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│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
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│ │
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│ P R E S E N T S │
│ │
│ │
│ + Northern Kings - Rethroned (Jap. Ed.) + │
│ │
│ │
│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Release Date.Feb-28-2014 Encoder......L3.97 -V2 --vbr-new ║ │
│║ Genre........Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year.........2008 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........12 ║ │
│║ Covers.......Yes Url... n/a ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Northern Kings Rating : You Decide! ║ │
│║ Album : Rethroned (Jap. Ed.) Label : Warner Music ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Seeing we didn't review this band and ║ │
│║ considering it a serious omission, I decided to ║ │
│║ review the first album from this talented bunch ║ │
│║ this week (even though I prefer their second ║ │
│║ one). Northern Kings is a Finnish Symphonic ║ │
│║ Metal Cover Supergroup. though I'm inclined to ║ │
│║ say right here and right now that it's probably ║ │
│║ the best cover band in the history of heavy ║ │
│║ metal ! Its members are Tony Kakko (Sonata ║ │
│║ Arctica), Marco Hietala (Nightwish / Tarot), ║ │
│║ Juha-Pekka LeppΣluoto (Charon), Jarkko Ahola ║ │
│║ (TerΣsbetoni / ex Dreamtale). Their concept is ║ │
│║ pretty simple, they cover songs from different ║ │
│║ styles and eras, into glorious Symphonic Metal ║ │
│║ with a sound that will blow any Symphonic Metal ║ │
│║ (the term isn't used lightly here) fans away. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The particularity of this supergroup, all ║ │
│║ members are singers, therefore their albums are ║ │
│║ layered with very different vocals, they ║ │
│║ sometimes each tackle a single song (or are ║ │
│║ dominant in one), or they sing on different ║ │
│║ passages of the songs. The overall result is ║ │
│║ sure both original and jaw dropping in the ║ │
│║ production department. Albums are produced on ║ │
│║ the same level as the last 2-3 Nightwish albums, ║ │
│║ to give you an idea of the power behind these ║ │
│║ songs and their sound. The albums kicks out with ║ │
│║ Don't Stop Believing (Journey). What a way to ║ │
│║ start the album, the cover is powerful, cranking ║ │
│║ up the drum speed and guitar/keys mini solos, ║ │
│║ great vocals and amazing orchestration. One ║ │
│║ thing you must understand about Northern Kings, ║ │
│║ they don't just cover a song, they try to ║ │
│║ IMPROVE it in pretty much every possible way, ║ │
│║ often WIPING THE FLOOR with the original (but ║ │
│║ not always, there are a few duds and peculiar ║ │
│║ decisions from time to time) ! After two songs ║ │
│║ in Reborn you'll understand what I mean. The ║ │
│║ second song to receive the treatment is We Don't ║ │
│║ Need Another Hero (Tina Turner). This cover is a ║ │
│║ perfect example of all singers chipping in their ║ │
│║ part. The song is bombastic and again the ║ │
│║ orchestrations add a layer to the songs that ║ │
│║ cannot be explained, just experienced. I will ║ │
│║ list the songs that are present after the second ║ │
│║ track, and only talk about a couple more of my ║ │
│║ favorites otherwise this review will transform ║ │
│║ into the pachidermic multi-paragraphs deliveries ║ │
│║ I'm actually trying to avoid lately. 3. Take ║ │
│║ These Broken Wings (Mr. Mister), 4. Rebel Yell ║ │
│║ (Billy Idol), 5. Ashes to Ashes (David Bowie), ║ │
│║ 6. Fallen on Hard Times (Jethro Tull), 7. I Just ║ │
│║ Died in your Arms Tonight (Cutting Crew), 8. ║ │
│║ Sledgehammer (Peter Gabriel), 9. Don't Bring Me ║ │
│║ Down (Electric Light Orchestra), 10. In The Air ║ │
│║ Tonight (Phil Collins), 11. Creep (RadioHead), ║ │
│║ 12. Hello (Lionel Ritchie) & 13. Brothers in ║ │
│║ Arms (Dire Straits). As you can see it's a ║ │
│║ varied bunch of very well songs. I particularly ║ │
