Excelis Rising [AUDIO/2002.4.8]

★★★☆☆

  Out of the three Excelis adventures, I find myself gravitating towards Excelis Rising most frequently. Whilst Dawns' borderline medieval palette appeals to me and Decays has all the gloom and doom for a dystopia nut like me, Rising hits the very specific 'relatively modern Age of Reason era' spot I always have. Seriously, Edward Salt's direction is spectacular. The echoing walls of the dusty old museum, the warm and fresh outside air, the very faint helicopter noise... they add so much to the world of Arteris. 

  Seances, ghosts from the beyond being manipulated by a warlord from the past, museum break-ins, mysterious murders, heists... this hour-long audio drama is full of goodies for you to sink your teeth into. Colin Baker's Sixth Doctor sans companion may just be one of my favourite protagonists, especially the Sixie immediately after Evelyn when he's mellowed a bit since his Season 22 days but still retains much of the verbosity, sharp wit and joy that defines his incarnation, He's much more assertive, reckless and fun without a companion playing either second fiddle or the moral compass; I really do love stories with solo Six. He gets to butt heads with the superb Anthony Stewart Head as well, with the latter playing a fascinating silky baddie. Excelis Rising may not be the most eventful of the trilogy, but it's certainly the most confident in tone and polish. It's certainly the most calming and pleasant of the three to listen to, and the narrative is meaty enough (read: not particularly remarkable but complementary to the vibe) to not cause any problems.