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░ ██ ██ Artist: Vanden Plas ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: The Seraphic Clockwork █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2010 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2010-08-25 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Frontiers Records ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ A good four years since their critically acclaimed █
█ studio recording, ôChrist Oö hit the charts, █
█ Vanden Plas, Germany's finest Prog Metal act are █
█ set to release their latest album, ôThe Seraphic █
█ Clockworkö. █
█ █
█ Highly anticipated by the fans, what ôThe Seraphic █
█ Clockworkö has turned into a fascinating concept █
█ album which not only shows the quintetÆs █
█ exceptional technical skills, but also highlights █
█ their impressive development as composers. Once █
█ again, Vanden Plas have succeeded in giving new █
█ impetus to their unmistakable style without █
█ watering down their very own unique sound. ôThe █
█ Seraphic Clockworkö sounds more multi-layered, █
█ progressive and metal-oriented than previous █
█ Vanden Plas releases. █
█ █
█ A perfect example which substantiates this, is the █
█ 13-minute track æOn My Way To JerusalemÆ, a little █
█ masterpiece within a homogeneous, self-contained █
█ album. The song takes the listener on a haunting, █
█ adventurous journey which comes full circle █
█ musically towards its end. From soaring piano █
█ sounds through hard riffs and versatile █
█ arrangements to atmospheric parts, the whole range █
█ of expressive forms which the Progressive Metal █
█ genre has to offer are present. On the other hand, █
█ æHeal The WorldÆ with its melodic intro, █
█ subsequent heavy riff and catchy chorus, reveals █
█ the bandÆs affinity to theatre music and all its █
█ complexity, is classic Vanden Plas. █
█ █
█ Speaking of music theatre : in case if youÆve been █
█ wondering how Vanden Plas spent the past four █
█ years since releasing ôChrist Oö, you may be in █
█ for a surprise. Along with the production of their █
█ own musicals, Abydos and Ludus Danielis (both at █
█ the Pfalztheater Kaiserslautern) and ôChrist Oö █
█ (which debuted in Munich in 2008 and will be █
█ produced at the Pfalztheater Kaiserlautern in █
█ 2010), the group was also involved in the █
█ production of ôJesus Christ Superstarö and ôHairö █
█ (both at the Pfalztheater Kaiserslautern), and █
█ ôDer Herbst des Winterkonigsö (in Amberg). █
█ Understandably, these activities left little time █
█ for extensive tours, which explains why the band █
█ concentrated on major festivals such as Sweden █
█ Rock (2006), PP Scandinavia (2008), Bloodstock █
█ (2008) and the Roccolo Park Festival in Italy █
█ (2008). █
█ █
█ The band's fascination with classical history has █
█ left its mark on ôThe Seraphic Clockworkö and █
█ particularly in terms of lyrics: the dramatic █
█ science fiction story of the concept album was █
█ penned by vocalist Andy Kuntz and which chronicles █
█ a journey in place and time from 16th century Rome █
█ to Jerusalem in the year 33 A.D. The protagonist, █
█ after an apocalyptic vision, has come under the █
█ spell of an Old Testament prophecy and must travel █
█ back through the centuries to face his God-given █
█ destiny. ôItÆs about being unable to escape fateö, █
█ explains singer Andy Kuntz, a master at making █
█ complex subject matter both fascinating and █
█ accessible to contemporary audiences. ôWorking for █
█ the theatre has definitely influenced the storyÆs █
█ depth. When you realize or reproduce your own █
█ projects on a stage, you learn a lot about █
█ dramaturgy.ö █
█ █
█ The musical and lyrical complexity of ôThe █
█ Seraphic Clockworkö is certainly inspiring. Vanden █
█ Plas have proved again that they are the most █
█ imaginative and diverse of German prog metal bands █
█ and justly enjoy the highest international █
█ acclaim. It can only be a matter of time before █
█ this concept album also makes it onto the stage. █
█ █
█ LINE-UP █
█ Andy Kuntz - vocals █
█ Stephan Lill - guitar █
█ Gunter Werno - keyboards █
█ Torsten Reichert - bass █
█ Andreas Lill - drums █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Frequency 6:15 ░
░ 2. Holes In The Sky 5:25 ░
░ 3. Scar Of An Angel 7:26 ░
░ 4. Sound Of Blood 6:47 ░
░ 5. The Final Murder 9:53 ░
░ 6. Quicksilver 8:54 ░
░ 7. Rush Of Silence 9:22 ░
░ 8. On My Way To Jerusalem 12:50 ░
░ 9. Eleyson (Bonus Track) 5:32 ░
░ 72:24 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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