Hello Headbangerz!
In a few days our new album „Ocean Blade“ will see the light of the record stores. Here´s your chance to listen to snippets of the entire album and of course to download!
THE STORY & MUSIC OF OCEAN BLADE: TRACK-BY-TRACK DOCUMENTARY!
Our drummer Hartmut Stoof took some time to comment on each song:
1. Hiring The Dead
This time we decided not to start with a classic intro. The song starts with the sound of the sea to create the specific atmosphere, which guides the listener through the complete album.
Lyrically the song describes the forthcoming adventure. Musically, the intention of the lyrical feeling is strengthened by the mid-tempo groove and the chorus, which animates to sing along. This one will be a surprisingly tough and thrashing opening track for many fans, I guess.
2. E Mare, E Libertad
This track characterizes Sedna, goddess of the sea in the Inuit myths, which the hired crew is about to fight against. Mainly, the music consists of power metal riffs and some melodious leads, supported by double-bass passages in up-tempo beats. The guitar solo in the beginning of the song is played by guest musician Adrian Weiss.
The groovy turning point, that creates tension and is preparing the solo, isn’t that typical.
3. Ocean Blade
Ocean Blade is not only title of the album, but also title of the ship, on which the avengers sail deathward.
The beat and guitar picking in the verses remind me of some punk stuff, giving energy and rawness to the song. During the chorus, the energy rises and finds its climax with a gang shout.
After the second chorus, it calms down to create atmosphere and to give the song a developing solo structure, ending up with a two-part guitar lead.
4. The Master’s Hands
This is another powerful song with many double-bass parts, mostly in up-tempo beats.
The song is about the attitude and will of the crew, but of course their destiny in the end just lies in their master’s hands. The chorus prevails with another sing-along part, which may remind you a little bit of Warlock’s classic „All We Are“. As a more typical quality of our songwriting, the track calms down as well after the second chorus, introducing a guitar lead and rising with some marching drums until the final chorus.
5. Cradle Of Heroes
The only song on this album with an instrumental introduction. This is a classic heavy metal song with its typical „horse-riding beat“, combined with guitar lead fill-ins.
In the middle of the track, a varied verse decreases the power and rises the tension to a guitar solo, which ends in the last chorus.
6. Black Legacy
Black Legacy is more or less the ballad on this album. It contains many folk influences and some instruments of this specific period. This song is musically and lyrically meant as the calm before the storm.
7. All Men To The Arms
This one is also very strong and powerful, expressing an overflowing energy. The drumming and guitar picking reinforce the lyrics and describe the battle between the crew and mighty Sedna in the first part of this song. As you may recognize, the second half is completely different, finished with another long great guitar solo of Adrian Weiss. His outstanding guitar solo builds the main character of this half, halted by a singing-part in good old Manowar style and a chorus, shouting out the title of the track.
8. McGuerkin On The Bridge
Captain Karl McGuerkin is a fictional character. Each crew needs a bold and frightening badass – especially on this voyage. Musically the song offers a contrast of a raw lyrical characterization and a melodic composition. This song has much drive and sounds very compact. With its 3 minutes playing time, this song is the shortest on this record, but you will not miss a thing in it, definitively not! This one is pure power metal!
9. Siren Song
The guitar leads are apparently a tribute to Running Wild! The lyrics are about the sirens, based on the Odysseus myth in context of a sailor’s adventures. The verses are groovy and the tempo switches in the bridge to raise the energy to an opening chorus. Ramona Kunze’s vocals in the middle of the track fit perfectly to the atmosphere and sounds like what you may expect from a mind-blowing, catchy siren to lose one’s consciousness.
10. Ocean Legacy
Ocean Legacy is the instrumental outro. This one is bringing back the Black Legacy theme on cello, performed by Jens’ cousin Gunnar Vosgröne, and also the sounds of breaking waves you’ve heard in the album intro.
(click on the album artwork to order your copy at amazon)
The album was mixed by Dan Swanö and mastered by Powerwolf’s guitarist Charles Greywolf. Kris Verwimp is responsible for the cover artwork.
GLORYFUL’s new album „Ocean Blade“ will be released on April 25, 2014 via Massacre Records!
