Compilations

The Last Days Of Pompeii - 15 Tracks: Running Time 58:16

1. Midnight Carrousel (3:00)

2. Seven Heads Of The Hydra (3:11)

3. Spirits Of The Anasazi (2:49)

4. Legend Of The Loch (5:04)

5. Whispers Of Autumn (4:34)

6. Escape From The Ant Farm (4:51)

7. Virgin Sacrifice (2:52)

8. Rainmaker (3:29)

9. Girl In The Streetlight (3:49)

10. Temple Of Hatshepsut (7:01)

11. Never Smack A Rhino With A Whiffle Ball Bat (4:32)

12. When Souls Entwine (4:38)

13. The Minstrel, The Duke & The Highwayman (3:56)

14. These Clowns Came To Kill (3:54)

15. We Are All Called Home (3:16)

The Last Days Of Pompeii Vol. II - 13 Tracks: Running Time 56:31

1. Kaleidoscope (4:53)

2. Voyage Of The Gold Dab loon (2:21)

3. Chaos Reigns Supreme (3:00)

4. A Fistful Of Smoke (3:42)

5. In The Footsteps Of Ghosts (7:13)

6. Words Of Wisdom (2:12)

7. To Grow Old With You (1:40)

8. St. George And The Dragon (8:27)

9. Sniper In The Clocktower (4:03)

10. Marbles On A Spiral Staircase (6:28)

11. Baroque’n Hearts (2:58)

12. Soldier Of Misfortune (3:14)

13. Underworld Overture (8:20)

On August 24th in the year 79 AD, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius transformed the city of Pompeii into a smoldering funeral pyre. Thermal heat from the pyroclastic cloud charred the early victims to cinder. Survivors of the initial blast succumbed to the suffocating ash, or river of molten rock that followed.

On February 21st 1998, inspired by this catastrophe of nature, the Ghosts Of Pompeii arose. But not as a band of mummified stone encrusted nightmares – but as a ‘band’ all the same.

Ghosts Of Pompeii is the vehicle for musician Joseph Shingler to express his vision of progressive rock for the 21st Century. Drawing on inspiration from pioneers like YES, ELP, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, and Genesis; combined with the orchestral arrangements of filmscore composer Bernard Herrmann, Shingler has created a distinctive voice within the genre.

The music of Ghosts Of Pompeii combines elements of symphonic progressive rock with jazz-fusion, new age ambience, avant-garde experimentation, aggressive electronics, and filmscore.

“The Last Days Of Pompeii Volume I & II” contains some of the most dynamic material from his seven studio albums to date, plus two unreleased tracks slated for his forthcoming album. Together the songs blend into a balanced soundscape of edgy aggressive prog/rock and quiet introspective melodies.

Ghosts Among The Ruins - The Best Of - 16 Tracks: Running time 72 Minutes

1. Midnight Carrousel (2:57)

2. Seven Heads Of The Hydra (3:10)

3. Never Smack A Rhino With A Whiffle Ball Bat (4:29)

4. Bloodlust And Bedlam (3:36)

5. Carnivour (3:42)

6. Invasion Of The Garden Gnomes (3:34)

7. Escape From The Ant Farm (4:52)

8. Legend Of The Loch (5:01)

9. Soldier Of Misfortune (3:15)

10. Saint George And The Dragon (8:28)

11. These Clowns Came To Kill (4:08)

12. Caught In The Quagmire (2:59)

13. The Doom That Came To Sarnath (4:05)

14. Marbles On A Spiral Staircase (6:27)

15. Temple Of Hatshepsut (7:04)

16. Sniper In The Clocktower (4:11)

In These Quiet Moments After Midnight - 18 Tracks: Running Time:65:18

1. When Souls Entwine (4:41)

2. Whispers Of Autumn (4:34)

3. Spirits Of The Anasazi (2:49)

4. Zombies Of Harlem (3:45)

5. In The Footsteps Of Ghosts Pt.1 (4:36)

6. In The Footsteps Of Ghosts Pt. 2 (2:37)

7. Ghosts Of Pompeii (4:31)

8. Beatrix Potter & The Tea That Nearly Wasn’t (3:21)

9. Rainmaker (3:28)

10. A Fistful Of Smoke (3:42)

11. On The Wings Of An Angel Pt. II (5:34)

12. The School Yard (2:31)

13. Baroque’N Hearts (2:59)

14. Girl In The Streetlight (3:48)

15. A Voyage Beyond The Looking Glass (2:52)

16. Seven Heads Of The Hydra (3:13)

17. The Secret Cinema (3:01)

18. We Are All Called Home (3:16)

The mood of the musician can dictate the direction of his music. A Bad day at the office could trigger an aggressive anti-establishment anthem; while a nostalgic childhood memory may inspire an ethereal sentimental melody.

This combination of angst and euphoria are among the many facets in the instrumental music of Ghosts Of Pompeii.
Throughout the seven studio albums recorded over the past five years (1998 – 2002), this marriage of conflicting moods and emotions has been an exercise in versatility and balance.
Light – Dark. Good verses Evil.
Assembling the music for these two distinctively different compilations presented the opportunity to segregate styles, creating a cohesive collection of both.
“Ghosts Among The Ruins” is a compilation of hard-edged progressive rock tunes, tailored for the old school prog/rockers raised on a high energy diet of ELP, YES, Crimson, and early Genesis.
“In These Quiet Moments After Midnight” is an intoxicating twilight cocktail of jazz, new age ambience, and sweeping orchestral works.
Each disc contains over an hour of music from keyboardist Joseph Shingler. Providing a revealing glimpse into the dual worlds inhabited by his Ghosts.