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│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
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│ P R E S E N T S │
│ │
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│ + Dracula - Swing Of Death + │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Release Date.Feb-01-2015 Encoder......L3.97 -V2 --vbr-new ║ │
│║ Genre........Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year.........2015 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........10 ║ │
│║ Covers.......Yes Url... n/a ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Dracula Rating : You Decide! ║ │
│║ Album : Swing Of Death Label : Frontiers ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Concept albums are often tricky. If you don't ║ │
│║ have a strong concept the album doesn't seem to ║ │
│║ flow very well even if there happens to be ║ │
│║ superb musicianship. On the other hand, if you ║ │
│║ happen to have an incredible concept, but the ║ │
│║ music is lacking it doesn't make for a very ║ │
│║ enjoyable album either. Once in a blue moon a ║ │
│║ band actually gets it right from every angle ║ │
│║ imaginable. Jorn Lande has always been a force ║ │
│║ to be reckoned with in the world of heavy metal, ║ │
│║ often sounding like the bastard love child of ║ │
│║ Ronnie James Dio and David Coverdale. He has ║ │
│║ worked with several great projects such as ║ │
│║ Masterplan, Allen-Lande (which happened to be ║ │
│║ one of my favorite albums of the year in 2014), ║ │
│║ Beyond Twilight, and his solo project Jorn just ║ │
│║ to name a few. Trond Halter has not been in ║ │
│║ nearly as many projects, mainly on Jorn's ║ │
│║ Traveller album last year. The two make a ║ │
│║ fantastic duo however and have come up with I ║ │
│║ feel is a concept, though very overused in books ║ │
│║ and movies, has not really been touched as a ║ │
│║ heavy metal concept album. The story of Dracula ║ │
│║ is one that is immediately identifiable and is ║ │
│║ one that is extremely dark and sinister, which ║ │
│║ is also a spirit that heavy metal embodies. ║ │
│║ Before even listening we already see that we ║ │
│║ have incredible musicians and a concept everyone ║ │
│║ can relate to, now the only thing left is to see ║ │
│║ if they can execute it like everyone would ║ │
│║ expect. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Hands of God starts out with Jorn sounding as ║ │
│║ menacing as he always does while laying out the ║ │
│║ framework of the story. There really isn't much ║ │
│║ to it musically, but it is an excellent way to ║ │
│║ help people on their journey through the ║ │
│║ concept. Enough albums are labeled as a concept ║ │
│║ and don't really begin the story very well. Jorn ║ │
│║ and Trond are well on their way even in the ║ │
│║ introduction in portraying a storyline that can ║ │
│║ easily be followed. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ If you are expecting this to sound like Jorn's ║ │
│║ solo album you actually may be a tad bit ║ │
│║ disappointed. Although their are some darker ║ │
│║ elements to it, its actually a pretty upbeat ║ │
│║ album. Swing of Death is actually a pretty ║ │
│║ accurate title for the album and is very ║ │
│║ descriptive of the music. The title track is ║ │
│║ incredible, although a heavy metal song it has a ║ │
│║ bit of a swing element to it that kind of gives ║ │
│║ you the illusion that you're in a time centuries ║ │
│║ ago, dressed elegantly, and ballroom dancing ║ │
│║ with a beautiful maiden. There are some really ║ │
│║ nice female backing vocals in the song that ║ │
│║ accompanies Jorn's power voice very nicely. The ║ │
│║ title track is possibly my favorite track on the ║ │
│║ album and one I'd recommend listening to first. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Masquerade Ball continues with the elegant dance ║ │
│║ theme once again. This song lets you know just ║ │
│║ how amazing of a guitarist Trond Halter is. ║ │
│║ There is a lot of Spanish influenced flamenco ║ │
│║ guitar playing as well as some beautiful piano ║ │
│║ passages. Its continues the story of Dracula's ║ │
│║ dark seduction very nicely and does a great job ║ │
│║ of carrying on Dracula's tale. Jorn still ║ │
│║ manages to sound dark yet emotional in this ║ │
│║ track and this begins to show just how ║ │
│║ impressive the album's production is top notch. ║ │
│║ You can hear every facet of the music quite ║ │
│║ crisply, which gives it a very grand and ║ │
│║ majestic sound. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ River of Tears displays very nicely the ║ │
│║ communication between Dracula and the woman he ║ │
│║ is trying to seduce. The trading of vocal lines ║ │
│║ between Jorn and the female vocalist makes this ║ │
│║ song one of the most intense on the album. ║ │
│║ Trond's solos here are incredible. They are ║ │
│║ extremely clean, yet alert of a brooding sense ║ │
│║ of danger. This is probably musically the finest ║ │
│║ song on the album. The last two minutes of the ║ │
│║ track is pretty much all solo until the song ║ │
│║ kicks back in with the chorus, which is possibly ║ │
│║ the most memorable on the album as well. Into ║ │
│║ the Dark is another song very much like this, ║ │
│║ which makes me wish I actually knew who the ║ │
│║ female vocalist was, because she sounds amazing ║ │
│║ and is actually a surprise and another reason ║ │
│║ I'd greatly recommend owning this album. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The concept has a very powerful ending as well. ║ │
│║ Under the Gun has some really impressive vocal ║ │
│║ orchestration and the emotion to the song leads ║ │
│║ to an excellent climax of the story. The chorus ║ │
│║ here is superb, just like many of the others ║ │
│║ through out the album. It concludes the love ║ │
│║ story between Dracula and his lady very nicely ║ │
│║ and portrays their passion for each other ║ │
│║ through vampirism almost perfectly. The fading ║ │
│║ out of guitar solos leads to a very nice ending ║ │
│║ of an extremely impressive album. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ To be perfectly honest I was not a huge fan of ║ │
│║ Jorn's Traveller album and assumed this would be ║ │
│║ more of the same since it shares the two primary ║ │
│║ members. Drastically different from his solo ║ │
│║ project, Swing of Death is a rather eloquent ║ │
│║ concept that is pulled off almost flawlessly. ║ │
│║ The vocals are some of the best of Jorn's ║ │
│║ career, the backing vocals are an excellent ║ │
│║ touch, Trond's guitar playing shows that he also ║ │
│║ a force to be reckoned with, and the production ║ │
│║ of the album is very clear and crisp. I went ║ │
│║ into this album with low expectations and I have ║ │
│║ a feeling its already going to be top 10 ║ │
│║ material of 2015. I was thoroughly impressed far ║ │
│║ beyond I could have imagined. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ J°rn Lande - Vocals ║ │
│║ Trond Holter - Guitars, Piano ║ │
│║ Bernt Jansen - Bass ║ │
│║ Per Morten Bergseth - Drums ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ 01 - Hands Of Your God [03:40] │
│ 02 - Walking On Water [05:43] │
│ 03 - Swing Of Death [04:39] │
│ 04 - Masquerade Ball [03:34] │
│ 05 - Save Me [04:19] │
│ 06 - River Of Tears [04:52] │
│ 07 - Queen Of The Dead [06:11] │
│ 08 - Into The Dark [03:35] │
│ 09 - True Love Though Blood (Instrumental) [03:57] │
│ 10 - Under The Gun [05:08] │
│ │
│ Total Length : [45:38 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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│ │
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