Just as the best scary movies use the power of suggestion to allow viewers to imagine their own worst horrors, the Italian band Nightmare Lodge stirs up violent images within the listener without sounding violent itself. This conceptual, darkambient band is known for its ability to present darkness without angst. Blind Miniatures presents a soul-stirring deluge of dark orchestral strings, conjuring mysterious and disquieting moods. While most of the album features minimal atmospheres, tracks such as "Tenia" are reminiscent of the majestic synth soundscapes of Vangelis, while "Fugitive" recalls the complex layering of Mike Oldfield. Bandmates Ivan Iusco and Russolo describe their sound as "a moody trip through a red terrain of horror-filled frequencies and subdued selections of celestial encounters, reminding us that war is everywhere and everyone is fighting." But the war in question is an internal conflict, deep within the heart and mind of the listener. Like an emotionless documentary, the music directs our attention to the front line, and what we see there depends upon which personal demons we are battling. The tension builds gradually, peaking at the album's halfway point, with "Blind Miniatures," "Labyrinth Without Walls" and "Extinction" introducing more floating beats and unidentifiable sound creatures. All told, it is a haunting, eerie, brooding, introspective journey.