Year : 2022
Style : Melodic Hard Rock , Symphonic Progressive Rock
Country : Netherlands
Audio : 320 kbps + front
Size : 145 mb
Bio:
Knight Area plays melodic symphonic rock music.The music is a variety of styles with very melodic keyboards and guitars. The songs vary from ballads to more rock and metal kind of music.Knight Area was founded in 2004 by Gerben Klazinga. That year he released the album ‘The Sun Also Rises’, for which he wrote all the music, and to which contributed numerous musicians. The album became a worldwide success and was followed by live performances in the United States (NEARfest) and other leading progressive rock venues in Europe.The second album ‘Under A New Sign’ appeared in 2007. Also this album received excellent reviews both on national level and abroad. The promotional tour took the band again to the United States and European Festivals and venues. In 2009, the concept album ‘Realm of Shadows’ was released. The live recording of the cd presentation appeared in 2010 as the double live album ‘Rising Signs From The Shadows’.The fourth studio album ‘Nine Paths’ appeared one year later. The album was mixed and mastered by the famous Neil Kernon and Alan Douchess respectively. Delain lead singer Charlotte Wessels contributed to the album. Knight Area promoted also this album by doing a short tour in the USA.In 2012, Mark Bogert and Peter Vink (ex Q65, Finch, Ayreon) joined the band. With these newcomers the band received a heavier, fuller sound, which can be clearly heard on the EP ‘Between Two Steps’ which was released in September 2012.In 2014 the band accede Dutch booking agency JBM Events. Also the fifth album ‘Hyperdrive’ was released on October, 14th. Arjen Anthony Lucassen (Ayreon, Star One) contributed to the album by playing guitar on one track.Currently Knight Area is preparing a European tour in the beginning of 2015 in collaboration with JBM
Events.
Album:
Three years ago, the Dutch band Knight Area came out with a remarkable album called D-Day. It marked the 75th anniversary of that crucial action in WWII and was a tribute to the men and women who participated in it. The plan was to do a full tour for the album—and then Covid struck, canceling everything and forcing the band to consider alternatives. The one they chose: a sequel, one considering the personal aftermath of those brave souls who’d hit the beaches in June 1944.Hence D-Day II: The Final Chapter.But let’s be clear. The messages of this album are not limited to WWII. The themes of yearning, of psychic pain, of darkness combined with hope, could apply to veterans of any wars. It becomes even more relevant as we watch the fighting in Ukraine, where average folks are being called on to do extraordinary things (but with consequences for everyone).The Enemy Within tells the tale of a veteran who has yet to come to grips with the experience of death and destruction and fear on a grand scale. This one is carried by Gerben Klazinga’s keyboards—especially an organ part reminiscent of Uriah Heep’s Ken Hensley. And there is something David Byron-ish about Jan Willem Ketelaers’ lead and background vocals. It’s all swirling and majestic and redolent of many albums’ closing cut (and its seven-minute length is a bit eye-opening, in a good sense). This is a powerful way to start things. Peace of Mind is a great example of the album mood. A disquieting piano intro floats under Ketelaers’ vocals before the ensemble rises up to a loud and epic section—a dichotomy that continues throughout. A German veteran, looking back not just on the war but the period before it, yearns for a balm for his soul. The soldiers fought the war, politicians ended it, but for many the conflict continues.Oh history is written, but not written by those who lost I will have to try, to make it through, i will have to make the years go by and by Every day, and every single night, I still see those burning ashes in front of me I can still hear their silent cries, their helpless screams, deep inside of me And as the days go by, in my mind the war goes on Will I ever find the peace in me? I Believe continues in the same vein, albeit the hopeful title. The character is trying to convince himself that all will turn out okay, both personally and between nations—but there are no guarantees, of course. It kicks off with a military orchestra coming through an old gramophone (Knight Area did this same thing on the original D-Day, setting the aural scene). It devolves into a frenzied rock ‘n’ roller that later flows into a hook-filled chorus before switching gears into piano and voice. This is prog, clocking in at 4:38, showing just what Knight Area can do even in a shorter space.Whereas For Those Who Fell is akin to a military hymn, an instrumental, featuring the immense guitar talents of Mark Bogert. This is an elegy, a tribute to people who were willing to give the last full measure of devotion to aid their comrades and make victory possible. There is hope in this one, an unspoken pledge to carry on for those who can no longer do so.
Line Up:
Jan Willem Ketelaers / vocals
Mark Bogert / guitars
Gerben Klazinga / keyboards
Peter Vink / bass
Pieter van Hoorn / drums
Tracklist:
01. The Enemy Within (07:16)
02. Peace of Mind (05:26)
03. I Believe (04:37)
04. For the Who Fell (02:34)
05. The Dream (05:00)
06. The Journey Home (05:19)
07. Crossroads (04:38)
08. Freedom for Everyone (Acoustic) (05:09)
09. Orchestral Compilation (05:56) (Bonus Track)
Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/
