Again the power metal lads from Germany, Blind Guardian, appears for the fourth time with one of their newest songs for Song of the Day. The song of which I speak of is the second ballad of two that Blind Guardian composed and produced for their latest album, “War of the Thrones”.
While metal bands have done ballads in the past and will continue to do so, Blind Guardian has shied away from the power ballads of most metal bands and have instead opted for the kind of folksy ballads that troubadours and traveling bards of the Middle Ages and the Age of Renaissance played much in inns and royal courts across the lands. In fact, the band has seen themselves more like traveling bards (but with a power metal kick to their music).
“War of the Thrones” definitely sounds like something a traveling troupe of bards would play at a royal court. Even the subject matter which inspired the song is from a historical fantasy series of novels by fantasy writer George R.R. Martin whose A Song of Fire and Ice many have seen as the American Lord of the Rings. The band never shies away from the fantasy aspects of their songwriting and with this song they embrace this aspect of their band’s sound.
The song’s lyrics has themes and ideas from Martin’s fantasy series. From the raging war for the throne of Westeros which has engulfed the lands south of the Wall to the sinister “Others” beyond the wall whose march will raze the Wall which keeps them from the warring kingdoms in the south. For fans of Martin’s fantasy series the song should be a delight as it brings up imagery from the books. For fans of Blind Guardian it’s a nice addition to their growing folksy ballads which goes hand in hand with their faster and more complex work.
War of the Thrones
Nothing will grow here
Icy fields – blackened sorrow
Legacy of a lost mind
Feed my void
What you’re waiting for
I’m too late
It is more than a game
The river reveals
Now I’m in between these lines
I cannot escape it seems
Sail on, my friend
All I ever feel is
All I ever see is
Walls they fall
When the march of the Others begins
All I ever feel is
All I ever see is
Rise and fall
When the War of the Thrones shall begin
While I sit there in silence
Come and talk to me
I can’t free my mind
It is all I’m begging for
While I sit there in silence
Will it ever end?
Will I find what I’m longing for?
Will I ever walk out of shadows so grey?
I’m condemned, I am hallowed
Icy fields they won’t hurt anymore
Will you walk with me?
Any further
There at world’s end
It’s me
I sing
I cannot escape it seems
Sadly I sing
All I ever feel is
All I ever see is
Walls they fall
When the march of the Others begins
All I ever feel is
All I ever see is
Rise and fall
When the War of the Thrones shall begin
Away
Watch the river it flows
(Now and ever)
I cannot believe in more
And now my time will come
Carry on
Will I ever learn from the past?
Will I fade away?
Will I ever stay where the shadows will grow?
There is luck at the gallows
I will free my mind
Soon it will show
Let it rain
There’ll be no spring
My dream is a mirror
It reveals a matter of lies
All I ever feel is
All I ever see is
Rise and fall
When the War of the Thrones will begin
All I ever feel is
All I ever see is
Rise and fall
When the War of the Thrones has begun
Leave a fee for the tillerman
And the river behind…
I think it’s time to slow things down a bit after several choices of rock and metal for Song of the Day. Thus, my pick for the latest Song of the Day is the song “We Are One” by Kelly Sweet.
Yes, I have a soft spot for adult contemporary singers like Kelly Sweet whose sound of modern jazz and classical leanings make for fine easy listening. Life can’t be all rock and metal. Got to have something relaxing and soothing once in awhile. Ms. Sweet is one of the hidden gems of the last couple years whose career is still doing a sow burn, but her debut album, also titled We Are One, has gained her quite a loyal following. The ballad chosen for the song of the day is one of her original songs in the album full of covers. While she does a great job doing both original and cover work, this paticular song is my favorite out of the bunch.
Her classical and jazz training gives her voice an almost ethereal quality during this song. It’s not too catchy and pop like her more successful contemporaries. Her songs are something both the younger and older generations can get into. This song will definitely not be something to inspire the casual booty call, but it is one that is definitely one to light up that slow burn romance that’s harder to create and even harder to keep.
