Favourite Songs
The interview already much longer than scheduled but Gilbert and Nele still are in a good mood and very patient with me but…I’ve taken up too much of your time already. So last question, we’ve just been talking about this song, and you like it. What are your personal favourites from the album otherwise?
G.: “Yeah, that’s the question we get asked in every interview.”
Oh, sorry, then I change it, what is your least favourite song of the album?
G.: “No, no, it’s all right. I just wanted to point out that it’s quite clear to me. But Nele changed her mind today during the previous interview. I found that very interesting. You were on ‘Ocean of Treason’ before.”
N.: “I mentioned both, I mentioned both!”
G.: “You mentioned both, okay. Yeah, at the moment it’s just because we’re rehearsing for the release show that we’re doing next week, this process happens, which usually happens, that you like the song best that feels best in rehearsal. It’s a different perception than when you just hear the stuff. And because it’s always fun to play something hard and fast, that’s just the way it is when you come from metal as a band, then a song like ‘Ocean Of Treason’ is just good fun for us right now. It’s super dark. It’s totally fun. It’s like actors who like to play such dark roles. Because they’re so clear. You can be so over the top.”
The Aftermath Of Life
A bit of a Christopher-Lee-feeling then, right?
G.: “Yes, full Christopher Lee, definitely. There’s something appealing about playing the bad guy. It’s not an evil song, but I think it’s a similar feeling, it’s just fun to play something harder, darker. It’s not an evil song, it’s kind of mean.”
N.: “At the end of the day, I think you just must remember that we come from metal, and we all celebrate and love metal. And that makes the song even more fun.”
G.: “Otherwise I find it really difficult. I’ll see how it goes. So, it’s also a very personal story for me with ‘The Aftermath of Life’, I’ve written lyrics for it this time. I really wanted to write it because the song in general is very close to my heart, because musically a lot of it came from me. The basic idea was Pascal’s, as always.
But I wrote a lot of the lyrics, I’d say in the biggest sense. I still find it very nice to listen to. Even though we’ve played it a hundred times now for the music video that’s just came out yesterday.”
I finished the album review yesterday. I was also happy that I was able to include the video right away. I have to say that Ocean of Treason is also my personal favourite because of the darkness.
A Legacy Divine
N.: “Yeah, cool. Why not? My second favourite, I have to say, is ‘A Legacy Divine’, because it also has a very personal meaning for me. The lyrics are just very special to me, and it’s also written from a completely different perspective. And there is always a film running in my head when I hear it or sing it. And I just love that it has so much power at the end and the harmonies that we did are just great. And the adlibs that we put in there, I love them. I think that was the first song I got back from you after the mix, Gilbert, as far as I remember.”
G.: “Yeah, we started with you. Exactly!”
N.: “I heard it when I was out walking and I just had both headphones in and I listened to it and then I came home and I remember immediately writing to Gilbert, oh my God, what a great job we’ve done. how beautiful it turned out and yeah,…”
Was it all arranged by then?
N.: “Yes, it was the first song that was mixed completely.”
I also find the orchestration fascinating, it’s great because it’s bombastic. I think it’s cool, the guitar solo in it. I think what’s in the middle is just funny. A real guitar solo for once. It can get drowned out by all the orchestra and the bombast that there still are also the classic metal instruments.
N.: “Yes, that can happen fast. But we have to make a point of remembering where we come from!”