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Bright & Black is a unique new musical project which showcases musical compositions from the world of metal specifically created for a classical orchestra.
The Bright & Black project brings together metal producer and composer Jacob Hellner, conductor and composer Kristjan Järvi and the 65 players of the Baltic Sea Philharmonic, together with soloist and composer Eicca Toppinen, founder of the metal band Apocalyptica. Excitingly, several other well-known musicians from the world of metal were invited to write pieces directly for the orchestra, including Fredrik Åkesson from Opeth, Erik Danielsson from Watain, Nico Elgstrand from Entombed AD, and Tomas Haake and Dick Lövgren from Meshuggah.
The project was recorded with the orchestra in the autumn of 2022 at the Estonian National Radio studio in Tallinn, with additional recordings taking place at Urban Sound, Oslo. The production was done with Dolby Atmos, and from the preview tracks available on streaming platforms, it looks like the album will likely be available in that format through streaming. A full Dolby Atmos mix becoming available on a physical release such as Blu-ray, could also be an exciting prospect, and hopefully this will be considered.
Opening track Nidhugg, composed by Fredrik Åkesson from progressive metal giants Opeth, is an intriguing piece. Beginning with an edgy refrain played by the string section, the full orchestra crash out of the speakers, as the main theme is taken up. The power of the orchestra’s percussion section is well in evidence here, relentlessly driving this opening section. The track then moves into a more pastoral like setting with keyboards and brass offering some striking counterpoints. Eicca Toppinen’s cello is then featured, taking the piece into more melancholic musical territory. His solo playing offers a gentle elegiac tone which adds a new musical layer to this outstanding and expressive track.
Bloodgrind, features Nico Elgstrand from Entombed AD as composer. Death metal played by a classical orchestra might seem an unlikely combination, however here it feels entirely natural as a creative partnership. The orchestra add a frenetic and majestic sweep, letting loose a wall of sound, with the rattling percussion providing the supporting blast beats. A striking mid-section bridge offers a thrilling combination of strings and brass accenting the main theme. It is a thrilling ride that fully opens up the musical possibilities within death metal. Collateral Damage is composed by Eicca Toppinen, the album’s featured soloist. In contrast, it is a piece full of emotion and beautifully layered melodies. The composition encompasses both gentle impressionistic sections and high energy panoramic ensemble playing. It has a very impressive cinematic scale and scope that draws the listener in and makes for a very immersive listen. The final cello led coda is charmingly delicate and brings the track to a tender conclusion.
Mounts of Misfortune is a composition by Erik Danielsson from Watain, and quite wonderfully reflects the epic black metal sound that Watain deliver on record and live, while drawing on a new palette of musical moods and tones that writing for an orchestra can offer. From notes plucked gently on the harp, complemented by Eicca Toppinen’s mournful cello, the music ebbs, and flows, as the orchestra soars and then gently recedes away. It’s an incredibly dynamic sound, with some stunning ensemble playing from the string section, and with the orchestra’s percussion section again providing a formidable momentum.
Armies of the Preposterous, puts Tomas Haake and Dick Lövgren from Meshuggah into the composing role, and their complex time signatures and rhythms, characteristic of technical death metal, are handled by the orchestra with a breath-taking precision. The orchestra adds a swirling mist of instrumentation into the mix that creates a musical tension perfectly suited to the piece. The unorthodox, almost off-centre, range of tonal sounds that the orchestra creates here is incredible and creates an expansive soundscape that fully envelopes the listener.
End Of All concludes the album. Composed by producer Jacob Hellner and Lizzie Zackrisson Hellner, the combination of the shimmering string section and Eicca Toppinen’s expressive cello is just exquisite. At points it seems to strikingly combine classical music with ambient post-metal, underpinned with a gentle percussive heartbeat. Another example of the creative possibilities opened up by combining these two musical traditions. These are just some of the highlights on this wonderful album, which convincingly makes the case for metal as a form of music that has much in affinity with classical music.
The album evidences the exciting musical territory to be explored through such creative partnerships, that dissolve the perceived boundaries between different types of music. The idea of commissioning metal musicians to write directly for an orchestra is incredibly innovative and speaks to the superb musicianship and creative skills of both these established metal artists, and the Baltic Sea Philharmonic and its conductor, alongside the producers and arrangers. It will hopefully also encourage crossover and sharing between fans of metal and classical music.
Metal music is not always well understood. It is music with real depth and vision, that is able to engage successfully with a range of influences, including the jazz and classical worlds, and that has a real emotional power. This album is a perfect illustration of this and comes highly recommended.
Bright & Black are bringing their music to the live stage with some tour dates in March. While these don’t appear to include the UK at present, we hope there will be an opportunity for audiences here to experience this unique musical project live.
