Rockshots Records - Out March 19 - Tolkien Inspired Progressive Rock Orchestra AINUR - “War of The Jewels”

For fans of Ayreon, Dream Theater, Nightwish, J.R.R. Tolkien, Lords of The Rings, The Hobbit

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Album pre-order:

CD Digipak – http://bit.ly/Ainur_Digipak

Vinyl – http://bit.ly/Ainur_Vinyl (available on June 12, 2021 – Record Store Day)

Single “Spirit Of Fire” ft. Roberto Tiranti (Labyrinth) & Ted Nasmith

YouTube (Lyric Video): https://youtu.be/7i3XlsPVJsI

Spotify: http://spoti.fi/2KJBioZ

Apple Music: https://apple.co/3a3EtjQ

Rockshots Records: Tolkien Inspired Progressive Rock Orchestra AINUR Shares Single “Spirit of Fire” ft. Roberto Tiranti (Labyrinth)

New Album “War of The Jewels” Out March 19th, 2021

It’s been 18 years since Ainur thought to transform Tolkien’s masterpiece “The Silmarillion” into music. Each member of the band was lost in his own musical themes inspired by Tolkienian mythology. As if hypnotized, they outrageously composed themes for the main characters and started to imagine this huge concept work to which they still create to this day.

Their next anticipated record “War of The Jewels” is due out March 19th, 2021 (CD+Digital) (Vinyl – June 12th) via Rockshots Records, which sees the band take an interesting evolution in sound from previous releases. Ainur will completely immerse fans in J.R.R.Tolkien’s war atmospheres. They have imagined every story and every battle and recreate them through unique and deep music.

The band comments:

“‘War of the Jewels’ is the eleventh volume of “The History of Middle-Earth”. In Tolkien’s mythology is the tale of the big wars that came out after the creation of the Silmarils by Fëanor. The main theme is the big battles of Beleriand, except for Nirnaeth Arnoediad that will have big space in our next album. The main implied character is Fëanor, the mightiest of the Elves. Musically, it’s a thematic album as all our previous and future ones and you will recognize musical themes that we already used in “From Ancient Times”, “Children of Hùrin” and “Lay of Leithian”; however, the atmospheres are more aggressive and mighty than in the past because the topics we have put in Music this time needed a more powerful musical support.”

The compositional process of “War of The Jewels” has been very long. It started in 2009 (or maybe before) and it ended more or less last year. Ainur sees it as their “rebirth” album. They have been working hard composing and arranging their music to create the best tribute to Tolkien’s histories that they can.

Today, the collective shares the first single off the upcoming full length. Entitled “Spirit of Fire”, the song features Roberto Tiranti (Labyrinth) with narration excerpts by Ted Nasmith.

The band adds:

“When we realized that Roberto (Tiranti) would be a guest on this album, we had no doubt of which song he was perfect for. ‘Spirit of Fire’ is the most iconic track on the album, because it deals with one of the greatest characters that Tolkien has ever invented: Fëanor, the mightiest of Elves. He has a spirit of fire and in this song, Luca (that is the main composer of this one) had the same spirit. Big guitar riffs, chords, and progressions, but also choirs and melodies that are one of Luca’s most characteristic styles. Roberto put the icing on the cake and made this song epic and unforgettable. We are sure it will become an Ainur’s masterpiece in the next years!” 

Fans of Tolkien’s work along with fans of Ayreon, Queen, and John Williams will be surprised by the majesty and the energy of this work.

Track Listing:
1. Fate Disclosed ft. Ted Nasmith (2:08)
2. Wars Of Beleriand (6:58)
3. Hell of Iron (5:46)
4. Wars Begin (7:01)
5. Kinslaying (The First) ft. Ted Nasmith (7:43)
6. Grinding Ice (8:27)
7. Battle Under The Stars ft. Derek Sherinian (4:39)
8. Spirit Of Fire ft. Roberto Tiranti (Labyrinth) & Ted Nasmith (7:17)
9. The Broidress (3:43)
10. The Great Battle (Or The War Of Wrath) ft. Ted Nasmith (11:58)
11. Apocalypse (4:24)
12. Apocalypse (Acoustic Bonus Track-digital only) (3:46)
Album Length: 1:13:55

Artwork by Felipe Machado (Blind Guardian, Axel Rudi Pell, etc)