We Are One
Didn’t need to ask
Don’t know the reason
Everything that I believe
Is right here
Not thinkin’ bout tomorrow
Couldn’t catch it if I tried
World is spinning too fast
So I’ll wait ’til it comes to me
I am you
You are me
We are one
Take me in your arms
And flow through me
I’ll flow through you
Steal my breath away
Cause I’m so moved by you
Deeper than I ever thought
Was possible, was possible, it’s everything, oh
Difference between me and you
It’s all in where your heart lies
And every day’s another chance
So let’s get it right
I am you
You are me
We are one
Take me in your arms
And flow through me
I’ll flow through you
Did you lose yourself out there
Did you lose faith and give up
Don’t turn away and hide yourself
Cause there’s a friend to make along the way
We are the heartbeat and our souls speak
And all the beauty I have ever dreamed
Is right here in front of me, oh
Is right here in front of me, oh
I am you
And you are me
We are one
Take me in your arms
And flow through me
I’ll flow through you…
I will hold my incredible taste and not my complete lack of social contacts to “blame” for having never before heard of the supposed pop sensation Justin Bieber. But I remember NSync, the Backstreet Boys, and similar disasters: These unforgivable icons who severed unscrupulously from the first rule of popstar trash ethics. (If you suck horribly as a musician, you must compensate with nice tits.) It would appear however, as recently discovered by ambient artist Shamantis, that this Bieber fellow has had you all fooled. Those vile record producers took his 35 minute Sigur Rós-esque ambient masterpiece U Smile and sped it up into some five minute trashy pop single.
Or maybe the moral of Shamantis’s experiment is that sound is all relative. The worst garbage on the market can speak in tongues. The complete version of U Smile 800% slower can be found and downloaded below. An abbreviated youtube version follows:
Latest song of the day once again comes courtesy from the German power metal lads of Blind Guardian. This time around the song chosen comes from their latest album which has already seen a European release and set to drop in North America in August 24, 2010. The song I’ve picked from their latest album, “At the Edge of Time”, is the seventh track: “Control the Divine”.
This latest album’s sound harkens back to Blind Guardian’s seventh full-length album, “A Night at the Opera”, which brought the band into the realm of epic power metal and some progressive rock elements which showed the band willing to experiment with their sound to come up with some new hybrid style. “Control the Divine” definitely combines the epic power and proggy sounds evident in ANATO. While it doesn’t have the old-school speed metal riffs of “Tanelorn (Into the Void)” (second track in the new album), the mid-tempo of “Control the Divine” remains consistent throughout the song from André’s lead guitar to Ehmke’s drumming. But it’s the singing of lead vocalist Hansi Kürsch which makes this song my overall favorite in the album.
Kürsch has a distinct singing voice and with his penchant for overdubbing his vocals to create Blind Guardian’s epic sound of having a “huge chorus” singing along (there’s not just Hansi) definitely fits in well with the song’s lyrics. Lyrics which tells within a span of 5mins and 25secs John Milton’s epic poem, Paradise Lost. The song tells of Lucifer’s downfall, to the rebellion in Heaven against God, and right up to the Lord of the Morningstar’s bitter brooding and vow to destroy God’s chosen (humans). That sounds quite a lot to put into a song which is just under five-and-a-half minutes long, but Blind Guardian accomplished it.
Oh yeah, this song also has a very kick-ass melody.
Control the Divine
For what I was
I’m doomed to be
The tempter and the secret foe
Cause I am hell and hell is me
Pure hate will grow
Still I claim to be the chosen one and
Still I claim
This is rebellion rising
[Bridge 1]
First amongst equals
We’re bound to no law
There’s no one before us
Ethereal sons
Now disobey
Awake and arise
You’ll be free
[Chorus]
How can we take it away
From someone who has no right?
