Peotr
05-22-2008, 02:04 PM
Find your inner Molly Hatchet.
Today's song: "Dance Of The Dragon King (http://www.bagofmice.com/tunes/daily/22.5.08.mp3)" by Spiritual Beggars (from the album On Fire, Music For Nations records, 2002).
Mainland Europe doesn't get a lot of credit for it's popular music. If they get noticed at all it's usually for strange viral videos that are as absurd as they are fun (if you want an example, go to YouTube and search for "Gunther you touch my tra la la", perhaps the most tragic pairing of a moustache and two hot lesbians that has ever been committed to video.)
If you simplify too much you can usually find an archetype for each country's rock output - the Germans have their industrial, the French do a lot of pop and folk, and the Spanish are DJ friendly and heavy with house/dance mixes. Thats gross stereotyping, but it's sort of true.
Sweden is different, and for a country with a population of 9 million that doesn't use English as their native language Sweden rarely gets the credit it deserves. Although most of the Swedish acts that make it to the US are pop (think Abba, Ace of Base, The Cardigans, or The Concretes) Sweden doesn't seem to have a true national style; instead, the Swedish bands seem to pick a genre and hone it to diamond-like perfection. Facolift does big-band funk; The Hives do garage punk.
And the Spiritual Beggars are ... butt-rock. Big-hair arena rock served large, and genuine right down to their DNA, they are a blend of oldschool Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Deep Purple, all with a touch of organ from Styx. Their vocalist has a mature blend of metal influences, often sounding like the entire catalogue of 80s spandex heavy metal. To be frank, the lyrics are often ridiculous (with titles like "Street Fighting Saviours") but they perfectly match the era they pay homage to - think April Wine in "Sign Of The Gypsy Queen". Heavy metal did a lot of kitschy concept songs, and Spiritual Beggars will not apologize for some authentic nerdiness.
It works because it's deliberate. Michael Amott, the guitarist and driving force behind Spiritual Beggars, has a full-time gig with his main band, the death metal group Arch Enemy. He uses Spiritual Beggar as a place to develop material linked to his childhood - to the guitar heroes and rock influences that made up his formative guitar years.
And I'm fucked if you couldn't grab any of these songs and transport them back to the 70s, the sound is amazingly consistent to its roots.
-- Peotr (The Normal Guy) ©™
P.S. Even if you don't like it, hang on for the guitar-metal mosh up that starts at 1:40.
Today's song: "Dance Of The Dragon King (http://www.bagofmice.com/tunes/daily/22.5.08.mp3)" by Spiritual Beggars (from the album On Fire, Music For Nations records, 2002).
Mainland Europe doesn't get a lot of credit for it's popular music. If they get noticed at all it's usually for strange viral videos that are as absurd as they are fun (if you want an example, go to YouTube and search for "Gunther you touch my tra la la", perhaps the most tragic pairing of a moustache and two hot lesbians that has ever been committed to video.)
If you simplify too much you can usually find an archetype for each country's rock output - the Germans have their industrial, the French do a lot of pop and folk, and the Spanish are DJ friendly and heavy with house/dance mixes. Thats gross stereotyping, but it's sort of true.
Sweden is different, and for a country with a population of 9 million that doesn't use English as their native language Sweden rarely gets the credit it deserves. Although most of the Swedish acts that make it to the US are pop (think Abba, Ace of Base, The Cardigans, or The Concretes) Sweden doesn't seem to have a true national style; instead, the Swedish bands seem to pick a genre and hone it to diamond-like perfection. Facolift does big-band funk; The Hives do garage punk.
And the Spiritual Beggars are ... butt-rock. Big-hair arena rock served large, and genuine right down to their DNA, they are a blend of oldschool Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Deep Purple, all with a touch of organ from Styx. Their vocalist has a mature blend of metal influences, often sounding like the entire catalogue of 80s spandex heavy metal. To be frank, the lyrics are often ridiculous (with titles like "Street Fighting Saviours") but they perfectly match the era they pay homage to - think April Wine in "Sign Of The Gypsy Queen". Heavy metal did a lot of kitschy concept songs, and Spiritual Beggars will not apologize for some authentic nerdiness.
It works because it's deliberate. Michael Amott, the guitarist and driving force behind Spiritual Beggars, has a full-time gig with his main band, the death metal group Arch Enemy. He uses Spiritual Beggar as a place to develop material linked to his childhood - to the guitar heroes and rock influences that made up his formative guitar years.
And I'm fucked if you couldn't grab any of these songs and transport them back to the 70s, the sound is amazingly consistent to its roots.
-- Peotr (The Normal Guy) ©™
P.S. Even if you don't like it, hang on for the guitar-metal mosh up that starts at 1:40.