To the Power of Eight

Last updated
To the Power of Eight
Van canto to the power of eight.jpeg
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 4, 2021 (2021-06-04)
StudioKohlekeller-Studio (drums)
Stefan Schmidt's personal studio (vocals) [1]
Genre A cappella metal [2]
Length48:20
Label Napalm
Producer Van Canto
Van Canto chronology
Trust in Rust
(2018)
To the Power of Eight
(2021)
Singles from To the Power of Eight
  1. "Falling Down"
    Released: 19 April 2021 [3]
  2. "Raise Your Horns"
    Released: 10 May 2021 [4]
  3. "Faith Focus Finish"
    Released: 1 June 2021 [5]
  4. "Dead By the Night"
    Released: 9 June 2021 [6] [7]

To the Power of Eight is the eighth studio album by German a cappella metal band Van Canto, released on June 4, 2021, via Napalm. [8] [9] It features the band's former lead singer Dennis "Sly" Schunke as guest vocalist on all tracks. [8]

Contents

Background, recording and themes

After guest singing with them live at the 2019 Summer Breeze Open Air, former lead vocalist Sly was invited as featured singer on one or two of the album's tracks, but he ended up singing all of them after the group was pleased with how the three lead vocalists sounded together. [10]

Drums were recorded in the beginning of September 2020 at Kohlekeller-Studio. Vocals were mostly recorded at Stefan Schmidt's own studio, with Ross Thompson and Jan Moritz recording their parts remotely. [1]

Album cover and title

The name of the album is a reference to it being the band's eight album and featuring eight musicians in total. [1] The cover depicts lead vocalist Inga Scharf pulling a tanker into a port; the band initially wanted to follow up the cover of their previous album Trust in Rust , so they thought of rust on verdigris in an industrial scenario. The idea of pulling something powerful came as a reference to the word "power" from the title. [1]

Song information

Of the 12 tracks of the album, eight are new and four are covers. [4]

The title and opening track was released with the album's teaser. [11] "Turn Back Time", the album's ballad, was written in 1999 by Schmidt and drummer Bastian Emig, but they decided to release it only decades later because the lyrics deal with the past. [11]

"Hardrock Padlock" was written as a tribute to the 1980s, especially songs written by Desmond Child for Bon Jovi, Aerosmith and Alice Cooper. [11]

Release and promotion

To the Power of Eight was released as LP Gatefold, CD Digipack and on digital format. [6]

"Falling Down" was released on 19 April 2021. [3] Amon Amarth cover "Raise Your Horns" was released on 10 May 2021. [4] On 1 June 2021, they released the single "Faith Focus Finish". [5] On 9 June 2021, they released the single "Dead By the Night". [6] [7]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Metal Hammer (Germany)5.5/7 [2]

Writing for the German edition of Metal Hammer, Sarah Angeli praised the album as a whole, criticizing only their cover of Iron Maiden's "Run to the Hills" for not coming "close to the original". She finished her review by saying van Canto "has again succeeded in creating an atmospheric, innovative work of art for the loop." [2]

Track listing

To the Power of Eight track listing
No.TitleLength
1."To the Power of Eight"1:58
2."Dead by the Night"3:37
3."Faith Focus Finish"4:56
4."Falling Down"5:11
5."Heads Up High"3:37
6."Raise Your Horns" (Amon Amarth cover)4:24
7."Turn Back Time"3:41
8."Run to the Hills" (Iron Maiden cover)4:00
9."Hardrock Padlock"3:36
10."Thunderstruck" (AC/DC cover)4:52
11."From the End"4:54
12."I Want It All" (Queen cover)3:34
Total length:48:20

Personnel

Band members

Guest musician

Crew

Charts

Chart performance for To the Power of Eight
Chart (2021)Peak
position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [12] 45

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amon Amarth</span> Swedish melodic death metal band

Amon Amarth is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Tumba, formed in 1992. The band takes its name from the Sindarin name of Mount Doom, a volcano in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. Their lyrics mostly deal with Viking mythology and history, and so they have been sometimes erroneously labeled "Viking metal", although the band insists they play melodic death metal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Bard's Song (In the Forest)</span> 2003 single by Blind Guardian

"The Bard's Song (In the Forest)" is a single by German power metal band Blind Guardian, released in 2003. It contains five different versions of this track, one of their most popular songs, which originally appeared on the album Somewhere Far Beyond. The song is a folk rock ballad, in contrast to the band's usual power metal sound.

