Cygnus Rock Band - The Perfect Blend (reloaded) (Revival)

Life is weird. Absolutely unpredictable, it can have turns or it can bring situations you would really never expect. And it's especially weird when you think you're in a situation that will surely never change, that's harder than rock, everything is carved into stone, it's more sure than death itself. Then Life suddenly shows up and says "lol, nope" and you're just sitting on the floor feeling dizzy, trying to figure out what the heck is going on.

I wrote a review about this song earlier. It was a painful one, both for me and for those who had the chance to read it. It cost me tears. I'm not proud of that review at all. It was the first time - and the last time as well - that I said bad things about my favorite band. The band that saved life. The band from which I received only love, appreciation, kindness and respect. And music, beautiful music, endlessly.

Don't search for it; it's gone. The dark abyss of internet has absorbed it. Believe me, it's for the better. May it just rest in peace.

I'll be honest, I still have no idea what made this huge twist in me. What the reason could be that ended up in this heavy overreaction, the painful words, and the most terrible part, hurting those that are the dearest to me. I'm still searching for the answers. Perhaps I will find them one day, perhaps the Universe will keep it back from me forever.

The especially sad part of it was that I hated myself for the whole time. I knew something was wrong. I knew that I was wrong. I knew that I overreacted, that an unexplainable spite and resentment took over my thoughts. The weirdest was that deep inside I felt it, but I still refused to take a deep breath and do a self-review (soul-searching, if you prefer that) to clear up my mind.

Pride?

Yes, it may be behind it.

Very deep wounds, rotting inside of me for decades, so long that I've forgotten even their names but for an odd reason they decided to open up right then?

Yes, that, too.

Regardless of the possible reasons I wanted to spit myself in the eyes. My sober, calm mind kept whispering me that it's all fine, what I see as a crucial problem in fact doesn't even deserve to be mentioned, the main importance of the song is these two wonderful Colombian men with their love and affection they want to put the song into my hands.

Still the pain was much bigger and I lost control over that.

Well... these are the moments when I'm terribly, painfully and desperately a frail human being. This is when I'm weak and when I fail.

The strangest of it all was - and it's especially strange, because most of the time it's absolutely not my character - that I decided I wouldn't change my mind. I stood with both my legs deeply rooted in the soil on the BIG NO area of opinions. Not that I would have been happy there, but the twist inside of me was so hard

almost like the steel-knot on the bag Skyrmir brought to Thor and His fellow travellers

mixed with so much sorrow, bitterness and fear that I was sure that even the gods wouldn't make me change my mind.

Again I was proven to underestimate their power.

Life - or the Universe, or the gods or whomever it may concern - brought a very weird situation in my path. Something I have really never ever thought to happen actually happened. 

No, I won't tell details, because it's none of your business. Who knows knows, and may that be enough.

On one hand I realized that I took certain things pretty much for granted, on the other it was a giant slap into my face to learn to appreciate what is offered to me selflessly. I remember I was sitting here in my room on the floor, being torn by anxiety and trying to figure out the weird turn Life has taken. That was the point when I felt that something is happening in me. You know, when you have a balloon full of water in your hand and you pop a tiny needle into it, so the water starts to flow out, almost by just dropping. 

It was very strange. I didn't want to believe it, and I can tell you, dear Reader, if it had found me in a less instable state, I would have probably swept it off of myself. But I was broken, depressed, hopeless and I barely had anything to hold on to. I was weak and very vulnerable.

And the gods decided to pop this little needle into the ballon of my heart that was full of resentment, anger, bitterness and most of all, fear.

I don't remember how it actually happened. But I think it was one of my walks - either at night or by daylight, I don't remember anymore - on a rather dull Saturday that I was listening to my Cygnus playlist and the player, that was set to "random" jumped to The Perfect Blend. 

Perhaps there was something inevitable in it that it happened at that very same pedestrian cross where Odin's Wolves hit me on that hot August evening back in 2021.

At first it was something very shy. Slowly opening the gates of my heart. Letting the voices of these wonderful Colombians swirl around me. And most of all, lowering my shields, letting the tension leave my muscles. Letting these two fiery voices get into the depths of my auditory meatus, letting them reach the painful spots I tried to hide so hard, seeing them and feeling them as they touch these wounds gently, then they bring all their instruments and all the radioactive radiation to start to heal them. With love, with joy, with art.

Without judging, without grudges. It was like as if the entire song has been waiting for this moment for the whole time.

I was seriously thinking what sort of magic was hidden in this song. Because this is something non-humane. It's not radioactivity anymore, even though the nuclear radiation massively reaches 2+ Cygnus/h. It's something more.

What did these Colombians use for this album?... What is this sorcery or magic that is hidden here?... Did they get in touch with the Ishtari?... Or is it directly from the gods?...

And are we aware of how amazingly lucky we are to have these wonderful men in our life?...

I remember, I tapped on the "repeat" button of the player. 

It was like jumping into the abyss. I wanted it to absorb me, to swallow me up. This time it wasn't me absorbing the song; it was the opposite. It grabbed me, held me tight, laughed with its mellow voice and just said "trust me" and I disappeared in its thousand-colored hug. 

