Beyond the Bridge (Germany) is confirmed as the opening act for Day 2 of this year's show.
Bio:
BEYOND THE BRIDGE are:
Herbie Langhans Vocals
Dilenya Mar Vocals
Peter Degenfeld-Schonburg Guitar
Christopher Tarnow Keyboards
Dominik Stotzem Bass
Fabian Maier Drums
Simon Oberender Keyboards/Guitar
Beyond the Bridge are a German progrock band who were originally formed under the name fallout in 1999.
After their first years as a school band in Frankfurt, Germany, and numerous live gigs in the local rock scene, the band seemed to face an early demise when all band members started to settle throughout Germany to engage in their university studies and professional careers.
It wasnt until 2005 that guitarist Peter Degenfeld-Schonburg decided to revive the band with a project he had entitled The Old Man and the Spirit. For the next five years to come, he would spend innumerable hours together with keyboarder Christopher Tarnow to complete the songs and the story of this slowly evolving concept album. Christopher, who had also been part of the original line-up, got to know brilliant producer Simon Oberender during his Tonmeister course in Detmold, Germany. Simon was also the one to introduce drummer Fabian Maier and lead vocalist Herbie Langhans to the band. Together with bass player Dominik Stotzem, founder of the old school band and best friend to Peter and Christopher ever since, the line-up of Beyond the Bridge was almost completed. Lead vocalist Dilenya Mar came to the band after Peter had been to a concert of hers singing classic Jazz tunes in Munich, Germany.
Besides their experience as rock musicians, all members of Beyond the Bridge are proud to be professionally trained musicians on their respective instrument. After having been awarded several prizes for classical guitar in his youth, Peter now works as a Ph.D. student for physics in Munich. Christopher works as a recording engineer for classical music and studies composition at the University of Music in Leipzig, Germany. Dominik plays bass in several successful bands and works at an event and concert agency in Frankfurt. Dilenya completed her studies at the German POP Academy and now continues to study jazz singing at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Munich. Herbie appears as lead singer in various professional bands, including Seventh Avenue, Sinbreed and Ryffhuntr. Fabian received his Bachelor of Arts in Jazz Performance and now works as a professional drummer and teacher in Freiburg, Germany. Simon works as a recording, mixing and mastering engineer in Wolfsburg where he was involved in productions with bands like Avantasia, Edguy, Epica or Kamelot.
The first studio recordings for The Old Man and the Spirit started in 2008 at Gatestudio, Wolfsburg, Germany. However, extensive pre-recordings had been done by Peter and Christopher during the process of composing the album including complete keyboard and vocal arrangements. Nonetheless, it was a very long way until the completion of the album in 2011, and the band is very proud to finally release this piece of art with Frontiers Records in January 2012.
www.beyondthebridge.net
Online Review of "The Old Man and the Spirit" from Sara Latourneau at Sonic Cathedral:
Every once in a while, an album comes along that enthralls, inspires, and lets you experience music in ways you never thought possible. All the while allowing you to rock out to your hearts content, of course. Though its only February, Ive already found two albums that fall into this category. The first of those two is the subject of this review: The Old Man & The Spirit, the debut album by the German progressive metal project Beyond The Bridge. This record was 6 years in the making, as its members worked on the material in between university studies. That extended length of time may have worked to Beyond The Bridges advantage because The Old Man & The Spirit is one of the most emotionally charged and jaw-droppingly ingenious albums to come out in years.
Released last month, The Old Man & The Spirit is a concept album exploring one mans struggle of understanding life versus living life to the fullest. The storys two characters are indicated by the albums title: the Old Man, portrayed by veteran metal vocalist Herbie Langhans (Sinbreed, Seventh Avenue); and the Spirit, voiced by the German female jazz singer Dilenya Mar. Musically speaking, The Old Man is like a page out of Arjen Lucassens Ayreon book. Youll hear all of the distinctive elements of progressive metal, from frequent tempo changes to experimentation in song structure and time signatures. Thats before you start counting other ingredients such as choirs, spacey synthesizers, spoken-word passages, and the swarm of influences from other music genres and ethnic styles. To top this all off is the production team of Simon Oberender and Sascha Paeth, who have worked with Epica, Kamelot, Edguy, and Avantasia, among many other bands. That duo alone is one of the best endorsements of good metal that we can get nowadays.