Conception is a Norwegian power/progressive metal band from Raufoss, originally active from 1989 to 1997, during which they released four studio albums. The band reunited in 2018, twenty years after originally disbanding with a new single and EP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xandria</span> German symphonic metal band

Xandria is a German symphonic metal band founded by Marco Heubaum in 1994. Originally a project, Heubaum later restarted the project as a band in 1999, and has gone through various lineup changes. The German vocalist Lisa Middelhauve joined for the debut album, co-writing both music and lyrics for the band until her departure in 2008. Middelhauve reunited briefly with the band in 2010 following the departure of the band's second vocalist Kerstin Bischof, but left again shortly after. Manuela Kraller joined the band as the new vocalist in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Van Canto</span> German power metal band

Van Canto is a German a cappella metal band, founded in 2006 and composed of six singers and a drummer. Although the group is often classified as an a cappella ensemble, they use real drums in their music, instead of vocal percussion or beatboxing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Powerwolf</span> German power metal band

Powerwolf is a German power metal band founded in 2003 in Saarbrücken by members of Red Aim. The band consists of vocalist Karsten Brill as "Attila Dorn", lead guitarist Benjamin Buss as "Matthew Greywolf", bassist/rhythm guitarist David Vogt as "Charles Greywolf", keyboardist Christian Jost as "Falk Maria Schlegel" and drummer Roel van Helden. The group uses religious themes and images, contrary to traditional power metal music, as well as corpse paint, gothic-tinged compositions and songs about werewolf and vampire legends.

<i>Twilight of the Thunder God</i> 2008 studio album by Amon Amarth

Twilight of the Thunder God is the seventh studio album by Swedish melodic death metal band Amon Amarth. Twilight of the Thunder God was released in September 2008. The album's name and title track refer to Thor's slaying of the Midgard Serpent Jörmungandr.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amon Amarth discography</span> Cataloguing of published recordings by Amon Amarth

This is a discography for the Swedish melodic death metal band Amon Amarth. The band is from Stockholm and was founded in 1992. Their lyrics mostly deal with the Vikings, their mythology and their history. The band comprises vocalist Johan Hegg, guitarists Olavi Mikkonen and Johan Söderberg, bassist Ted Lundström, and drummer Jocke Wallgren. Amon Amarth has released twelve studio albums, one compilation album, three EPs, one video album, and twenty two music videos.

<i>Surtur Rising</i> 2011 studio album by Amon Amarth

Surtur Rising is the eighth studio album by Swedish melodic death metal band Amon Amarth. It is named after the mythical giant, Surtr. The album was released on 29 March 2011. The album debuted at number 34 on the American Billboard 200 chart as well as number 19 on the Canadian album charts.

<i>Break the Silence</i> (van Canto album) 2011 studio album by Van Canto

Break the Silence is the fourth studio album by the German a cappella metal band van Canto, released on 23 September 2011. It reached number 23 in the German charts. It features 13 tracks, five of them being covers, and two of them featuring guest artists: Joakim Brodén guest appears in his band's cover "Primo Victoria", Marcus Siepen guest appears on "Spelled in Waters". "A Storm to Come" is their longest song to date, clocking at 9:13, and is also the first episode of "Peer Returns", Van Canto's theatrical a cappella metal adaption of "Peer Gynt".

