• Voto:
Dopo il successo accumulato con "Wishmaster" nel 2000, i Nightwish decisero di pubblicare questo EP per non lasciare a bocca asciutta i fans fino a Century Child. Si tratta di un disco per metà registrato in studio e per metà live. La prima parte è composta da quattro tracce: la title-track, 10th man down, Away e il remake di Astral Romance.
La title-track è una cover di Gary Moore, qui la troviamo reinterpretata magistralmente "alla Nightwish", con cori, violini e, naturalmente, un cantato quasi lirico.
10th Man Down è secondo me, la migliore del lotto. E' una canzone molto cupa, che per certi versi può ricordare One dei Metallica (sia per le tematiche, sia per l'intro di spari e bombe, sia per la sfuriata finale). In questa canzone si alternano la voce cristallina di Tarja al growl demoniaco di Wilska (presente anche in Oceanborn), costruendo un bellissimo contrasto sonoro. Questa canzone può essere considerata il punto di passaggio da album "allegrotti" come Wishmaster, ad altri cupi e possenti come Century Child e Once. Away è una ballad triste e malinconica, che doveva far parte del precedente disco. Anche essendo molto bella e "strappalacrime" nel contesto resta piuttosto anonima. La quarta traccia è l'inutilissimo remake di Astral Romance, inserito solo per "riempire spazio". E' curioso sentire come nella versione originale si allacciasse al metal classico, mentre qua è (purtroppo) riarrangiata in maniera power.
Come ho già detto la seconda parte è un live registrato in Finlandia. Per qualche motivo, non mi convince affatto. Tecnicamente è un live ottimo: produzione impeccabile, scaletta perfetta e buona tecnica da parte dei musicisti, ma il problema è che è troppo "freddo", senza emozioni, non entri nell'atmosfera. In poche parole, unica pecca in una buona discografia come quella del combo finlandese.
Elenco tracce testi e samples
01 Over the Hills and Far Away (05:03)
They came for him one winter's night.
Arrested, he was bound.
They said there'd been a robbery,
his pistol had been found.
They marched to the station house,
he waited for the dawn.
And as they led him to the dock,
he knew that he'd been wronged.
"You stand accused of robbery,"
he heard the bailiff say.
He knew without an alibi,
tomorrow's light would mourn his freedom.
Over the hills and far away,
for ten long years he'll count the days.
Over the mountains and blue seas,
a prisoner's life for him there'll be.
He knew that it would cost him dear,
but yet he dare not say.
Where he'd been that fateful night,
a secret it must stay.
He had to fight back tears of rage.
His heart beat like a drum.
For with the wife of his best friend,
he spent his final night of freedom.
Over the hills and far away,
he swears he will return one day.
Far from the mountains and blue seas,
back in her arms he swear he'll be.
Over the hills and far away.
Over the hills and,
over the hills and,
over the hills and far away.
Each night within his prison cell,
he looks out through the bars.
He reads the letters that she wrote.
One day he'll know the taste of freedom.
Over the hills and far away,
she prays he will return one day.
As sure as the rivers reach the seas,
back in his arms he swears she'll be.
Over the hills and far away,
he swears he will return one day.
over the mountains and the seas
back in her arms is where he'll be.
Over the hills and far away,
she prays he will return one day.
As sure as the rivers reach the sea,
back in his arms is where she'll be.
Over the hills,
over the hills and far away.
Over the hills,
over the hills and far away
02 10th Man Down (05:24)
Today I killed, he was just a boy
Eight before him, I knew them all
In the fields a dying oath:
I'd kill them all to save my own
Cut me free
Bleed with me
Oh, no
One by one
We will fall
Down down
Pull the plug
End the pain
Run'n fight for life
Hold on tight
This ain't my fight
Deliver me from this war
It's not for me it's because of you
Devil's instant my eternity
Obey to kill to save yourself
Cut me free...
I envy the 9 lives that gave me hell
My path made up by their torn bodies
Man to man, soldier to soldier, dust to dust
Call me a coward but I can't take it anymore
They wait for me back home
They live with eyes turned away
They were the first ones to see
They are the last ones to bleed
The ultimate high as all beautiful dies
A ruler's tool, priest's excuse, tyrant's delight...
I alone, the great white hunter
I'll march till the dawn brings me rest
10th patriot at the gallow's pole!
Cut me free...
Carico i commenti... con calma
