Cygnus Rock Band - Beware of Loki (Ancient Visions)

Another seriously underrated song, and another song that is much more than it looks at the first glimpse.

I'm more than sure that everyone's favorite Colombians used the tried and tested method for this song. Before starting to record it they brought out the containers with the secret stuff they got from Chernobyl. They very thoroughly rubbed the material into the floor and the walls of the studio, then...

...then I'm sure they had somewhere a secret container. You know, this large barrel with the ☢ sign on it. In that container they surely kept a piece of the core from the famous Reactor no. 4 directly. They took that material and soaked their instruments into it.

What is more, as I'm listening to this song over and over again, I'm sure they even had a sip from that liquid. 

Then the International Atomic Energy Agency with tears in their eyes announced that from then on this level of nuclear radiation, that is more than 300 Sv/h got a new measuring unit, namely 1 Cygnus/h.

What the rhythm section is doing in this song, that's superhuman. If you listen to this song well

and not just once 😠

you will find out that there are many rhythm changes in this song. By default it's not a usual 4/4

there are very few Cygnus songs that are this traditional 4/4 by the way

yes, they are this creative

and skilled

and intelligent

yes, I know you had no idea

no, I'm not surprised

the tempo slows down, speeds up, changes time signature, and all these with Ruxx's trademark fills.

I remember once Ruxx told in an Instagram story that this song is one of the greatest challenges among Cygnus songs to play. No wonder!

One of the key features of this song is

well, this goes for almost all Cygnus songs, also for the vast majority of rock songs as well, but in this case it's even more important as usual

the very strict, tight drumming. I can only imagine how much Ruxx had to focus while learning, rehearsing and finally recording this song. It's very complex from the beginning to the end, not that kind which the musician can play from routine. I'm not sure if the band ever played this song live on their gigs, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if they never did.

The other key feature is the bass. As generally this song is something to teach at music schools on how the rhythm section should always work in a band, the bass has two three amazing characteristics in this song.

The first is how very precisely it follows the drums. Since the drum line is something very composite by itself, the bassist - and all the other musicians involved - needs to pay extra attention to the time signature changes.

I can make everyone sure that Deneb made this on a professional level.

The second is that beside this very tight, very specific, strict cooperation of the bass and the drums, Deneb gave his own lines a special, very own essence. If you open your ears

and wash out the earwax

you will hear that despite - or along with, I don't know which is true here, I think only Deneb knows it exactly - the very complex, engineer-alike rhythm section, where you need all your focus and mental/intellectual abilities, the bassist is still playing with his whole heart. You need to listen to this song quite a few times even just to catch a glimpse

if there's any negative trait of the bass in this song is that it's so humbly hiding behind the other instruments, you really need to open your ears

of how very sophisticated and technical the entire bass line is. It's pretty much on a Cliff Burton level.

If you saw Cygnus's Master of Puppets-cover, then you know what I'm talking about.

And yes, Deneb made this, too.

The third characteristic is the level of radioactive radiation. I'm guessing only, but besides all those preparations mentioned above Deneb used a fang of a wild boar from the forests around Pripyat as a pick to play this song. And I bet he even had a nice amount of bristles from this animal, with which he sprinkled his amps around. The instrument gruntles so beautifully, so deeply that it brings tears to your eyes.

And it's still the intro of the song!

Deneb sings the first stanzas, followed by Ruxx in the bridge. The thing is, you really, really need to listen to this song many times, because the music, the theme is so rich, so versatile

while the rhythm section and all that the drums and the bass do is a song in itself, they are joined by the tiple together with the humane voice

and the vocals add a major extra to the richness and complexity, while the instruments don't cease to live their own lives, while the time signature/rhythm changes are constant, while the song itself has got a deep, wonderful, mythological theme. Discovering each and every feature, all the hidden treasures takes time; if there's anything you can do, then definitely give it a time. Listen to it 10 times, 20 times or even more, on loop, focusing. You will not regret it, I promise you; you'll be richer afterwards.

And we're still just after the first chorus...

A very interesting feature of this song that it barely contains folk or symphonic elements. Only the "Loki"-chorus is escorted by an audible, slight orchestration 

there are some more, but you really need to open your ears and heart to hear that

otherwise it's only raw metal. But since it's Cygnus - and this song is one of the band's most complex songs - even the "metal" instruments, the guitars have a very refined, beautifully built theme.

The second stanza returns with the tiple and Deneb's vocals, but you hear in the background a very humble but firm chello/contrabass line, faithfully supporting the humane voice.

After the second chorus comes the solo and it's full of surprises. After a short bridge

with beautifully gruntling bass

the keyboard starts to play. It might be only my ears and I might be wrong, but on one hand I hear some very slight impressions of Dream Theater in it

definitely a huge extra!

and for some reason it also reminds me a bit of Reny, the Mexican keyboard player, who supported Cygnus for their 110-week-long journey of cover songs. If it's really Reny, then I'm more than happy to hear him in another Cygnus-song, not only in this one (yes, it's him playing the keyboards there!). If it's not Reny, the hug and the appreciation still goes out to the amazing pianist!

After the keyboard solo the guitar takes it over, strictly, roughly, demanding respect. And again, keep your ears open. Keep focusing on the rhythm section for the whole solo, because they make magic together. Ruxx is showing his very creative side, just to turn himself into a humane metronome, while the bass punches you first on the throat, then on the stomach, then on the groints, finally it washes the floor up with you, and at the very end of the solo the powerful guitar line, the virtuoso bass and the very precise drums together knock you out in a catharsis.

And you'll be happy.

As this song is very very special and you really, really need to see it with your own eyes, instead of the usual, YouTube-generated song video I put here a video where Ruxx himself is making a play-through for this song. You will see yourself how very complex the rhythm is, how much he needs to focus and what an enormous work he is doing.

Just a small note here to the person in charge: in case there's any chance for a bass playthrough video as well, the world would definitely be a better place 🥰