And I begged for more. Nothing was enough and the song was just giving me, giving me generously, lavishly, with a never-ending bounteousness. The more I was begging for, the more it gave me. And I was begging, suffocating from my own tears, reaching out with my hand like a mendicant and the song took my hand, kissed it and placed its most precious treasures into it.

Has anyone seen Miyazaki Hayao's wonderful anime movie "Spirited Away" (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi)? There's a scene in it, when the totally humiliated, desperate and scared Sen (Chihiro) is sitting under a bush, and her friend Haku brings her some onigiri. As Sen is eating it, her tears start to flow, finally she bursts into crying. 

That's exactly how I felt.

Here's the scene itself (I found only this low-quality, muted video, but I think it still says it all).

I was listening to it for 2 weeks in a row. Seriously. 2 weeks, massively, non-stop. Nothing was enough. No matter I was listening to it all day long, I switched it on for my night walks as well, on repeat. Nothing else existed for these 2 weeks. I wanted everything, every little piece of this song. I wanted to catch up on all that time that was gone with turning my back for it. I wanted it to run in my veins instead of blood. I wanted it to hug me, to hold me, to penetrate into me, to possess me. I wanted total addiction, like a junkie maniac, just this time the drug couldn't be overdosed. The more I consummed, the more I wanted and the song happily reached out its beautiful hands to me, offering me all the gifts I refused to accept earlier. 

 

The song starts like a wave. There's a unique wideness and depth in it right at the very first tone, and I'm trying to remember back whether there was any other Cygnus-song that had this very rich, in-depth, warm sound like this one. 

As much as I could hear it, the entire Revival album has got this deep richness in its sound. It's something new, as if some new ingredient was added in the hidden section of the studio to the radioactive cocktail our favorite men use for recording. This heart-warming, deep sound can also be heard well e.g. in Sealed Fate or The Legend of Thor, but this is that song where it especially comes forward.

It seriously hits you. It grabs your hand and pulls you to itself tight and won't let you go anymore. 

Not that you want to...

The excessive, splendid richness of the sound, the string instruments/orchestration and the metal together hits you on your chest. it's like being poured from the top of your head downwards with warm, liquid honey with cinnamon and some strange, new spice that intoxicates you making you instantly drunken with happiness. I'm not sure what this could be, maybe a new ingredient of the famous Cygnus-spice or something else.

I've been thinking about it ever since. Is it maybe the bass or the entire rhythm section? Or is it something with the orchestra? Or a new studio magic?

Whatever it may be, it is my new drug.

Ruxx starts to sing, the orchestration suddenly disappears, only the guitars and the raw, deeply gruntling rhythm section remain with him, enforcing his raspy, rock-soaked voice that flows here in its full force. Then Deneb takes it over, and I admit here to you, dear Reader, his voice is magical. His mellow, rich baritone is full of energy and delight, and it is one of the reasons why this song eventually made this sweeping impact on me.

It's very rare to hear him singing that way. Most of the time his voice is full of deep emotions, he has a great talent to express the complexities of all human experiences with his rich, mellow baritone, from seriousness through pain to hope. But it happens very very seldom - or almost never - that he lets joy and playfulness through his vocals. It's something very rare, very precious and very dear.

Yes, this is one of the gems of this song.

Then the orchestration returns to lead the listener to the second stanza. It doesn't just return, it reaches out for you, holds you tight with love and protection while gently sweeping off your tears. And this touch of the strings and the guitars with the bass and the drums altogether is not just simply an antidepressant.

This part was the one I could hold on to while going through this weird cliffhanger Life made for me.

Ruxx brings the first part of the second stanza immediately followed by Deneb. 

How I love this... I can't get enough of this, hearing the two singers with their absolutely different characters of their voices. The smoky, dusty wild tenor and the rich baritone full of flavors, and the way they so perfectly complete each other. I know I have said it a few times, but I can't emphasize it enough times: only those musicians can do it who know each other and absoultely trust in each other.

This is another secret gem of this song.

Then comes the solo, a thorough, collected, gentle piece, not trying to break the constantly flowing beauty of the song, not trying to grab the attention but instead topping it all, like sprinkling a pinch of cinnamon on the pile of whipped cream put on your coffee. It teases your ears, caresses your face, laughs playfully then hops into the air to dissolve into starlight as the chorus returns to surround you again. And it grabs you, pulls you into their dance while your heart is racing, while the voices of these wonderful, talented musicians warm your cold limbs, dry up your tears, push an amount of fresh, red blood into your veins and make you believe for the 1000th (or probably more) time that there is really some beauty in this world that is worth fighting for.

Against yourself, too.

I would also like to talk about the lyrics a bit. Despite that this song is a

no, I fkin won't say any tabloid-styled indicative, because I'm allergic of them

so, this song is that kind of song for which some uneducated people like to use cheap qualifier words, but the lyrics are wonderful. They are another hidden gem of the song, being among the purest and most innocent Cygnus has ever written. For me it's again a wonderful contrast. The very rich, beautiful melodies, the

NO 😶🤐⛔

theme and all this served with the sweetest, kindest and purest lyrics. No winking out to the listener, no hints, just the chaste, unworldly kindness and pure intentions of those singing it.

Please, let me take it all, I want to put it in my heart and have it with myself forever 🥺