Behind the ARCHANGEL monicker hides keyboard player Gabriele Manzini, composer and main writer for Ubi Maior (1998-present) and former keyboard player for The Watch (2000-05). The Tolkien inspired work \u201cThe Akallab\u00eath\u201d was his first solo CD, released in 2009.<\/p>\n
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The new album \u201cTales of Love and Blood\u201d is a progressive-gothic rock masterpiece. It represents an important step forward in terms of production and composition. This time Archangel shifts his musical style from the hard-progressive-folk of the first album to a new kind of gothic-prog rock, with references to gothic-metal and to the new wave of the ’80s.
\n\u201cTales of Love and Blood\u201d is not a concept album even though a general theme surfaces every song which are gathered in three greater suites:
\n– Countess B\u00e1thory Suite (based on the dramatic story of Countess Elizabeth B\u00e1thory);
\n– The Following Suite (a classic horror tale based on a necromancer and his follower);
\n– Love and Blood Suite (ghost stories full of melancholy and nostalgia).<\/p>\n
Two important cover songs are nested like precious gems inside the plot: \u201cNosferatu\u201d by the seminal and mystic hard rock masters Blue \u00d6yster Cult and \u201cMy Only Love\u201d from the refined British heroes Roxy Music. A third and totally reworked cover is set at the end of the work as a bonus track, since it eludes the general theme of the album: \u201cWheels of Confusion\u201d from the metal pioneers Black Sabbath. In a few words, \u201cTales of Love and Blood\u201d is a gothic journey inside a progressive soul.<\/p>\n
Once again Damian Wilson, singer for many prog-rock and prog-metal bands and artists (Threshold, Ayreon, Star One, Headspace, Maiden United, Rick Wakeman, Landmarq…) is guesting on three emotional tracks, together with many other important singers and musicians from the Italian progressive and hard-rock scene.<\/p>\n
Released as a digipack CD.<\/p>\n
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Archangel – Tales of Love and Blood CD<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":39903,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":""},"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[31877,31947,31805,31815],"product_tag":[],"class_list":["post-161245","product","type-product","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","product_cat-italian-prog-cd-en","product_cat-hard-n-heavy-en","product_cat-italian-prog-en","product_cat-special-offers-en","pa_artista-archangel","pa_cataloging-btf_btfamsvms-en","pa_format-cd-en","pa_label-amsrecords-en","first","instock","sale","purchasable","product-type-simple"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n