ALBUM REVIEW: Swan Songs III – Lord of the Lost
Every now and then, a band or artist will hit upon a concept so well-received it’s inevitable they will end up doing another instalment or two around the same theme; think the Bat Out of Hell trilogy or S&M2. For German goth rockers LORD OF THE LOST, this was conceived in 2015 with the release of the original Swan Songs, where the band took a number of their songs and turned them into orchestral arrangements with the help of the specially-appointed LORD OF THE LOST ENSEMBLE. It proved so popular a second was produced two years later and, at the beginning of this month, the third chapter in this series was presented to the world, aptly titled Swan Songs III and released via Napalm Records.
As with previous releases, in particular the second, Swan Songs III is a double album comprising eleven new tracks on the first disc and eight well-loved classics on the second that have been given the classical treatment, but more on that later. As far as the newer songs go, it’s wonderful to hear vocalist Chris Harms showcase the immense talent he has with his voice on numbers like the powerful opener, A Splintered Mind, or the sprawling Deathless. He’s joined by American singer/songwriter Joy Frost on Dying on the Moon and their voices mix extremely well, creating a sombre dance that moves the track to its conclusion with grace and serenity.
The Heaven Can Wait choir make an appearance on We Were Young which adds an extra dimension to the song as a throng of 70 voices helps to paint a wonderful landscape of vibrant colour. There’s also a faithful cover of John Cage‘s infamous 4’33” – as if anything but a faithful cover could be recorded – and this bridges the gap between the original material and two alternate versions of Dying on the Moon and We Were Young; the former is purely sung by Harms and once more promotes his exceptional vocals, whilst the latter is a rendition made for German public television channel ZDF and removes the strings in favour of an acoustic guitar. Much like the previous editions, the ENSEMBLE come up trumps once more with their arrangements and playing, a rich baker’s dozen of songs to embrace and appreciate.
The second disc is where things were always going to be more interesting, purely because taking songs that were originally set in a genre occupied by the likes of TYPE O NEGATIVE and HIM and turning them into epics worthy of a film soundtrack can divide opinion among fanbases. However, as one might expect from a band who are undertaking this scenario for the third time, the compositions are well thought out and executed with aplomb, whether it’s Loreley from 2018’s Thornstar or Seven Days of Anavrin which hails from their 2011 sophomore release Antagony.
It’s the final track, though, which is the most imposing – Letters to Home was a near nineteen-minute opus from 2012, released as part of the band’s ‘bonus works’ from then third studio record Die Tomorrow. There’s been about a minute shaved off on this new version, but that doesn’t takeaway from the fact that this is an eighteen-minute piece that comes close to being a full symphonic movement on its own than anything else LORD OF THE LOST have undertaken; safe to say, they pull it off masterfully, the song weaving in and out of various tempos and progressions before bringing the album to a close in breathtaking fashion.
If you were a fan of LORD OF THE LOST before, this will no doubt charm you in an instant and it’s not controversial to suggest that Swan Songs III might be the best of the trio released thus far. If you haven’t been aware of them and are a fan of NIGHTWISH or the Synthesis record by EVANESCENCE, this makes for essential listening, a truly immersive extravaganza that will delight and awe in equal measure.
Rating: 8/10
Swan Songs III is out now via Napalm Records.
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