Hi Nigel, Bob, Janne and Firesong,

Thanks for your nice comments on this song.
I know it's not a song you can 'enjoy', because of the subject.
But you all had the ability to avoid that, and loaded me with compliments. Even that I can consider it my best song so far.
I hesitate a bit on that compliment. Some of my other songs I like more. But it is definitly my most aggressive song until now ;-)

Originally Posted By: NigelSpiers
Hi Hans,
Yes I agree with others - one of your best songs, timely and well sung.
Best Regards
Nigel


Hi Nigel, thanks for you nice compliments and se what I wrote above.

Originally Posted By: rsdean
Hans,
Truly outstanding... You have captured the horror and mood perfectly.
Bob


Hi Bob, I'm glad you said that. As I found out it's not so easy to capture those feelings while avoiding to make a very dark song.
And at first I had some problems using 'cheap' effects like the explosions and siren, but then my worries about it all and the potential escalations made me decide to use them. And, according to you, it worked out well.

Originally Posted By: jannesan
Very direct message, which makes it punchy in a good way, although I would have preferred Mordor and calling the man Gollum as I can imagine him holding nuclear arms and saying "my precious".
Powerful intro, very good chorus, strong vocals.
Excellent choice of instruments: The simplistic dance backing creates a marching war mood,
and the solo guitar is very cool. Excellent use of effects, not too much, thus effective.

Janne


Hi Janne, you had the same as me about using Mordor and so on. But I agreed with my pre-listeners (who listens to my concepts) I had to be transparent in what it is. It was a sentence from someone else, an American diplomat or so, about Russia and it's UN vetoright too that made me decide to skip mordor. It's crazy that a terrorist nation can veto the UN on its own way of acting. That's that free card on rape , murder and destroying nations. What if this state attacks Finland when you enter Nato? Will it destroy, while using it's veto? You won't like that, do you? But enough of politics, this is why I came to skip Mordor.

Originally Posted By: firesong
Hans...that was intense and powerful which given the subject matter is so appropriate...I love the strength of the instrumentation and your vocal...it's easy to forget what's going on over there in the comfort of our distance...we shouldn't...thanks for the reminder...songs like theses are always necessary in the social comment lest we forget! Thanks for posting this.


Hi Firesong, thank you for your kind and worrying words. You are right on what's far away concern us less than when it is nearby. But if you look at what I wrote to Janne (He is Russia's neighbour) and if you realize that a man like Putin never backs off, it's easy to think what his next step can be. Using weapons of mass destruction. And what will be our answer? Does that lead to total war? Well a lot to worry about, don't you agree? But it was a nice respond to my song. Thanks.

Somewhere on my attic I have a bag full of German, English, duitch and American helmets. Most of them from WWII and collected with my sons. For us it was adventure. Let's hope it stays that way, otherwise we might need them again ;-)

Have a nice and musical day,

Hans

Hans Berkhout
(Birchwood)
https://soundcloud.com/user-296497130