Musical Notes posts describe the structure, production ideas, and influences for Under the Rose songs. We thought it'd be fun to publish the ideas behind the finished products to see if our intentions for the songs matched other peoples' perceptions of the songs.
You can listen to "A Spirit of Burning" here.
Song History
I wrote the guitar riffs for
“Spirit” while noodling on an acoustic guitar in spring 2010. I loved the
chugging 6/8 rhythm and knew the song would end up being heavy, but I was
shocked by the song’s intensity when Jason and I jammed on it for the first time.
(This was the only song on the album that we actually wrote together,
face-to-face!)
This song marked a turning point in
our recording project. When I
finished the first rough mix of “Spirit,” Jason and I knew the songs we had already recorded paled in comparison.
We had always wanted to play heavy music that
would appeal to people outside the traditional metal camp. The success of
“Spirit” convinced us to pursue this goal in subsequent songs and to rerecord those we had already finished.
It’s All About the Subleties
I didn’t want the melodies in the
chorus to be overshadowed by the heavily percussive rhythms. So, in addition to
the multi-tracked distorted guitars, I decided to record the picked-out chorus
guitar part on my acoustic guitar. Then, I added a countermelody by recording a
second acoustic part with a capo and alternate chord voicings. (You can hear
these parts in isolation during the intro.)
I added piano, strings, and choir-style vocals to the climactic bridge to
emulate the sound of an adventure movie soundtrack. (I’m not afraid of cheese,
people.)
There’s also a “hidden gem” during
the bridge: crazy guitar noises. While Jason and I were practicing this song, my
guitar rig began making ear-splitting noises due to a connection problem in one
of my effects pedals. Naturally, instead of fixing the problem, I decided to
see how crazy it would sound if I manipulated the problem with my Whammy pedal. So, Jason pushed “record,” and I went to town. During
the editing process, I took the coolest parts of the noise and placed them
throughout the bridge, panning them from side to side, ala Led Zeppelin, Jimi
Hendrix, and Rage Against the Machine. The sounds
begin at about 2:00, and you can hear them “emerge” from the rest of the mix at
around 2:37, during the transition to the final chorus.
Screaming for Fun and Profit (Or Maybe Just For Fun)
The recording of the vocal tracks
marked a turning point for me. For years, I had considered my voice to be very
clean and clear, lacking the growl and energy of other rock singers. However,
when I recorded the vocals for “Spirit,” I found myself able to capture the
growls and screams that eventually comprised the final take. While the takes
are not perfect from a pitch standpoint, they convey the energy this song needs. And for me, the most important part in giving an energetic performance is believing in the
lyrics I'm singing.
Songs We Ripped Off Musical
Inspirations
- The noisy elements in this song were inspired by electronic malfunction, the intro to "Revolver" by Rage Against the Machine, and the brilliant breakdown in "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin. (Watch the Zep clip from about 1:45 to 3:00... why don't they actually show Jimmy Page playing this part?)
- The acoustic parts were inspired by interludes like "And Embers Rise" by Killswitch Engage.
- The main 6/8 riff was inspired by “TheForgotten” by Killswitch. (Seeing musicians of this caliber play live is pretty intimidating. It also makes me feel very clean cut. And makes my throat hurt.)
- And the main riff also reminds me of a classic: “Don’t Tread on Me” by Metallica.
Hear any other rip-offs influences
in this song? Let me know!
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