As you may have noticed, I usually do not post about music, mainly because most things are pretty much all said on the internet already or I just do not know more details about it than anyone else.
But the latest album of my newest discovery in Metal music, Wanderer by Heaven Shall Burn, really drew me into its spell. After some – for me in the beginning – almost uncomfortable hard intros, every song reveals a stunning melody with awesome guitar riffs and thoughtful lyrics.
The video for Corium shows the amazing landscapes of Patagonia, which reminded me a lot of my cycling tour along the Carretera Austral and further strengthened my wish to go back soon and see the glaciers and mountains around Torres del Paine.
While there is an interview with guitarist Maik about the origin of every single track in German, I would herewith like to give you some idea about how to interpret the songs with the help of the given lyrics and the hyperlinked backgorund information.
The Loss of Fury
(Intro)
Bring the War Home
This song is about a soldier returning home from a war being “wounded and broken”, maybe refering to a posttraumatic stress disorder. Rather than fulfilling his intention to defend his loved ones, he realizes that “there is no war to end all wars” and instead the war is still “raging within him” back home.
Passage of the Crane
Covers the story of Sadako Sasaki, a Japanese girl who folded one thousand origami cranes before dying as a consequence of an American atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. Until today she is a symbol of the innocent victims of nuclear warfare.
They Shall Not Pass
The slogan “They shall not pass” refers to the Battle of Cable Street where various anti-facist demonstrators blocked a fascist march in London in 1936.
Downshifter
Covers the main theme of the album: breaking out of daily routines in order to regain strength to accomplish further challenges.
Prey to God
(Featuring George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher form Cannibal Corpse)
Agent Orange
(Cover of Sodom’s Agent Orange)
My Heart Is My Compass
(Bridge)
Save Me
Continues with Downshifter’s message, but points out that taking destiny in your own hands is your own responsibility. Religion or role models may inspire, but cannot just do the job for you as long as you are not willing to change something.
Corium
With the name refering to the material created in a nuclear reactor’s core during nuclear meltdown, the song illustrates a world after a nuclear fallout. In the video mentioned above, the protagonist has to check her area for any sign of human activity, roaming through the magnificent landscapes of Patagonia near Mount Firtz Roy.
Extermination Order
Adresses the lack of public remembrance and political recognition by the German government (especially in comparison to the Armenian genocide) of the Herero and Nama genocide, a campaign of racial extermination and collective punishment as a reaction to rebellion against the German colonial rule in the area of modern-day Namibia.
A River Of Crimson
Inspired by the son of a long time supporter suffering from Leukemia, the song is a positive tribute to blood as a never resting protector of the human body. Crimson is a strong red color and also the title of an Edge of Sanity album.
The Cry Of Mankind
(Cover of The Cry of Mankind to honor the band My Dying Bride as important influencer of the metal scene)
The cover artwork is owned and copyrighted by the publisher and used in low-resolution on a fair use basis for this album review.
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