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The Bright & Black project brings together metal producer and composer Jacob Hellner, conductor and composer Kristjan Järvi and the 65 players of the Baltic Sea Philharmonic, together with soloist and composer Eicca Toppinen, founder of the metal band Apocalyptica. Excitingly, several other well-known musicians from the world of metal were invited to write pieces directly for the orchestra, including Fredrik Åkesson from Opeth, Erik Danielsson from Watain, Nico Elgstrand from Entombed AD, and Tomas Haake and Dick Lövgren from Meshuggah.
The project was recorded with the orchestra in the autumn of 2022 at the Estonian National Radio studio in Tallinn, with additional recordings taking place at Urban Sound, Oslo. The production was done with Dolby Atmos, and from the preview tracks available on streaming platforms, it looks like the album will likely be available in that format through streaming. A full Dolby Atmos mix becoming available on a physical release such as Blu-ray, could also be an exciting prospect, and hopefully this will be considered.
Opening track Nidhugg, composed by Fredrik Åkesson from progressive metal giants Opeth, is an intriguing piece. Beginning with an edgy refrain played by the string section, the full orchestra crash out of the speakers, as the main theme is taken up. The power of the orchestra’s percussion section is well in evidence here, relentlessly driving this opening section. The track then moves into a more pastoral like setting with keyboards and brass offering some striking counterpoints. Eicca Toppinen’s cello is then featured, taking the piece into more melancholic musical territory. His solo playing offers a gentle elegiac tone which adds a new musical layer to this outstanding and expressive track.
Bloodgrind, features Nico Elgstrand from Entombed AD as composer. Death metal played by a classical orchestra might seem an unlikely combination, however here it feels entirely natural as a creative partnership. The orchestra add a frenetic and majestic sweep, letting loose a wall of sound, with the rattling percussion providing the supporting blast beats. A striking mid-section bridge offers a thrilling combination of strings and brass accenting the main theme. It is a thrilling ride that fully opens up the musical possibilities within death metal. Collateral Damage is composed by Eicca Toppinen, the album’s featured soloist. In contrast, it is a piece full of emotion and beautifully layered melodies. The composition encompasses both gentle impressionistic sections and high energy panoramic ensemble playing. It has a very impressive cinematic scale and scope that draws the listener in and makes for a very immersive listen. The final cello led coda is charmingly delicate and brings the track to a tender conclusion.
Mounts of Misfortune is a composition by Erik Danielsson from Watain, and quite wonderfully reflects the epic black metal sound that Watain deliver on record and live, while drawing on a new palette of musical moods and tones that writing for an orchestra can offer. From notes plucked gently on the harp, complemented by Eicca Toppinen’s mournful cello, the music ebbs, and flows, as the orchestra soars and then gently recedes away. It’s an incredibly dynamic sound, with some stunning ensemble playing from the string section, and with the orchestra’s percussion section again providing a formidable momentum.
Armies of the Preposterous, puts Tomas Haake and Dick Lövgren from Meshuggah into the composing role, and their complex time signatures and rhythms, characteristic of technical death metal, are handled by the orchestra with a breath-taking precision. The orchestra adds a swirling mist of instrumentation into the mix that creates a musical tension perfectly suited to the piece. The unorthodox, almost off-centre, range of tonal sounds that the orchestra creates here is incredible and creates an expansive soundscape that fully envelopes the listener.
End Of All concludes the album. Composed by producer Jacob Hellner and Lizzie Zackrisson Hellner, the combination of the shimmering string section and Eicca Toppinen’s expressive cello is just exquisite. At points it seems to strikingly combine classical music with ambient post-metal, underpinned with a gentle percussive heartbeat. Another example of the creative possibilities opened up by combining these two musical traditions. These are just some of the highlights on this wonderful album, which convincingly makes the case for metal as a form of music that has much in affinity with classical music.
The album evidences the exciting musical territory to be explored through such creative partnerships, that dissolve the perceived boundaries between different types of music. The idea of commissioning metal musicians to write directly for an orchestra is incredibly innovative and speaks to the superb musicianship and creative skills of both these established metal artists, and the Baltic Sea Philharmonic and its conductor, alongside the producers and arrangers. It will hopefully also encourage crossover and sharing between fans of metal and classical music.
Metal music is not always well understood. It is music with real depth and vision, that is able to engage successfully with a range of influences, including the jazz and classical worlds, and that has a real emotional power. This album is a perfect illustration of this and comes highly recommended.
Bright & Black are bringing their music to the live stage with some tour dates in March. While these don’t appear to include the UK at present, we hope there will be an opportunity for audiences here to experience this unique musical project live.
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