On their upcoming album, Riddles of the Sycophants, symphonic metallers, Ghosts Of Atlantis, have drafted the choral services of a full live choir. Hammerheart Records will release the longplayer on October 27th, featuring the Pop Chorus community group, as well as appearances from James Stewart, Christian Alvestam, Anna Kiara and Drake Mefestta. Find out more below.
Pre-order Riddles of the Sycophants here.
“Our first album, like many, used virtual and remotely-recorded voices put together.” explained GOA’s Colin Parks, “On this album, we wanted to go one step further and use a real choir – putting real people, real voices, real dynamics into our soundscape. The end result sounds where we want it to be: spooky yet beautiful. We’re very grateful for Pop Chorus stepping up and into our world.”
Pop Chorus director Yula Andrews said “We’re always trying to create memorable experiences for our singers…sometimes opportunities you’ve never even dreamed of jump out at you. I couldn’t resist putting us forward to record with Ghosts Of Atlantis. Our singers are always keen to embrace a new challenge!”
It was a case of two musical worlds colliding, when a local community choir answered the call of a symphonic metal band for some backing vocals on their forthcoming album.
Ghosts Of Atlantis singer-guitarist, Colin Parks, put out an open invitation on social media for some individual singers to help add their voices to some new songs. Pop Chorus Director, Yula Andrews, responded and asked if they’d consider a whole choir. Before long ‘Choirs Of Atlantis’ became a reality. Choir parts were painstakingly arranged, and demos recorded for the singers to learn their intricate parts for tracks “A Maiden’s Scorn,” “Lands Of Snow,” and “Empires Burn At Dawn” on the band’s second album Riddles Of The Sycophants.
A few weeks later, the melodic death metal band gathered in a remote Suffolk village hall with 40 Pop Chorus singers, a heap of recording equipment and a shared goal – to capture and do justice to the soaring, beautiful vocal lines that were to form part of the songs’ epic musical landscape.
Ghosts Of Atlantis play Colchester Arts Centre on Tuesday 17th October, in advance of their Riddles Of The Sycophants album, before supporting Fear Factory on tour across the UK & Europe. www.ghostsofatlantisofficial.com
Pop Chorus have 7 daytime and evening groups across Suffolk from Ipswich to Halesworth, Stowmarket and Felixstowe. www.popchorus.co.uk