No right to control the divine
Night shall invade
Suspicion awakes
Wherefore He’s greater than I
[Lead: Andre]
Stay silent
Until the end of the world
So just like slaves we may deem him
Dead silence
Until the end of the world
Hence from this moment we’re doomed
I feel
It hurts though
Disburdened spirits we will be
I’ve learned my lesson
Pure and sore
An offer divine
We’re far beneath them
They consider us slaves
They steal our pride
Don’t trust them blindly
Cause truth they conceal
As it seems
I’ll reign
Cause here in my tower
Impassioned, I’ll show you a way
[Bridge 2]
I can feel your hallowed rage
Now enter my realm
Awake and arise, you’ll be free
[Chorus]
How can we take it away
From someone who has no right?
No right to control the divine
Night shall invade
Suspicion awakes
Wherefore He’s greater than I
[Solo: Andre]
[Bridge 3]
Descend – just keep moving
All things shall proceed
It’s freedom you’re choosing
Preserve our hate
Eternalize
Awake and arise
You’ll be free
[Chorus]
How can we take it away
From someone who has no right?
No right to control the divine
Night shall invade
Suspicion awakes
Wherefore He’s greater than I
How can we take it away
From someone who has no right?
No right to control the divine
Night shall invade
Suspicion awakes
Wherefore He’s greater than I
This particular amv won Best Action during Anime Expo 2010’s AMV contest. The amv is called “Spinning Infinity” and created by NightHawk.
I have to admit that this particular amv was one of the few I saw at Anime Expo 2010 that became instant favorites of mine. I already posted another amv earlier, “Have You Got It In You?”, which was also a favorite of mine. This amv is definitely more action-oriented and the song chosen by the amv’s creator fits quite well with the anime he used to cobble together to create the video. For those who don’t know the anime is a mecha series which came out a couple years ago called Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. While that series wasn’t one that I got into when it first aired I will say that this amv definitely gives me pause to go back and watch it again.
I really like the song chosen, The Pretender by Foo Fighters. The high-octane rock melody and temp of the song goes hand-in-hand with the action scenes the creator picked from the series. The synching of the series’ characters with the lyrics (when the sequence permitted) was also quite good. Again, this is one skill I wished I could learn and hone if just to try my hand at creating my own amv’s. Until then I’ll continue to watch and admire some of the very good works being done year in and year out.
Doing a major 180 degrees the latest Song of the Day come from the Land of the Rising Sun. This song was first introduced to me by site music writer necromoonyeti and from the first time the song began to it’s final note it became one of my favorite songs. My last.fm profile will attest to this as I’ve played it a couple hundred times since hearing it for the first time.
I speak of Naki Kyoku by the Japanese power trio, Boris.
It’s difficult to describe the band Boris. They’re definitely s rock band, but other than that simplistic description they’re not a band to be pegged into any particular genre of rock. Their albums have ranged from early hardcore punk and crust. They’ve dabbled in drone metal, sludge metal and ambient. The song Naki Kyoku comes from their 2003 full-lenght album, Akuma no Uta (means “The Devil’s Song”). This particular album and, especially, this song brings to mind an eclectic blending of stoner rock with its cousin, psychedelic and noise rock.
Just like the band which birthed the song, Naki Kyoku can’t be labeled under any particular subgenre of rock as it seems to sound differently for each listener. Don’t know exactly who and what Boris is as a band and especially this particular song of theirs, but I know what I like and this song is one I definitely fell in love with at first listen.
When the infamous epic Caligula was first released back in 1979, a disco version of Caligula’s love theme — We Are One — was also released as a promotional gimmick. If you’ve sat through the behind-the-scenes footage on the Caligula Imperial Edition DVD, this song has probably been forever branded on your brain.
And that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
This song is so over-the-top, so blatantly exploitive, so insidiously catchy, and so totally inappropriate for the film it was written for that it simply cannot be ignored. To me, this song represents everything that makes the Grindhouse great.
