First up, this isn’t the Maiden song. This is the title number from the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. This makes more sense when you realise this is epic/symphonic metal band Dream Ocean who are covering it. The original features male and female vocals, so the band needed to draft someone else in. Now, we know Tommy can’t whistle, but he can indeed sing! Hell, if you Google him then he pops up as “Swedish vocalist” though he’s obviously more well known for strumming strings with Sabaton. Indeed, he fronts another band – Majestica.
Anyway, some info follows as does the video. Well worth a few minutes of your time!
When Andrew Lloyd Webber composed The Phantom of the Opera in the early eighties, he already felt that there was a distinct metal energy to the main theme of his global success. That is why he had electric guitars added to the 1986 promotional single release, which reached number 7 on the UK billboard charts. Now symphonic metallers Dream Ocean are here to max out this classic’s full epic potential with their operatic prowess and relentless double bass driven savagery.
Since our first album we enjoy engaging in different projects with the great names of the metal music scene. And we know how much symphonic metal listeners love the iconic musical theater duet of “Phantom of the Opera”. So we decided to give this amazing piece a modern and bombastic new touch of Dream Ocean.
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The song is a perfect amalgamation of the elements the band embodies: Intense emotions ranging from hellish depths to soaring highs, a hypnagogic blur of dreams and reality complemented by an orchestral soundscape, which Dream Ocean skillfully galvanize with their highly technical metal sensibilities.
Lead singer Başak Ylva takes on the role of Christine with her exceptional mezzo soprano voice, effortlessly reaching the highest note of the entire musical. Finding a male counterpart who could match her performance left no room for debate either:
Our singer Başak re-awakens Christine with her unique, dark and powerful vocals. For this project we could not imagine anyone other than the amazing Tommy Johansson himself as the Phantom! Since we have heard his voice for the first time we always wanted to do a project with him and we are honored to call him our friend as well as our guest on this amazing project. We are thrilled to announce our strange duet The Phantom of the Opera with Tommy Johansson.
The Swedish vocalist and guitarist (Sabaton, Majestica) was more than eager to join the Turkish-German collective of virtuosos in the role of the Phantom:
I’m very happy to be a part of Dream Ocean’s amazing cover of one of my all time favourites – “Phantom of the Opera”! I have for a long time wanted to record this song somehow, and when they asked me to act as the Phantom I was very glad and didn’t hesitate for a second! They have really captured the exciting and scary emotions of the original song and at the same time added a new, heavier touch to it that doesn’t ruin this classic song, but instead enhance it in a very majestic way!
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Header image by Oliver Rindelaub
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