's Lilith Fair lineup, Dead Can Dance is not to be missed. Living true to its title, this small sampling of the band will melt past your ears and leave you wondering how the past 60 minutes went by so quickly, and whether or not we can please have some more?

-Skaht Hansen

"Ullyses"

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