Dutch Progressive and Symphonic Folk-Metal super-group The Gentle Storm have released a new video for “Heart of Amsterdam”, a track from their debut album “The Diary”. “The Diary” will be released on March 24th, 2015.
The Gentle Storm brings together the talents of vocalist Anneke van Giersbergen (ex-The Gathering, Devin Townsend Project) and guitarist/keyboardist Arjen Anthony Lucassen (ex-Ayreon, The Guilt Machine) to create a sound that combines classical music and metal with acoustic folk.
Their album, “The Diary”, is a concept album that centers on a tale of love, loss, and separation told through a series of letters written between two fictional seventeenth-century lovers: Joseph, a Dutch sailor on a two-year voyage, and Susanne, his wife that remains at home in the Netherlands.
The video for “Heart of Amsterdam” opens with the band playing a Celtic-inspired introduction to the song on violin, whistle, cello, and what appears to be a xylophone. The performance is intercut with images of the sails, rigging, and helm of a sailing ship that is docked in a harbour. Then, the band’s metal influences begin to emerge, as the group is shown on a soundstage rocking out as they play through the song. In a certain way, the city of Amsterdam, itself, becomes a character in the video as there are cuts between the band performing on the soundstage, and lead vocalist Anneke van Giersbergen wandering the center of the city in brightly colored seventeenth-century garb.
In a press release about “Heart of Amsterdam”, van Giersbergen said:
“‘Heart Of Amsterdam’ is a tribute to the city of Amsterdam, the home town of the story’s leading character Susanne. Seventeenth-century Amsterdam was a center of shipping, shipbuilding, and trade. Amsterdam flourished, and a wonderful city was the result. We shot the video in the centre of Amsterdam. It was freezing cold and I couldn’t move my fingers anymore during the last shots, but it was all worth it. I love how the video turned out!”
Check it out:
“The Diary” is now available for pre-order with several bundle style choices, including, a very limited white shirt + 2CD digipak, another shirt design + 2CD digipak, and lastly, as a stand-alone double digital release.
In February, Lucassen and van Giersbergen wrapped up a series of shows in Italy, Poland, and Finland. And, The Gentle Storm have announced a longer European tour that kicks off on March 26th; however, Lucassen is not going to be on the road as a part of the all-star band, during that leg of the tour. Check out a full listing of currently announced dates, and The Gentle Sea’s live lineup for their European tour, below.
The Gentle Storm – European Tour Spring 2015
Mar. 26: Amsterdam, NL – Melkweg
Mar. 28: Ittervoort, NL – ROCK ITtervoort Festival
April 03: Zwolle, NL – Hedon
April 05: Schijndel, NL – Paaspop
April 11: Den Haag, NL – Paard van Troje
April 15: Aschaffenburg, DE – Colos-Saal
April 16: Oberhausen, DE – Zentrum Altenberg
April 22: Paris, FR – Divan Du Monde
April 23: London, UK – The Garage
April 24: Leicester, UK – The Musician
April 25: Manchester, UK – The Roadhouse
April 26: Soignies, BE – Prog-résiste Convention
June 19: Dokkum, NL – Dokk’em Open Air
July 09: Vizovice, CZ – Masters of Rock
July 17: Loreley, DE – Night of the Prog Festival
July 30-Aug 01: Wacken, DE – Wacken Open Air
Oct. 17: Eindhoven, NL – FemME Festival
The Gentle Storm live lineup is comprised of. . .
Anneke van Giersbergen (ex-The Gathering) – vocals
Merel Bechtold (Purest of Pain, MaYaN) and Ferry Duijsens (Anneke van Giersbergen, ex-Dreadlock Pussy) – guitars
Ed Warby (Hail of Bullets, Ayreon, ex-Gorefest) – drums
Johan van Stratum (Stream of Passion) – bass
Joost van den Broek (producer, ex-After Forever) – keyboards
and Marcela Bovio (Stream of Passion) – background vocals
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