Albrecht's Demo

[Albrecht Smuten]

Here we go. A humble demo by a band struggling to overcome its limitations (financial and skill-wise). A start of a journey...

It's a thirty minutes concept album. You won't understand a thing, because it's sung in czech, so let me summarize the story for you:
The main character is left by his wife for another man and commits suicide. Just before he dies, he is visited by the Devil and offered a new girlfriend (that wouldn't leave him) in exchange for his soul. He takes it and lives happily until the shhhht goes down and he must face the Lord of the Darkness in an epic finale.

Lyrics, music, guitars (Tremonti SE), keyboards, flute and all vocals (except for the woman prologue) by yours truly.

Ladies and gentlemen, the "Pact with the Devil":

 

[JustRob]

Thanks Albrecht! Can't wait to get home and give it a listen!

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Not sure where the "limited" skills come into play... Bitchin' wind chimes. Killin' it!

 

[Albrecht Smuten]

Thanks Albrecht! Can't wait to get home and give it a listen!

Can't wait to hear your honest and merciless opinion

Not sure where the "limited" skills come into play... Bitchin' wind chimes. Killin' it!

No wind chimes used... that would be my drummer :flute:

 

[Boogie]

You won't understand a thing, because it's sung in czech

I never could understand my grandmother when she was in the kitchen with her sister and my mom. Mom never bothered to teach us any, so it will just remind me of my summers around Austin, Texas...where there's a big Czech community, too. Well, other than the infidelity and the devil and stuff. I'm anxious to check it out after work, too.

 

[Albrecht Smuten]

I never could understand my grandmother when she was in the kitchen with her sister and my mom. Mom never bothered to teach us any, so it will just remind me of my summers around Austin, Texas...where there's a big Czech community, too. Well, other than the infidelity and the devil and stuff. I'm anxious to check it out after work, too.

Wow, I never knew you've got Czech ancestors! :beer:

 

[rugerpc]

Damn, Albrecht. I can't understand a word, but I absolutely love it!

Tesxured, interwoven melodies, great instrumentation and vocals. How is it that the talent is 'limited"???

I hear a Tull influence in there, and I love me some Tull.

Because I know it tells a story and is a unified concept, it reminds me of "Tommy" - and that puts you in great company!

 

[Hopeful Sinner]

I really dig this Albrecht! Well done dude...

 

[Albrecht Smuten]

How is it that the talent is 'limited"???
I hear a Tull influence in there, and I love me some Tull.

Thank you, my dearest friend <3 I wouldn't say the talent is limited... it's the skills we have to improve (when coming home from our full time jobs) to achieve what we want to achieve. You see, we're in love with the modern top notch progressive metal art such as Opeth, Dream Theater, Pain of Salvation, Porcupine Tree and stuff (Ihsahn, To-Mera, Meshuggah) and still all we can pull out is this pseudo 70's art rock'n'roll testament (at best). But we try hard and keep getting heavier.

If you´re interested in the scheme and want to know more about the composition, here's a bit more elaborate draft for you. You see, the whole thing can be divided into 6 (66) parts:

1. The woman breaks up with the dude, because she apparently hasn't loved him in years. Guy cannot cope with her engaging with several other men and cuts his wrists to bleed himself to death.

2. Guy finds himself lying on the floor almost bled to death, but still alive and aching. Devil emerges to promise him a faithful spouse in exchange for his soul, guy takes it and finds himself in promised girl's arms.

3. Mostly instrumental, trying to depict the happiness and love and whatnot. The sung part, however, is about the devil telling him he'll pay for the happiness when the time comes... and about the dude, secretly memorizing one particular passage from the bible (not known which part at the time).

4. Guy praises his new love and occasionally rants about the old one.

5. Guy comes home from work with a bouquet of roses for his love and finds a quiet home. He goes further to find his love brutally murdered and sees the Devil standing next to her dead body, claiming the guy's soul (that's all the death-growling). Guy resists but finally succumbs to the Devil's power.

6 (66). Hell. Devil welcomes the guy to the kingdom of suffering. Guy realises it was all part of the deal (he was only promised that the girl wouldn't leave him for another man) and the Devil keeps telling him about the horrors that are comig to him. The guy stands up and tells the Devil, he's only a part of the true-faith system, merely a jailor of repenting souls and can be repelled by a righteous man with firm attitude. Guy then repeats what he's memorised during the 3rd part of the story, which is actually the psalm upon which the Roman ritual of Exorcism is based and literally exorcises the devil from his own kingdom (that's all the latin). The plan works, everything blows up and the guy goes straight to heaven to meet with his eternal love once and for all.

MODERATORS: Please don't delete this. It's a fairy tale. No intention in mocking anyone's religion whatsoever. If anything, we're kicking the bad guy's a$$ after all

 

[JustRob]

Really well done. Since you wanted brutal, the only thing I can think of is I would've thought there would've been heavier parts based on your influences. I like what you have going on there. Very talented. If it were in English, I would drive around playing it in my truck. I still might, and try to sing along in Czech.

:top:

 

[rugerpc]

If it were in English, I would drive around playing it in my truck. I still might, and try to sing along in Czech.

:top:

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ this

 

[jfb]

Where's the Carcass influence???

Seriously...well done. You've achieved much more than most with this, including myself. Where can I find lyric translation?

 

[Egads]

That's great, Albrecht! I especially love the line about "soaring on the wings of a demon."

Very cool, buddy.

 

[László]

I think you did a great job with this. The music is ambitious, interesting and nicely arranged. You're an artist!

Given what you have written and recorded, I think that aspects of the production and mix might better reflect the material if it sounded a little "larger than life." But that's an aesthetic choice, and I can't really argue with your more natural sounding approach either.

It's really a very fine project! Nicely done!

 

[Albrecht Smuten]

Thank you guys, for a positive feedback, I really appreciate it! The next piece (about ready to be recorded) will be heavier, better sounding and in english, so you could enjoy my eastern-europian accent

Where's the Carcass influence???
Where can I find lyric translation?

Carcass... nowhere, man But Carcass` Surgical Steel is for some reason the first related video to our Youtube upload I think of you every time I see it
Translation - I`ll write it down for you when I get bored

 

[Albrecht Smuten]

That's great, Albrecht! I especially love the line about "soaring on the wings of a demon."

There`s no such line What do you mean?

 

[vchizzle]

Wow. Very impressive! It's an epic journey for sure. Great job!

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Man... All I sing about is hot tubs, fruity drinks, and tan lines.

 

[László]

Man... All I sing about is hot tubs, fruity drinks, and tan lines.

 

[jfb]

Thank you guys, for a positive feedback, I really appreciate it! The next piece (about ready to be recorded) will be heavier, better sounding and in english, so you could enjoy my eastern-europian accent



Carcass... nowhere, man But Carcass` Surgical Steel is for some reason the first related video to our Youtube upload I think of you every time I see it
Translation - I`ll write it down for you when I get bored

No rush. In fact I kind of like that I don't know what the words are. I can make it up as I go.