<i>Dawn of the Brave</i> 2014 studio album by Van Canto

Dawn of the Brave is the fifth studio album by the German a cappella metal band Van Canto. It was released on February 7, 2014. The album contains nine own compositions and four covers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dianne van Giersbergen</span> Dutch singer

Dianne van Giersbergen is a Dutch spinto soprano singer. She is the founder and frontwoman of the progressive metal band Ex Libris, and she was the vocalist of German symphonic metal band Xandria from 2013 to 2017.

This is a timeline documenting the events of heavy metal in the year 2016.

<i>XI</i> (album) 2016 studio album by Metal Church

XI is the eleventh studio album by American heavy metal band Metal Church. It was released on March 25, 2016, and is the band's first album in 23 years to feature vocalist Mike Howe. XI was considered a comeback for both Metal Church and Howe since the latter's hiatus from the music industry following the band's first breakup in 1996; the album received generally positive reviews, and was their first studio album since 1989's Blessing in Disguise to enter the Billboard 200 chart, where it peaked at number 57, the band's highest chart position in their career. This is also Metal Church's final album with drummer Jeff Plate, who left the band almost exactly a year after its release.

kong vin This is a timeline documenting the events of heavy metal in the year 2017.

<i>Voices of Fire</i> 2016 studio album by Van Canto

Voices of Fire is the sixth studio album by German a cappella metal band Van Canto. It also features John Rhys-Davies, the London Metro Voices and the children's choir from Chorakademie Dortmund. It is their last album with lead vocalist Sly, who would leave the band in 2017, as well as their only one without bass vocalist Ingo "Ike" Sterzinger, who left the band in the year before the album's release and re-joined it in the year after.

<i>Helix</i> (Amaranthe album) 2018 album by Amaranthe

Helix is the fifth studio album by Swedish heavy metal band Amaranthe. It is also the first album featuring the band's new clean male vocalist Nils Molin (Dynazty), since the departure of the band's former clean male vocalist Jake E.

This is a timeline documenting the events of heavy metal in the year 2021.

This is a timeline documenting the events of heavy metal in the year 2022.

<i>Dark Waters</i> (album) 2023 studio album by Delain

Dark Waters is the seventh studio album by Dutch symphonic metal band Delain. It was released on 10 February 2023 via Napalm Records.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Kleemann, Jannik (4 June 2021). "Van Canto Heilige A-Capella-Achtfaltigkeit". Metal.de . Versus Media UG. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Angeli, Sarah (4 June 2021). "Kritik zy Van Canto TO THE POWER OF EIGHT". Metal Hammer (Germany) (in German). Axel Springer SE . Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  3. 1 2 "VAN CANTO Debut "Falling Down" Music Video". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles . 19 April 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 "VAN CANTO Reveals New Single And Video For AMON AMARTH Cover "Raise Your Horns"". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles . 10 May 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  5. 1 2 "VAN CANTO Release New Single / Video "Faith Focus Finish"". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles . 1 June 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 "VAN CANTO – "Dead By The Night" Lyric Video Streaming". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles . 9 June 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  7. 1 2 Michels, Alexandra (9 June 2021). "VAN CANTO - 'Dead By The Night'-Lyric-Video ist online". Rock Hard (in German). Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  8. 1 2 "VAN CANTO - To The Power Of Eight Album Due In June; Includes Covers Of Songs By IRON MAIDEN, AC/DC, AMON AMARTH, QUEEN (Teaser Video)". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles . 24 March 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  9. Michels, Alexandra (24 March 2021). "VAN CANTO - "To The Power Of Eight"-Albumteaser ist online". Rock Hard (in German). Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  10. "VAN CANTO On Former Lead Vocalist DENNIS "SLY" SCHUNKE Guesting On New Album - "Van Canto Is Family"". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles . 2 April 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  11. 1 2 3 "VAN CANTO Release To The Power Of Eight Track-By-Track Video". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles . 7 June 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  12. "Offiziellecharts.de – Van Canto – To the Power of Eight" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 28 June 2021.