A preconception about something, without research, is a bad advisor for someone to comment or to utter his opinion for a subject, especially when it is about music, the greatest of the arts. So, the preconception I had against any attempt of covering pieces of classical music (rather justified I would say, since all the attempts made until then had failed tragically, my opinion) did not let me really listen to the record, because I was already negatively prejudiced and led me to the decision to not bother at all. “But, there is no one else listening to classical music, you are the only one” !!!! Giorgos Tsekas, the chief editor, answered when I transferred to him my thoughts and he insisted for me to write something. So, I left my preconceptions behind and I devoted impartially for long time to listening to “Headbanger’s Symphony” of the old wolf Wolf Hoffman. Trying to cover immortal classical pieces is like balancing on a stretched needle. Hoffman is once again attempting the unfeasible (his first attempt wasn’t in the same level of equivalent ones that were very much mediocre as I said before, nevertheless it didn’t convince me) with the danger to seem insufficient against the greatness of these unparalleled composers of a different era. In “Headbanger’s Symphony” you can easily see the similarities of heavy metal with classical music and how perfectly can those two genres be combined. Hoffman manages to perform identical classical notes that were constructed from the great composers of this kind in a way that the generated masterpieces are “doomed” to emanate an invaluable emotional treasure, using neither violin, nor piano as the main musical means, but guitar. His desire is not to take something, to steal, but he wishes to smell the primal unction of the classical masterpieces, he is considering this miracle of music, he is getting inside it, he makes it his own and masterly lets his metallic touches to push whatever gets in their way with power towards infinity, where joy and sadness attain a divine essence and have the same meaning. The parallel musical melodies behind the guitars take a very definitive role and their juncture is so harmonious and pleasant that creates a feeling of peacefulness in order for the listener to come in terms with the real world. Here you lose yourself and the inebriety of music finds you connected with nature. In simple words, the outcome is astonishing because every piece retains its own particular entity in connection with the equivalent classical one, yet without altering the basic structure of the primal idea. I am sure those great composers would feel proud if they could listen to this record and that they would burst out in frenetic headbanging (in any case their haircuts fits with the aesthetics of metalheads)!
5,5/6
check also the original versions below:
“Symphony No 9:Scherzo” /BEETHOVEN
“Sonata Νo.8 Op.13 :Pathetique” /BEETHOVEN
“Night on bald mountain” /MUSSORGSKY MODEST
“Je crois entendre encore” /G.BIZET
“Double cello concerto in G minor” /VIVALDI
“Adagio” /ALBINONI
“Symphony No 40” /MOZART
“Swan lake” /TCHAIKOVSKY
“Madame butterfly” /PUCCINI
“Meditation” /JULES MASSENET
“Air on the G string” /BACH