Cygnus Rock Band - Sealed Fate (Revival)

This song is the peak of the album for me.

You can disagree with me, even debate about it with me

not that I would change my mind

this is a masterpiece. What is more: i find this song as the catharsis of the entire Revival album.

It starts strong, with the firm presence of the orchestra. The tempo is this "galooping" kind, but unlike e.g. Odin's Wolves you can sense a delicacy right at the beginning. This is definitely not a power metal type of song, even though the heavy rhythm section would suggest it; generally there's a subtle gentleness in the entire track.

It's not by chance at all, the entire song is building slowly but surely around the absolute catharsis.

Deneb is singing this song and his singing is very special here. It might be only my ears though, but it hit my eardrums the first time I heard Sealed Fate. 

I would say, it's a bit like as if he had taken a rasp before recording his song and worked on his vocal chords with that a bit to gave them this absolutely new, slightly distant, slightly overworldly tone. The mellowness of his baritone changes here into a dry, rugged, more rock-ish style. I'm not sure what kind of magic they made in the depths of the studio, but this result is very exciting. I remember, it made me think of his singing in Lady Hél, just in that song his voice is eerily cold and echoing while here it's full of emotions but as if these emotions were all suppressed, as if the singer had decided not to let them out through his vocal chords.

But worry not, dear listener, these emotions will all flow later this song, just not through the tongue of everyone's favorite bassist-singer.

Halfway in the stanza the guitar enters, giving a raspy metal sound to the orchestra-rhythm section duo, but remaining humbly in the background, allowing the humane voice and the symphonic orchestra to empower the song.

Already before the chorus the bridge hits hard. Beautifully composed, very delicate, the rumbling emotions are held back and elegantly glide into the chorus with a fragile arch.

The chorus is wonderful. The orchestration is one of the most beautiful in the entire album; Deneb's vocals now are clear like crystal, and he doesn't hold himself back. The humane voice together with the symphonic orchestra take your heart into their hands and hold it gently as it's trembling while you're listening to them.

In the second stanza Deneb's vocals return back to the rugged, eerie path they started to walk on. Just like in the first part, his voice is accompanied by the rhythm section and the orchestra only, and halfway enters the guitar. It does then, firmly and determined, and they together are heading to the bridge, then to the chorus.

This, dear listener, this is just the prequel for the catharsis. Prepare your heart, prepare your eyes, but most of all, prepare your ears. 

This will be new, unique, never-seen-before.

This is a pure gift. For me the greatest gift of the album.

Even though the heart is trembling already during the bridge

for me the lyrics of this 2nd bridge are the apex of Revival. And I'm saying it while keeping in my mind that the album is full of beautiful and deep poetry. Still, the lines of this bridge grew especially close to my heart.

It says:

It is what we do with the time that we're given

That determines our legacy in the world that we're leaving

Pure beauty. Every word of it is a gem.

and the chorus is just like the first one with the now clear vocals and the stunningly delicate orchestration, when the tempo suddenly slows down, you, dear listener, you already know that something magical is about to happen.

And it does.

The symphonic orchestra takes on the lead; and along the gently, beseeching song of the strings enters the piano.

At first you may not even recognize it, it's so gentle and delicate. Then it gets more and more determined and it has already taken away the control from the orchestra. The wind instruments also show themselves, only to bow down to the power of the piano. It's all wonderfully dainty, as the previously held back emotions of the song slowly start to flow through the pianist's fingers. And as the piece suddenly turns into fortissimo, your tears are already flowing, your entire body is trembling, not only your heart, and you want to hug and hold tight this beauty.

This, dear listener, is Sergey Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto no. 3.

And none else plays it than Deneb.

Yes, it's him, the humble bass player, who carries sometimes the entire band on his shoulder through his play, whose voice is mellow and full of emotions, who is the composer of all the overtures of the albums; it's him and he's playing this classical piece like a real virtuoso.

Because he is that.

No, I'm not accepting any counter-advices. If you wish to stay here, you must acknowledge him as a virtuoso.

Period.

Let your tears flow, dear listener. Let yourself be ruled and controlled by beauty, and hold it tight, because you will barely find such a beauty anywhere else. Surrender to music, surrender to the piano and all that it offers to you. Take it all in your hands and keep it in your heart.

It will be there with you. Always.

I promise.

And now you bow down for Deneb. Regardless of where you are and what you're doing. It's the least you can do for this wonderful, talented virtuoso.

As soon as the piano solo ends, the guitars take it over and the song suddenly gets a raw, harsh metal sound. The tempo slows down, in my mother tongue this kind of style in metal songs is called "beast of burden"; slow, very heavy, biting and aggressive, where the listener feels every tune hitting their head.

The chorus returns for one more time with the orchestra just to remind you what a treasure you just received.

Here's what Ruxx and Deneb have to say about this song...

@cygnusofficial 03. "Sealed Fate". #rock #music #metal #viking #vikingmetal #celtic #celticmusic #vikings #lagertha #ragnar #bjorn #norse #nordic #norseman #VALHALLA #runes #runic #shieldmaiden #valkyrie #vikinggirl #vikingtattoo #skjaldmo #norsewitch #russia #rusempire ♬ sonido original - Cygnusofficial

...and the song itself, which you have already put on repeat.