▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Von Hertzen Brothers ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: War is Over █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2017 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2018-02-26 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Progressive Rock ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: Music Theories Recordings ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ The Von Hertzen Brothers release their latest █ █ album War Is Over through Music Theories █ █ Recordings. The album sees the Finnish trio firmly █ █ back in prog territory, kicking off the album with █ █ the 12-minute title track. Here, Kie von Hertzen █ █ gives us a rundown of every track on the album. █ █ █ █ 1. War Is Over █ █ The title song is a three part declaration of █ █ peace. The intro can be seen as the echo of the █ █ distant turbulent times or/and as a deep relief █ █ after years of distress. The middle part, which we █ █ call simply ôthe songö deals with the █ █ understanding of how peace can only be achieved █ █ here and now, in this very moment. There is no way █ █ to peace. Peace IS the only way. With the tempo █ █ and the continuous transposing of the melody we █ █ try to leave the impression of how joyful the █ █ realization of freedom can be. The song ends with █ █ a fanfare, which was recorded in 100 guitars █ █ stems. Finland celebrates its 100 years of █ █ independence this year, so it can be seen as our █ █ bow to those who fought to make our country free █ █ and independent. █ █ █ █ 2. To The End Of The World █ █ Composed to an Indian Raga (or scale) the song █ █ rolls with full speed, makes jerky movements, █ █ takes fast turns and occasionally hits potholes █ █ like a rickshaw on an Indian highway. I donÆt know █ █ how we managed to mix Black Sabbath with Chick █ █ Corea, but it works. Maybe it was the Blind █ █ Melonish part in between that glued it together. █ █ If the opening track was a declaration of peace, █ █ this song is a declaration of love and passion. █ █ Counting nine different parts, it still somehow █ █ feels like a somewhat simple song. Go figure. █ █ █ █ 3. The Arsonist █ █ We all have that someone who has screwed us up in █ █ a bad way. This song is about that person. In this █ █ case, a pathological liar. Not the idiot in the █ █ white house (but could be him too). ItÆs the most █ █ ôstraight forwardö rock song of this album and has █ █ an eight bar drum solo! - A thing weÆve been █ █ wanting to have on a track for a long time. █ █ █ █ 4. Jerusalem █ █ This song relates to the war theme of the album. A █ █ dramatic story about a person who is forced to █ █ leave the place he loves in search for a new █ █ beginning. The title æJerusalemÆ was the only word █ █ we kept from the original demo of the song because █ █ as a word it has some weight and we couldnÆt think █ █ of anything remotely as loaded with emotion. ItÆs █ █ a word filled with history, religious meaning, all █ █ sorts of devotion and also some deep and █ █ perplexing controversy. So even though the song is █ █ about a refugee trying to adapt to the new █ █ circumstances of life, itÆs also a sneak peek to █ █ the future. Is there perhaps a situation weÆll █ █ find ourselves in if we canÆt solve the █ █ problematic situation that war and terror has █ █ brought into our lives? The synth lead was played █ █ by our friend Janne Burton Puurtinen (of HIM) and █ █ is the only guest appearance on this album. █ █ █ █ 5. Frozen Butterflies █ █ The power-pop song of the album. The riff tries to █ █ imitate the flutter of a butterfly. We played with █ █ the idea of how a crush creates these tinglingÆs █ █ of excitement and then when the enthusiasm wanes, █ █ itÆs difficult to get that excitement back. ItÆs █ █ conscious and hard work. Dealing with the seasons █ █ here in the north can be hard. The endless cold █ █ and rainy weather pretty much penetrates the █ █ Helsinki six months a year. The butterflies donÆt █ █ die in the cold, they hibernate and maybe, just █ █ maybe there comes a time when we get that █ █ excitement back. █ █ █ █ 6. Who Are You? █ █ Portraying the more artistic side of our band, █ █ this song stands out as ôthe oddö one of the █ █ bunch. The storyteller shifts from the vocalist to █ █ the string quartet and back. Written from a point █ █ of view of a distressed father who can only meet █ █ his loved daughter occasionally, the song deals █ █ with love which is blocked by circumstances. █ █ █ █ 7. Blindsight █ █ The idea behind the song is to have two different █ █ styles in the boxing ring competing for victory. █ █ The rock band with the riff gives the first █ █ punches but the world music/indie band quickly █ █ recovers and takes the lead. The two come together █ █ in choruses and the grand finale. The repetition █ █ of lines in the bridge is an idea we had from an █ █ Indian tradition where the lead singer sings the █ █ lines first and the choir repeats it. We also █ █ wanted to add some contemporary keyboards to this █ █ song to make it stand out from a basic guitar rock █ █ tune. █ █ █ █ 8. Long Lost Sailor █ █ The idea was to bring a new rhythm to our █ █ repertoire of grooves. We tried to bring a █ █ feverish western movie like atmosphere to the song █ █ that combines Morricone sounds with something from █ █ The Shadows. Also hints of Nick Kershaw and Cult █ █ (Sonic Temple era) can be heard in the soundscape. █ █ When Mikko started working on the lyrics, the █ █ cowboy theme turned into a sailor theme. █ █ █ █ 9. Wanderlust █ █ This song was originally a little dark story of █ █ someone who wants to leave a relationship but is █ █ too afraid to do so. Regardless of several times █ █ trying to do so. It developed to a farewell song █ █ that suits better the theme of the album. We █ █ thought that since the composition itself was █ █ ballad like, we would keep the instrumentation to █ █ the bare minimum. It worked out nicely. █ █ █ █ 10. Beyond The Storm █ █ A classic ending to a classic album. That was the █ █ reason we decided to end the album with this song. █ █ Signature VHB song with a transposing build up █ █ towards the end. We were also seeing this a █ █ perfect way to close the circle that started with █ █ War Is Over. ItÆs a spiritual song that stems from █ █ being away from your loved one and maybe too torn █ █ to return. █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. War is Over 12:33 ░ ░ 2. To the End of the World 5:07 ░ ░ 3. The Arsonist 3:53 ░ ░ 4. Jerusalem 5:41 ░ ░ 5. Frozen Butterflies 4:03 ░ ░ 6. Who Are You? 5:40 ░ ░ 7. Blindsight 5:51 ░ ░ 8. Long Lost Sailor 4:27 ░ ░ 9. Wanderlust 3:55 ░ ░ 10. Beyond the Storm 8:29 ░ ░ 59:39 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░