(As well, I hope whoever was playing bass got paid extra…)
While we’re on the subject, I’m also going to include the opening credits of Caligula because I’ve always liked the use of Profokiev’s Romeo and Juliet.
(I also love the fact that the screenplay is credited as being adapted from a script by Gore Vidal yet no one is given credit for doing the adapting, the editing is credited to “the production,” and director Tinto Brass is credited with “principal photography.”)
Yes, for my latest pick for song of the day I shall dial things back from all the J-pop, metal, hard rock and film scores. My pick for song of the day is Frédéric Chopin’s Nocturne, Op. 27 (No. 1 in C-sharp minor and No. 2in D-flat major).
A nocturne is a musical composition which takes it’s inspiration from the night itself or, at the very least, evocative of the night and darkness. It’s an easy enough description for a type of music which were typically arranged for piano solos. The nocturne was first originated by 18th-century classical composer, John Field but it would find it’s popularity at the hands of Polish composer Frédéric Chopin. Chopin wrote 21 nocturnes and it is Op. 27 (two solos) that I’ve chosen. This particular piece is widely considered by many as one of the greatest pieces of music Chopin ever wrote and I, for one, agree wholeheartedly.
This particular version is played by one of the greatest pianist of the 20th-century and one whose playing style goes hand-in-hand with Chopin’s free-flowing style. When one hears the name Arthur Rubinstein (he himself a fellow Polish musician just like Chopin) one automatically thinks of Chopin and, specifically, his 21 Nocturnes.
I am not one to adequately break down, deconstruct and examine just what makes Nocturne, Op. 27 such a great piece of music, but personally I’ve found it to be evocative of not just night, but one which brings with the night breeze a sense of mystery, the magical feel of the night and the accompanying darkness. For one such as myself whose personality and character make-up has been steeped in the darker nature of things this piece of music (calling it a song is so inadequate a term) definitely speaks to my inner self.
The latest pick for Song of the Day is a song that’s literally worshipped by some people I know. For them this is the greatest song ever made or, if not, as close to being the greatest song. Today’s pick for Song of the Day is Blind Guardian’s “And Then There Was Silence”.
The song runs an epic 14 minutes long and comes from this German power metal band’s 2001 album, A Night at the Opera. The song is pretty much based on the events spoken of in Homer’s The Iliad and Virgil’s Aeneid. Think about what I just said. It’s a power metal song about the Battle of Troy, specifically the final days of Troy. There are many with misconceptions that metal is all about growling, guttural noises by singers who can’t hold a note or even know the definition of melody. This song will disabuse such notions as Blind Guardian frontman Hansi Kürsch does more than just hold a melody but actually hit notes than only the most accomplished sopranos can accomplish.
“And Then There Was Silence” is the song which finally got me hooked into power metal, or as I call it, nerd metal since this subgenre of metal takes much of its songwriting influences from fantasy novels, films and games in addition to well-known legends, myths and folklore. This particular song uses the final days of Troy as seen through the eyes of Cassandra. The song plays just like an epic poem on its right and I’ve compared it to the ending of Peter Jackson’s The Return of the King with the many endings. Just when one thinks the song is about to hit it’s climactic end another section begins, but one that just adds to the awesome awesomeness of the song.
Yes, I said awesome twice. That’s just how awesomely awesome this awesome song is.
I think even non-fans of metal would find something to appreciate in this song once they hear it. Even if just once.
