World Metal Instrumentals Part I
February 26, 2007 by Jo Minor
Transylvania by Iron Maiden (England)
Taken from Iron Maiden
One of the perfectly crafted tracks in the band’s self titled debut album, Transylvania is the band’s first instrumental piece (and perhaps, their only instrumental - but I need to check my Maiden fanatic mates to confirm this!) and is truly remarkable. At just over four minutes long, it’s quite a feat for any new band to nail an instrumental - but Maiden did it without breaking a sweat. Surely a sign of things to come, as Maiden has grown as the greatest metal band of all time - and with 14 studio albums under their belt, they truly deserve to be the kings of heavy metal.
Moondance by Nightwish (Finland)
Taken from Oceanborn
Moondance is a stunning piece from Finnish Power Metal greats Nightwish - and with all of the band’s songs, it can be said that songwriter/keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen had everything to do with the inception of this folk-tune-meets-metal masterpiece. Moondance starts off as a melodic piano piece, and after the 0:18 mark it goes into full gear with other instruments joining in to create an amazing array of sounds - but it doesn’t stop there. The track goes through a number of progressions until it finally stops right after the 3:30 mark - leaving the listener in a euphoric state.
The Quest Of Enigmatic Dreams by Old Man’s Child (Norway)
Taken from In Defiance Of Existence
A pleasant surprise from yet another landmark Norwegian Black Metal band, The Quest Of Enigmatic Dreams is a mesmerizing classical guitar instrumental. The main guitar melodies could have well been taken straight out of the courts of a medieval castle, and the double guitar work is arranged to perfection by Old Man’s Child mastermind Galder. The man’s decision to insert this near-minute long track smack in the middle of a fast and brutal Black Metal album is rather perplexing, though, but it would be unwise to question the decisions of a seasoned and very talented musician.
Peace Of Mind by King Diamond (Denmark)
Taken from House Of God
The last song of yet another brilliant concept album by the greatest storyteller in Metal history, Peace Of Mind is the finale of the tragic story that takes shape in this album. The instrumental piece starts of with riveting guitar parts, which are soon accompanied by the band’s rhythm section towards the 0:54 mark - and the amazing guitar solo (contributed by guitar maestro Andy LaRocque) that starts soon after makes Peace Of Mind one of the best tracks in the album.
Choir of the Damned by Kreator (Germany)
Taken from Pleasure To Kill
Choir of the Damned is the opening track to the Pleasure To Kill album - which is the best album the band has produced, and one of the greatest Thrash Metal albums of all time; second only to Slayer untouchable masterpiece Reign In Blood. The track starts off with gripping electric guitar parts, and towards the mid point of the song the entire piece takes an altogether different shape; the modern sound of electric guitars give way to melodic classical guitars. The classical guitars and percussive effects in the background shape a very medieval era sounding piece which is subtle yet resounding enough to demand the attention of the listener.
Ex Nihilo by Dark Tranquillity (Sweden)
Taken from Damage Done
This instrumental piece was a first for the pioneers of Swedish Melodic Death Metal - who have never recorded an instrumental in their recording career. Ex Nihilo starts off with a brilliant guitar piece which is then accompanied by the band’s unmistakable distorted guitars, bass and drums. It’s interesting to see how the band managed to write an instrumental that fits in perfectly with the rest of the songs of Damage Done, as all the songs in the album have a common feel to them.
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