FFO: Warlord, Lordian Guard, Lordian Winds
The Official Tribute to William J Tsamis
16-track album honoring legendary guitarist/composer out on the 1-year anniversary of his passing.
Pitch
Black Records is deeply honored and proud to announce the release of
the official tribute to the late William J Tsamis (March 13, 1961 – May
13, 2021). Titled “A Crack in the Sky – A Tribute to William J Tsamis”
the album is scheduled for release on May 13, 2022, the one-year
anniversary of his passing.
A
true hero of the Heavy Metal underground and beyond, the legacy of
guitarist and composer William J Tsamis will forever be deeply
intertwined with the name of WARLORD. Formed in liaison with drummer
extraordinaire and perpetual bandmate Mark Zonder, WARLORD managed to
rise to prominence amidst crushing competition right in the middle of
the post-NWOBHM / US Heavy Metal explosion of the early 1980s. Among the
main distinguishing factors that contributed to WARLORD’s elevated
position in the pantheon of US Metal is the characteristic and
classically trained guitar- and song-writing prowess of William J
Tsamis. Like no other musician of the times, he had the ability to marry
earth-shattering heaviness with melodic sensibility in the creation of
larger-than-life compositions that, when draped in language and imagery
related to the eternal battle between good and evil, reached
unparalleled intensity and grandeur.
In
addition to his work with WARLORD, William J Tsamis also channeled his
creativity into the lesser known, but equally potent and arguably more
personal projects LORDIAN WINDS and LORDIAN GUARD. Of special notice are
the two LORDIAN GUARD albums he released with his late wife Vidonne
Sayre Riemenschneider on vocals, which despite material shortcomings
come across as some of the most unique and brutally honest Heavy Metal
records of the 1990s.
Although
WARLORD never attained mass popularity on the magnitude of some other
acts at the time, the continued impact of William J Tsamis’ works on
Heavy Metal should not be underestimated. Like all great
guitarist-composers, Tsamis developed his own mode of expression that is
as instantly recognizable as it is difficult to pin down with words.
Adhering to the European school of classically influenced electric
guitar playing, he managed to combine the primeval force of Heavy Metal
with a deep-trawling sense of majestic melancholy.
Such
a unique approach always wins out in the end, and the upcoming tribute
album is a testament to the influential role William Tsamis’ music has
played, and continues to play, on Heavy Metal musicians of all
backgrounds and ages across the globe.
Approved
and endorsed by WARLORD’s management, “A Crack in the Sky” features
brand new recordings of timeless classics, all exceptionally covered by
16 outstanding bands, young and old, hailing from different parts of the
world. Clocking in at just a few seconds over 79 minutes, this is as
“full” an album as it could possibly get!
Special
mention must be made to the album’s liner notes which include a
foreword by Mark Zonder along with brief statements by each
participating band. Furthermore, a few industry individuals and artists
have been invited to share their thoughts about Bill Tsamis in a special
“In Memoriam” section within the album’s liner notes. The liner notes
of any album are of course an integral part of it, but in this case,
they are of particular importance as they are a powerful portrayal of
what Bill Tsamis has meant to people; both as a musician and as a
person. For this reason, Pitch Black Records will be making a special
digital edition booklet (14 pages) freely available for anyone to
download on release date.
“A Crack in the Sky – A Tribute to William J Tsamis” will be released in the following formats:
• CD Digipak (deluxe 3-panel)
•
CD Book (hardbound 20x20cm book, including download code and limited to
100 copies – exclusively available from Pitch Black Records and select
partners)
• Double-LP (including download code, released in association with Vinylstore)
• Digital
The
album’s cover and artwork have been created by the talented Giannis
Nakos of Remedy Art Design with photography kindly provided by Chris Del
Grande. Mastering and additional mastering was handled by renowned
producer Arthur Rizk.
Track-listing:
1. MIRROR - Aliens
2. SUMERLANDS - Lost and Lonely Days
3. STRAY GODS - War in Heaven
4. TWISTED TOWER DIRE – Mrs. Victoria
5. CLAYMOREAN - 70,000 Sorrows
6. ETERNAL CHAMPION - Stygian Passage
7. ARRAYAN PATH (feat. Paolo Viani) - The Rainbow
8. FORSAKEN - Lucifer's Hammer
9. FIREWÖLFE - Battle of the Living Dead
10. STEEL SHOCK - Child of the Damned
11. SOLITARY SABRED - Black Mass
12. WOTAN - Winds of Thor
13. REFLECTION - Winter Tears
14. GALAXY - Penny for a Poor Man
15. COMET RIDER - Soliloquy
16. SOCRATES LEPTOS - A Crack in the Sky (Outro)
A short teaser is available
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