And Then There Was Silence
Turn your head and see the fields of flames
He carries along
From a distant place
He’s on his way
He’ll bring decay
(don’t move along cause things they will go wrong
the end is getting closer day by day)
in shades of grey
We’re doomed to face the night
Light’s out of sight
Since we’ve reached the point of no return
We pray for starlight
We wait for the moon
The sky is empty
Alone in the unknown
We’re getting nowhere
We have been betrayed
By the wind and the rain
The sacred halls empty and cold
The sacrifice made should not be done in vain
Revenge will be taken by Rome
We live a lie
Under the dying moon
Pale faced laughs doom
Indulges in delight
It’s getting out of hand
The final curtain will fall
Hear my voice
There is no choice
There’s no way out
You’ll find out
We don’t regret it
So many man have failed
But now he’s gone
Go out and get it
The madman’s head it shall be thine
We don’t regret it
That someone else dies hidden in disguise
Go out and get it
Orion’s hound shines bright
Don’t you think it’s time to stop the chase
Around the ring
Just stop running, running
Round the ring
Don’t you know that fate has been decided
By the gods
Feel the distance, distance
Out of reach
Welcome to the end…
Watch your step, Cassandra
You may fall
As I’ve stumbled on the field
Sister mine
Death’s a certain thing
Find myself in darkest places
Find myself drifting away
And the otherworld
The otherworld appears
Find myself, she dies in vain
I cannot be freed
I’m falling down
As time runs faster
Moves towards disaster
The ferryman will wait for you
My dear
And then there was silence
Just a voice from the otherworld
Like a leaf in an icy world
Memories will fade
Misty tales and poems lost
All the bliss and beauty will be gone
May my weary soul find release for a while
At the moment of death I will smile
It’s the triumph of shame and disease
In the end
Iliad
Raise my hands and praise the day
Brake the spell, show me the way
In decay
The flame of Troy will shine bright
The newborn child would carry ruin to the hall
The newborn’s death will be a blessing to us all
Good choice?
Bad choice?
Out of three
You’ve choosen misery
Power and wisdom
You deny
Bad choice
War is the only answer
When love will conquer fear
So the judgment’s been made
To the fairest
The graceful says
Badly he fails
Warning
Fear the heat of passion, father king
Don’t let him in
Don’t let her in
Desire, lust, obssession
Death they’ll bring
We can’t get out
Once they are in
She’s like the sunrise
Outshines the moon at night
Precious like starlight
She’ll bring in a murderous price
In darkness grows the seed of man’s defeat
Jealousy
I can clearly see the end now
I can clearly see the end now
I can clearly see the end now
The thread of life in spun
The coin’s been placed below my tongue
Never give up
Never give in
Be on our side
So we can win
Never give up
Never give in
Be on our side
Old moon’s time is soon to come
Nowhere to run
Nowhere to hide
Nothing to lose
Like one we’ll stand
We’ll face the storm
Created by man
Troy, Troy, Troy, Troy
And as the lion
Slaughters man
I am the wolf
And you’re the lamb
Hallowed Troy shall fall
Round the walls
Faith is shattered, bodies fall
Nowhere to run
Nowhere to hide
Nothing to lose
Like one we’ll stand
It’s all for one and one for all
All we live for will be wiped out
I feel that something’s wrong
Surprise, surprise they’re gone
Full moon your time goes by
And new moon’s still kept out of sight
We live
We die
Misty tales and poems lost
All the bliss and beauty will be gone
May my weary soul find release for a while
At the moment of death I will smile
It’s the triumph of shame and disease
In the end
Iliad
Raise my hands and praise the day
Brake the spell, show me the way
In decay
The flame of Troy will shine bright
Roam in darkness
Spread the vision
We will be lost if you truly believe
Troy in darkness
There’s a cold emptiness in our hearts
That they’ve gone away
And won’t come back
They’ll tear down the wall to bring it in
They’ll truly believe in the lie
With blossoms they’ll welcome the old foe
The vision’s so clear
When day and dream unite
The end is near
You’d better be prepared
The nightmare shall be over now
There’s nothing more to fear
Come join in our singing
And dance with us now
The nightmare shall be over now
There’s nothing more to fear
The war it is over, forevermore
No hope
The blind leads the blind
Carry on
Though future’s denied
Mare or stallion
There’s far more inside
We are in at the kill
We’ll cheerfully die
Misty tales and poems lost
All the bliss and beauty will be gone
May my weary soul find release for a while
At the moment of death I will smile
It’s the triumph of shame and disease
In the end
Iliad
Raise my hands and praise the day
Brake the spell, show me the way
In decay
The flame of Troy will shine bright
Its holy light shines on
So the judgement’s been made
We’re condemned though the trial’s far ahead
The crack of doom
Father
Your handsome son is heading home
Heading home
Still the wind blows
Calm and silent
Carries news from a distant shore
Out of mind
Can’t get it
Can’t get it out of my head
Last Monday, I made a change. I moved from my small, cozy apartment (with its paper-thin walls and bedroom window that I could never quite get to shut all the way) to a big, two-story house that I’ll be sharing with my sister and BFF, Erin Nicole. As excited and happy as I am having made this move, it also meant that, last week, I spent less time than usual obsessing over grindhouse exploitation and pop culture.