Ainur is:
Luca Catalano – Composer, Guitars, Vocals
Marco Catalano – Composer, Drums, Vocals
Alex Armuschio – Composer, Keys, Lead Vocals
Max Clara – Lead Vocals
Roberta Malerba – Lead Vocals
Elena Richetta – Lead Vocals
Giuseppe Ferrante – Bass, Contrabass
Luca Marangoni – Violin
Carlo Perillo – Viola
Daniela Lorusso – Cello
Cristiano Blasi – Flutes
Chiara Marangoni – Horns
Wilma Collo – Lyrics

Discography:

2006 – From Ancient Times

2007 – Children of Hurin

2009 – Lay of Leithian

2012 – Progressive Rock Night (DVD)

2013 – The Lost Tales

2014 – There and Back Again (single)

2019 – Fall of Gondolin (single)

2020 – Shadow from the East (single)

2021 – War of The Jewels

STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS ABOUT THE BAND

1. When two of us agree, the third has to agree

2. When Keith Emerson winked at us

3. ‘The Great Battle’ double lyrics

1. In 2005, just after the first Ainur live performance, Luca, Marco and Alex went on a journey through Europe from Italy to Sweden. A lot of things happened on the road and they played in squares and streets. But, you know, 15 days together all days and all night long...it could happen that they discuss for useless and stupid things. So they thought about this solution: when two of them agreed, the third had to agree. It worked. And it works today after 15 years. Maybe because Luca and Alex agree and Marco is the third that has to agree. Always.

2. When we were young some of us had the opportunity to play as an opening act for Keith Emerson. At that time Ainur had two keyboard players and both were there to share the stage with the greatest keyboard player of all time. Since they were able to talk with him before going on stage about his sound and his instruments, they were dreaming about that at the side of the stage while Keith was playing. When he played the solo of “Lucky Man” he looked at them right in the moment when he played the lowest note of all and he winked at them. They trembled, but they don’t know yet if it was for the wink or for the frequency of the Moog note.

3. The compositional process of “War of The Jewels” has been very long. It started in 2009 (or maybe before) and it ended more or less one year before the release. In this long time when we composed something, we asked Wilma to write the lyrics for our compositions. Alex asked Wilma to compose something about the ‘War of Wrath’, something more introspective and emotional and she came with ‘Passage’. Alex was enthusiastic, but since that moment a lot of things went under the bridge. Some years passed before he could work again on “The Great Battle” but he forgot that Wilma sent the lyrics ‘Passage’. So he asked Wilma AGAIN to write something about the ‘War of Wrath’ and Wilma….DID IT! And she came with ‘Avenged’. When both of them realized that they don’t want to discard one of the lyrics, so ‘The Great Battle’ became a 12 minutes song!

 

TRACK BY TRACK – AINUR – WAR OF THE JEWELS

The album as a whole:
“War of the Jewels” is the eleventh volume of “The History of Middle-Earth” (unreleased in Italy). In Tolkien’s mythology is the tale of the big wars that came out after the creation of the Silmarils by Fëanor. The main theme is the big battles of Beleriand, except for Nirnaeth Arnoediad that will have big space in our next album. The main implied character is Fëanor, the mightiest of the Elves. Musically, it’s a thematic album as all our previous and future ones and you could recognize musical themes that we already used in “From Ancient Times”, “Children of Hùrin” and “Lay of Leithian”; however the atmospheres are more aggressive and mighty than in the past because the topics we have put in Music this time needed a more powerful musical support.

1.   FATE DISCLOSED (feat. TED NASMITH)
Ted Nasmit’s voice opens our album along with the strident noise of all Ainur’s instruments symbolizing the Tolkienian foundation of the Evil reigns. Ted (that is one of the biggest tolkienian illustrators in the world and a great composer) reveals the fate that will be disclosed in the album that is beginning.

2.   WARS OF BELERIAND
This song actually acts as an Ouverture for this album but also for the two next ones. The musical themes in this song are even 14 (past, present and future themes)! It’s the only Instrumental song of the entire WoTJ album.

3.   HELL OF IRON
It encloses all our musical themes that deal with Middle-Earth wickedness (for the most experienced: Melkor/Morgoth, Carcaroth and Ungoliant). In fact, this is the musical description of the evil fortress where Melkor hides himself to avoid Ainur’s sights forging weapons and senseless ferocity creatures. The song has very few moments of pause to describe with Music the unceasing work that takes place in the abyss of the hell of iron.

