The Duke (EP)
| The Duke | ||||
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| EP from Lamb of God | ||||
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Publication |
18th November 2016 |
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| Label (s) | Epic Records , Nuclear Blast | |||
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Title (number) |
5 |
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running time |
22 min 14 s |
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| occupation |
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Josh Wilbur |
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Studio (s) |
NRG Recording Studios, Los Angeles |
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The Duke ( Engl. : The Duke ) is an EP of US metal band Lamb of God . The EP was released on November 18, 2016 in North America via Epic Records and in the rest of the territories via Nuclear Blast .
Emergence
Singer Randy Blythe met band fan Wayne Ford in 2012, who was diagnosed with leukemia two years earlier . Both became friends later. When the band recorded their album VII: Sturm und Drang in 2015 , Blythe asked Ford if there was anything else he wanted to say to the world before he died . Blythe offered to include a recording of his voice in the song or to record his words in the lyrics. However, Ford gave him no answer. Blythe then worked himself on the text with which he wanted to honor Ford. He should be remembered through the music of the band he loved.
“Those who worry about death hope that they will die with dignity. But nobody knows how to deal with death when the time comes. Wayne showed me living proof of how to leave this world with grace. So I decided to write the text from my poor understanding of his perspective. "
The lyrics of the theme song are in part from things Wayne Ford told Blythe. Other parts are from a conversation between the singer and Ford's wife. Blythe got the idea for the title of the song after a conversation with Wayne Ford's father, who is a big fan of the actor John Wayne and named his son after him. John Wayne is best known in the United States by the nickname The Duke . The song The Duke was originally recorded in parallel with the album VII: Sturm und Drang . Blythe's fellow musicians felt that the song shouldn't be released on the album. Blythe wanted to release the song at a later date so that the song and background could get more exposure.
“In addition to honoring Wayne Ford, I wanted to raise awareness about leukemia, especially the need for bone marrow donation . There aren't nearly as many registered donors to meet the need. "
In addition to the theme song and the song Culling , the EP contains live versions of the songs Still Echoes and 512 , which were recorded when Lamb of God performed at the Rock am Ring music festival in June 2015. The EP also contains a live recording of the song Engage the Fear Machine at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester , Tennessee . A vinyl version of the EP was released on November 25, 2016 .
Track list
- The Duke - 4:31
- Culling - 3:32
- Still Echoes (live at Rock am Ring ) - 4:35
- 512 (live at Rock am Ring) - 4:48
- Engage the Fear Machine (live at Bonnaroo ) - 4:48
reception
For Nicolas Mattis from the online magazine The Pit , the EP offers two new songs, "which have it all" because they "illustrate the constant musical development that the band has mastered for years without denying their own roots". The three live versions would "not particularly stand out". The Duke as an EP would be "musically perfect, but still not more than solid in the overall package". Mattis waived an evaluation. Tobias Kreutzer from the German online magazine Metal.de described the title song of the EP as "one of the untypical songs Lamb of God ever wrote" and a "failed experiment". The second new song would be “good standard fare” while the three live recordings “offer well-known live perfection”. If you are not a Lamb of God fan, you should "think twice about paying seven euros for it". Kreutzer awarded five out of ten points.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d LAMB OF GOD To Release 'The Duke' EP In Honor Of Fallen Fan. Blabbermouth.net , accessed October 19, 2016 (English).
- ^ Nicolas Mattis: Lamb Of God - The Duke. The Pit, accessed November 18, 2016 .
- ↑ Tobias Kreutzer: Lamb Of God - The Duke. Metal.de, accessed on November 18, 2016 .