In other words, I’ve got to make up for some lost time.
I’d like to begin by highlighting one of my favorite songs, perhaps my favorite song of all time. Siouxsie Sioux may have been first known as simply a groupie for the Sex Pistols (Way back when, Bill Grundy’s lame attempts to hit on her led to the televised profanity that inspired the infamous “Filth and the Fury” headline) but she later proved herself to be a brilliant and intriguing artist in her own right. As the vocalist for Siouxsie and the Banshees, Siouxsie was (and is) one of the most important figures of the post-punk era.
Proving once again that I was simply born several years too late, I didn’t get a chance to appreciate the Banshees until they had already ceased to exist as an active group. In 2004, having just recently seen 24 Hour Party People, I was obsessed with all things punk and all things new wave. While everyone else was discovering the Black-Eyed Peas or trying to maintain a sense of ironic detachment while buying the latest from Ashlee Simpson, I was devoting my time to Joy Division, New Order, The Slits, the Talking Heads, Patti Smith, the New York Dolls, and Public Image, Ltd. I haunted the used book and music stores of north Texas and, like an archeologist, I would chip away at all of the boring, modern sediment in hopes of discovering something wonderful hidden underneath it all. Without a doubt, my greatest discovery was Siouxsie and the Banshees.
I discovered a CD entitled The Best of Siouxsie and the Bansheesat Recycled Books in Denton, Texas and it quickly became one of my most prized possessions. Over the years, my life has taken a lot of twists and turns but there has always been one constant — whenever I’ve needed them, Siouxsie and the Banshees have been playing on my CD player.
My favorite song off that CD is Kiss Them For Me, a song first released in 1991. The song, which admittedly does have more of a “pop” feel to it than other Banshee songs, is Siouxsie’s tribute to another frequently misunderstood icon, Jayne Mansfield. Like Mansfield, the song is unapologetically over-the-top and wonderfully self-aware. It’s a song that pays tribute to a legend by being legendary itself.
(It’s also the song that I had playing nonstop while my sister and I were unpacking our things this week.)
The song’s lyrics refer both obliquely and explicitly to Mansfield’s decapitation in a 1967 car accident. (Mansfield’s daughter — Mariska Hargitay — survived the accident and is currently the star of Law and Order: SVU.)
It glittered and it gleamed
For the arriving beauty queen
A ring and a car
Now you’re the prettiest by far
No party she’d not attend
No invitation she wouldn’t send
Transfixed by the inner sound
Of your promise to be found
“nothing or no-one will ever
Make me let you down”
Kiss them for me — I may be delayed
Kiss them for me — if I am delayed
It’s divoon, oh it’s serene
In the fountains pink champagne
Someone carving their devotion
In the heart shaped pool of fame
“nothing or no-one will ever
Make me let you down”
Kiss them for me — I may be delayed
Kiss them for me — I may find myself delayed
On the road to new orleans
A spray of stars hit the screen
As the 10th impact shimmered
The forbidden candles beamed
Kiss them for me — I may be delayed
Kiss them for me — I may find myself delayed
Through the Shattered Lens 