Was it based on personal experience or simply passive observation?

What happened in the recording studio or on stage to make one song sound different from the rest?

These are just some of the question bands and musicians attempt to answer in Line 'em Up - the newest page of The Power Of Metal.Dk.

This is where your favourite bands comment on their albums, track by track, because as someone once said, “Ideas are the building blocks of ideas”.

Enjoy!

Here’s a chance for you to tell our readers about your new album “Bringer of Light”.

But could you please start off by introducing the readers to Damnation Angels?  

Damnation Angels – We're a symphonic metal band from the UK formed in 2006 currently signed to Massacre Records (worldwide) and Radtone music (Japan). We create powerful, emotional and epic songs or music that evokes emotions so to speak. Film score music is a big influence on us but in saying that it's not film score music with a riff behind it for the sake of it, this is proper Metal with catchy riffs and then orchestration as well to enhance the music. 

 Could you please give us some info on the album: Where did you record the album and who has produced and mixed it?

Damnation Angels – The album was recorded in Ipswich UK, not far from London with the esteemed producer Scott Atkins who also mixed and mastered the album. Scott is also responsible for producing the debut E.p Shadow Symphony.

And now onto ” Bringer of Light”… track-by-track, what inspired you, and what do what to express with this song etc.

01. Ad Finem

Damnation Angels – This track is inspired by the same things as The longest day of my life and really is a part of that song. Listen carefully and you may hear connections between the songs musically.

02. The Longest Day of My Life

Damnation Angels – I don't like to give to much away because I like people to take different things from the songs but I will say that this song is about a man who is clearly tortured by the role he's had to play, the things he's seen and had to do. He's also lost everything he cared about in the process. It's inspired by the lines that some people cross in order to make our lives safer and the pain they go through. Also in a really simple way this song is about that man leaving behind a life that has taken everything from him to try and build his family and life back together. This song is about his last day, it just so happens it's the longest day of his life.

03. Reborn

Damnation Angels – A song generally about the feeling of deja vu and "have I been here before", we've all felt it at some point. This song explores that.

04. I Hope

Damnation Angels – "I hope that the ocean is under the bluest sky, I hope that one day I will see my friend again" surely we all know what this song is about and what it's influenced by?! haha

05. Pt 1 - Acerbus Inceptum

Damnation Angels – The first part of the concept section of the album, we really want the listener to feel the pain of the protagonist in this song.  The song explores the feelings of losing everything you care about and is a letter to the protagonists lover in the story explaining why they can't be together. The hero is blinded by his need for justice and vengeance.

06. Pt 2 - Someone Else

Damnation Angels – Explores the idea of becoming a different person, so different that the person they loved before literally cannot see them. It's a love song in a way but it's a dark song too, it further explores the ideas behind Acerbus Inceptum and continues the story.

07. Pt 3 - Bringer Of Light

Damnation Angels – The part of the story where our hero rises up, breaks free of the chains and becomes what he needs to be to save the world and "Bring the light". Our hero was never physically tied up with chains though, more emotional tied and that's what the chains in the album cover represent. I wanted this song to be a bit less dark than the others and more upbeat because in the story our hero has succeeded in what he set out to do.

08. Pt 4 - Shadow Symphony

Damnation Angels – Our hero realising he can do no more and no matter what he does it won't change the past. The song is the demise of the protagonist in the story, the passing of the torch to another person so to speak. The idea of the shadow is that no matter what he did, nobody knew who he was and that's all he'll leave behind thus meaning anyone can follow on from him. I wanted this to be the darkest song of the 4 concept tracks as it deals with death and what we leave behind when we die.

09. No Leaf Clover

Damnation Angels – Even though I don't know exactly what this song is about, it's incredibly interesting. I think we'd have to dive into James Hetfields mind to fully understand what he's trying to put across with this song.

10. Pride (The Warrior‘s Way)

Damnation Angels – The song that I think is the most powerful on the album, it talks about the warrior's spirit and the will to carry on against all odds. This song was influences by passed wars and stories, people willing to die for a cause etc

Tell us a bit about the artwork – who made it etc. and how important do you feel it is to have a cool artwork?

Damnation Angels – It was made by Jan Yrlund from Darkgrove design and I think it's hugely important to have cool artwork. If you want to stand out in the incredible over saturated market you've got to get everything spot on and that includes artwork. I mean most of the time it's the first thing that people see so no matter how good your music inside the package, if you've got bad artwork people may never hear it. I always think to be successful in this tough industry you have to always work with the best and Jan is right up there.

Any last words you want to round this interview off with?

Damnation Angels – Well we'd like to thank everyone for reading and our fans for their great support! We'll see you on the road very soon.

Kenn Jensen, February 2013