4.   WARS BEGIN
A joyful but melancholic moment frames the beginning of the Wars of Beleriand. The song talks about the ancestral peace that persisted in Middle-Earth before the Evil came. At that time only the Elves lived in Beleriand and nothing seemed to be able to affect this serenity. Here we put in Music the First of the big Wars. It has been bloody and terrible but the Elves won: we tried to describe the sensations of pacific people that are forced to fight for their freedom.

5.   KINSLAYING (THE FIRST) (feat. TED NASMITH)
The words in the brackets mean that this song will not end in this album. The First Kinslaying between elves is one of the darkest moments of all Tolkien’s mythology. The initial musical discordance reflects the one that you can read in The Professor’s books. “No Longer Brothers” will be a recurrent verse in the album and it is the best way to describe the events of this song and the following ones because sad betrayals are perpetrated between blood brothers. The big final epic slowly empties to leave space to a voice that remains alone because it has been marginalized by the betrayal.

6.   GRINDING ICE
The song describes a punctual episode: the crossing of Helcaraxë, the lethal and completely iced border between Middle-Earth and the Undying Lands, where Valar lived. The first part of this song talks about the Elves' decision to undertake the heroic crossing of the Grinding Ice. Then we focus on the tragic realization of the grave losses suffered by these intrepid people. The furious ending deals with the accomplished feat and the revenge will follow the betrayal. It comes again “No Longer Brothers” as a reference to the fratricide.

7.   BATTLE UNDER THE STARS (feat. DEREK SHERINIAN)
This is the natural continuation of Grinding Ice. It talks about the battle that Elves fought on the Morgoth reign slopes once they arrived on Middle-Earth: this battle was fought in such an ancient era that no sun or moon had risen yet. The Elves won because huge was the fury in their eyes and such the might of their weapons that nothing could resist. The power and the impetus of the clash have been emphasized by an exceptional guest: Derek Sherinian. He succeeded with his extraordinary skills to convey all the complexity, the tragedy and the epos of this great moment.

8.   SPIRIT OF FIRE (feat. ROBERTO TIRANTI and TED NASMITH)
It starts with an image: Fëanor seeing his fate. He knew what to expect but he decided to keep following it and he died trying to regain what was his by right. He realizes that nothing could destroy the evil that pervades Middle-Earth and the masterful voice of Roberto Tiranti underlines this sensation. The first part of the song is focused on the spirit of fire that burns in the mightiest of the Elves and the death theme fills the second part. There’s a moment when few flute notes on a melancholic background attest to the consciousness moment: “...the moment is coming to loosen all ties…”

9. THE BROIDRESS
There are few tales about Miriel, Fëanor’s mother. One of them tells about her dying while giving birth to her son: she was literally consumed by him ‘for strength that would have nourished the life of many has gone forth into Fëanor’. It is told that after childbirth Miriel laid down to rest and so she remained for eternity for her soul left her body. In this song, we want to describe the imaginary meeting between her and her son once they finally met and ‘just one voice weeps’.

10. THE GREAT BATTLE (or THE WAR OF WRATH) (feat. TED NASMITH)
The Great Battle starts with a quote: War of Wrath, a song from our first album ‘From Ancient Times’. This War ends all the events of the First Era in Tolkien’s mythology. This song is divided into two big parts: the first one (‘Passage’) proposes in an even more complete way the tale of Eärendil that traveled to Valinor and prayed the Valar to intervene against Morgoth ‘for one and all’. You can hear here the Eärendil theme (you would recognize it if you listened to our ‘From Ancient Times’ album). The second part (‘Avenged’) talks about the bloody and never-ending war against all evil things headed by the Dark Lord. Elves, Dragons, Men, Orcs, Dwarves, Balrogs, Eagles, Wolves: they all fight in a climax of sounds and events until the glorious ending in which the Jewels were regained and the big Silmarils theme fills the scene. The conclusion of the song proposes again the prophecy that Mandos uttered at the beginning of everything predicting the destiny of the Jewels: it now sees his final fulfillment.

11. APOCALYPSE
This song concludes the album and we wanted to end an epic album like this with an epic song. Apocalypse is the Music representation of the sinking of Beleriand when ‘the valleys were upheaved and the hills trod down, and Sirion was no more’. The rhythm of the beginning of the song leaves space to a moment of darkness and immobility broken by the string section movement and it grows up until the ending explosion. It is also a song of hope: the war against the Dark Lord has finally ended and the Middle-Earth can now focus on a new beginning “hoping from now on the sun will shine”.