Known for their distinctive blend of folk-metal and classic rock, Theigns & Thralls is the brainchild of Skyclad vocalist and songwriter Kevin Ridley, and also features Cruachan and Waylander band members.
“The Keep & The Spire” is the second album from the band, but it is the first album to be recorded as a band – though there are a few guest musicians on it. The title is taken from the song ’Theigns & Thralls’ and refers to the keep and the spire being considered as the twin towers of control (i.e. the state and religion).
Kevin Ridley started writing new material for this album as soon as the first album was released and had a few tracks together when he was contacted by Per Ablinsson (the Swedish lyricist) about the possibility of working together. This was something different for him because, while he has worked with lots of different musicians, he normally writes the lyrics. But he thought it was an interesting idea and decided to give it a go. This changed the shape and feel of the album, in that (after some discussion). Per quickly, came up with some lyrics that had strong Anglo-Saxon or Viking themes. Ridley then had the idea of combining some of these lyrics to form a ‘suite of tracks’ (something he had never done before), so that these songs would take up the whole side of an album. Those songs became ‘The Maldon Suite’, and the album could be viewed as ‘The Maldon Suite’ and other songs.
A lot of the other album tracks are based on poems and ideas that Ridley had for a while, like ‘The Harrowing’ and ‘Interrogativa Cantilena’ (which he did with Korpiklaani). And, as they didn’t want to make the whole album dark and serious, they added a few more up-tempo and fun tracks like ‘the Seeker’, ‘The Mermaid Tavern’ and ‘The Grape And The Grain’.
Pushing the boundaries of their sound, Theigns & Thralls cements their position in the global music scene. The new album not only reflects their artistic growth but also offers fans a deeper and more immersive experience.
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