│║ appreciated Take These Broken Wings, Died in ║ │
│║ your Arms Tonight, Don't Bring Me Down & Hello. ║ │
│║ What I like most about Northern Kings is the ║ │
│║ variety of vocals present, most of them of ║ │
│║ incredible talent, there are times and moments I ║ │
│║ wonder why a specific choice or that type of ║ │
│║ voice was chosen, but overall I the vocals are ║ │
│║ extremely good. I have to admit my favorite ║ │
│║ vocals often come from Tony Kakko, as I have an ║ │
│║ affinity with his vocals (being a Sonata Arctica ║ │
│║ fan) and he is the one I know the best from the ║ │
│║ four singers. The production is spotless, ║ │
│║ grandiose, symphonic and orchestral all the way, ║ │
│║ the guitars are great as well even if they ║ │
│║ rarely take the spotlight. The overall sound is ║ │
│║ simply bombastic and grandiose ! ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ If you want to listen to amazing and original ║ │
│║ covers that usually required a lot of ║ │
│║ composition/tweaking over the original material, ║ │
│║ I urge you to listen to Northern King. They have ║ │
│║ a second cover album out from 2008, which I find ║ │
│║ it far superior than Reborn (it might also be ║ │
│║ that I like the choice of source material ║ │
│║ better), and that is no small feat ! There are ║ │
│║ some missteps here and there, some covers are ║ │
│║ absolutely mind blowing where others miss the ║ │
│║ mark a little (SledgeHammer, In The Air ║ │
│║ Tonight), or entirely (Rebel Yell) depending on ║ │
│║ your own tastes. But this slab of symphonic ║ │
│║ metal cover is mostly awesome. If you never ║ │
│║ heard them, now would be a good time (though I'd ║ │
│║ recommend Rethroned) ! It's been more than three ║ │
│║ years since Northern King latest cover album (I ║ │
│║ believe they covered a Finnish eurovision song ║ │
│║ as a single since then), so I hope they haven't ║ │
│║ decided to call it quits, especially that they ║ │
│║ had announced the third album would also contain ║ │
│║ original material (I'm interested in that though ║ │
│║ I love the concept of grandiose bombastic ║ │
│║ symphonic covers) ! At the end of the day, when ║ │
│║ I want to listen to great metal covers, I always ║ │
│║ end up putting Northern Kings in my CD deck. ║ │
│║ Somehow I'm glad to not have to quote this slab, ║ │
│║ it would be a difficult task, probably cause I'm ║ │
│║ not a fan of many songs that this CD covers in ║ │
│║ the first place. Though it helped me appreciate ║ │
│║ some I knew a little and love listening covered ║ │
│║ so beautifully. A great (definitely my favorite) ║ │
│║ cover band, one I hope will continue churning ║ │
│║ out albums for years to come ! ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Marco Hietala - Vocals ║ │
│║ Tony Kakko - Vocals ║ │
│║ Jarkko Ahola - Vocals ║ │
│║ Juha-Pekka LeppΣluoto - Vocals ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Vili Ollila - Piano, Keyboards, Programming ║ │
│║ Erkka Korhonen - Lead & Rhythm Guitars ║ │
│║ Erkki Silvennoinen - Bass ║ │
│║ Anssi Nykanen, Sami Osala - Drums ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
│ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ 01 - Training Montage [03:32] │
│ 02 - Wanted Dead Or Alive [03:50] │
│ 03 - Kiss From A Rose [06:02] │
│ 04 - A View To Kill [05:19] │
│ 05 - Nothing Compares 2 U [06:40] │
│ 06 - My Way [04:21] │
│ 07 - Strangelove [04:34] │
│ 08 - Take On Me [03:57] │
│ 09 - I Should Be So Lucky [04:42] │
│ 10 - Killer [04:31] │
│ 11 - Roisin Dubh (Black Rose): A Rock Legend [07:32] │
│ 12 - They Don┤t Care About Us (Orchestral Versi [04:46] │
│ │
│ Total Length : [59:46 minn │
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│ ╔═════════════════════╗ │
│ ║ Greetings To: ║ │
│ ╚═════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ Too all people who contributes to make this │
│ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │
│ │
│ │
│ │
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