Cygnus Rock Band - Daudi ok dyrd (overture) (Death And Glory)

It has been Cygnus Rock Band's tradition to start their albums with an overture. Yes, exactly that kind you are thinking of, and just as a real, actual overture should be, it's completely symphonic.

No, no, don't try to tell me that you don't know what an overture is. Don't be this under-educated, for Odin's sake. You have that damned technology in your hand. Yes, that, on which you are reading this right now. Google it instead of just staring out of your head. Don't make me think that your smartphone is smarter than you.

This overture follows the tradition and structure of classical pieces, so you already know what it consists of. No, I will not tell you by what order the different pieces follow each other. You kindly pick out the earwax from your ears, you can even wash your auditory meatus through so you'll be able to hear better and find it all out by yourself. Plus you take a deep breath and try to act like someone who actually knows what they are listening to. These musicians invested lots of energy, dedication, long weeks of work, sometimes with minimal sleep to put this album together. Show them respect by being mindful of what they are playing and how. This is the least you can do for them.

The orchestration hails Deneb's talent and creativity and right in the beginning it shows one major difference between the overture of earlier albums, namely that it contains a chorus as well, while the other openings were completely instrumental, as I mentioned earlier. Listening to the first seconds I have an impression that Ruxx has a LOT of work in this overture hearing the timpani and the percussions.

If I hear this well and Ruxx indeed has these small but very significant pieces in this track, then I have to admit, I got to know another side of him. An absolutely versatile, wonderfully talented musician!

I sincerely admire it when a musical piece - any piece in any genre - is reorchestrated and this overture is full of smaller and bigger wonders of this kind. I won't tell song titles, but I'm especially fond of the brass section (do I hear well the French horns?...) for a song that is originally much heavier. There's another song that is by default majestic and unique, and the orchestration makes it almost aethereal. I also love the playful percussions in a bridge between two parts; and the list goes on until the soft sounds of a harp that closes the track.

Another impression of mine was that this overture is much more cinematic than the previous ones. The sound is rich and complex, and I find it the proof of the progress and growth these amazing Colombian rockers had achieved, that the opening act of the album already shows what a great path they had walked between this album and Ancient Visions. I remember this was one of my very first impression when I heard the album for the first time. And it was jus the beginning...