''A Gate Through the Past'' is the début full-length
album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
by the Italian
symphonic power metal
Symphonic metal is a cross-generic style designation for the symphonic subsets of heavy metal music subgenres. It is used to denote any metal band that makes use of symphonic or orchestral elements. The style features the heavy drums and guitar ...
band
Holy Knights. It was first released in
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
on January 23, 2002 via
Tokuma
is a publisher in Japan, headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. The company was established in 1954 by Yasuyoshi Tokuma in Minato, Tokyo. The company’s product portfolio includes music publishing, video game publishing, movies, anime, magazines, m ...
and re-released by
Underground Symphony worldwide on June 5.
Track listing
Background and production
Holy Knight was formed in 1998; their first
demo
Demo, usually short for demonstration, may refer to:
Music and film
*Demo (music), a song typically recorded for reference rather than release
* ''Demo'' (Behind Crimson Eyes), a 2004 recording by the band Behind Crimson Eyes
* ''Demo'' (Deafhea ...
recording, ''Gate Through the Past'' was released in December 1999 to positive reviews.
Having signed a record deal with Underground Symphony in April 2000, the band entered the Zenith Recording studio in
Lucca in early November; the recording was finished on December 20.
Music
''A Gate Through the Pasts sound has been described as bombastic, with many compositions strongly influenced by
neoclassical music
Neoclassicism in music was a twentieth-century trend, particularly current in the interwar period, in which composers sought to return to aesthetic precepts associated with the broadly defined concept of "classicism", namely order, balance, c ...
, despite the fact that none of the band members had formal
classical training.
Elements of
folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
Sociology
*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** Folk dance
** Folk hero
** Folk music
*** Folk metal
*** Folk punk
*** Folk rock
** Folk religion
* Folk taxonomy
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Folk Plus or Fol ...
and
baroque music
Baroque music ( or ) refers to the period or dominant style of Western classical music composed from about 1600 to 1750. The Baroque style followed the Renaissance period, and was followed in turn by the Classical period after a short transiti ...
are evident as well, contributing to the overall medieval atmosphere, while prominent orchestration and choirs add to the symphonic feel.
The album was inspired by the fellow
power metal
Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in contra ...
bands
Royal Hunt,
Stratovarius and
Rhapsody
Rhapsody may refer to:
* A work of epic poetry, or part of one, that is suitable for recitation at one time
** Rhapsode, a classical Greek professional performer of epic poetry
Computer software
* Rhapsody (online music service), an online m ...
. When addressing the criticism of being a clone of the latter, the guitarist Danny Merthon and the drummer Claus Jorgen responded that they consider such comparison a compliment due to that band's artistic achievements.
Furthermore, Merthon, the band's principle lyricist, stated to had been inspired by
Thomas Malorys compilation ''
Le Morte d'Arthur
' (originally written as '; inaccurate Middle French for "The Death of Arthur") is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the Rou ...
'' and the interplay between legends and reality.
The album's main lyrical theme is a knight's quest, his dream and nightmare and the challenge of discerning good from evil.
Credits
* Dario Di Matteo (as Mark Raven) – vocals, keyboards
* Salvatore Graziano (as Danny Merthon) – guitars
* Federico Madonia – guitars
* Vincenzo Noto (as Syl Raven) – bass
* Claudio Florio (as Claus Jorgen) – drums
References
External links
"Gate Through the Past" on Last.fm
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gate Through the Past
2002 albums
Underground Symphony albums
Holy Knights albums