Such star power isnt necessary for Beyond The Bridge, though. On it own, The Old Man & The Spirit features one expertly crafted track after another. The first two tracks, "The Call" and "The Apparition," combine progressive technicality with anthemic melodies almost effortlessly. "The Apparition" in particular features segments of Middle-Eastern-tinged jazz, a choir of Langhans and Mars layered voices, and myriad hooks scattered throughout its chorusless structure. "The Struggle" is exactly what its title implies: Mar and Langhans deliver competing melodies and lyrics over salsa rhythms and robust riffs. This dueling approach appears throughout The Old Man but is most evident on this track, making it an instant favorite. The instrumental "Triumph of Irreality" and the shred-menace "Doorway to Salvation" will also resonate with the listener.
What makes The Old Man & The Spirit so appealing is its balance of musical complexity and simplicity. Most of the slower tracks have strong classic rock or 80s-power-ballad influences. Mars solo song "World of Wonders" is a great example. It slowly builds from its gentle synth intro into a soulful, rousing reminder not to take life for granted. "Where The Earth And Sky Meet" brims with timelessness thanks to a celestial ambiance and nostalgic lyrics. Langhans ability to control his potent voice on this track makes this chapter of the Old Mans story all the more convincing. Nothing will prepare you, however, for the tour-de-force closer "All A Man Can Do." This converging of Beyond The Bridges intricate and simple sides could flood a stadium with its beauty and solemnity. The layers of sound, voices, and nuances open up with each listen and act as an undercurrent to Langhans best performance on the record.
Which leads me to another highlight of The Old Man & The Spirit: the vocal duo of Langhans and Mar. Their voices complement one another so well despite their differences. Langhans is powerful and gravelly, while Mars has a warmer, sweeter sound. Additionally, the dueling vocal arrangements on The Old Man suit the albums concept perfectly. It gives the effect of the Old Man and the Spirit arguing with and debating against one another. And, it allows both singers to play to their strengths while proving how versatile their vocal ranges are.
Now, this is normally when I offer criticism in my reviews. But in the case of The Old Man & The Spirit, I cant. Nothing about what Beyond The Bridge offers bothers or disappoints me. If anything, Id advise fans of female voices that Langhans has a greater presence on The Old Man than Mar does. After all, this concept album focuses on the Old Mans struggle, so it makes sense that wed hear Langhans more often. Also, listeners need to take their time with The Old Man . Not only is there a lot to digest sonically, this 11-track album soldiers on for 67 minutes. If you like statistics: Two songs clock in at over 6 minutes, three more surpass 7 minutes, and the two longest tracks pass the 8- and 9-minute marks, respectively. Thats what youd call "prolonged deep listening." But if youre like me and enjoy epic tracks as long as the length is justified, its one more reason to adore this album.
Yes, I wont skirt around the truth: I adore Beyond The Bridges The Old Man & The Spirit, and Im convinced that many of you will as well. Every aspect of this record the songwriting, the production, and the vocal arrangements shows a band with the skills, passion, and intelligence to carry out their vision. The uniting of progressive metal with more accessible music styles also make The Old Man a great "gateway" album for new fans to the genre. Finally, Langhans and Mar excel in their vocal roles on this album, and the rest of the band deserves credit for selecting these two singers to bless their music. If youre a fan of concept albums, progressive metal, complementing male and female voices hell, if youre a fan of good music in general, put Beyond The Bridges The Old Man & The Spirit on your list of must-have albums for 2012. Once you realize how long the impact of each song lingers with you, youll be glad you did.
10 / 10
Best Songs: "All A Man Can Do," "The Apparition," "World of Wonders," "The Struggle"
Recommended for fans of progressive rock/metal bands such as Ayreon, Seventh Wonder, Pain of Salvation, and Conception
The Old Man and the Spirit is out now in Europe, Japan, and North America, and can be purchased directly through Frontiers Records or through digital platforms such as iTunes and Amazon.
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