I first came across this tune on the Passionskirche VHS and was stunned by the scope and intensity of that solo performance; the minor key, the atmospherics, the bursts of distorted power chords. I thought it was the perfect combination of Hammill’s calm and storm.
Believe it or not – I’ve refrained from just ramping the whole thing up to thrash metal levels – although I do have a tiresome penchant for double kick drums. But I always say – if you have to record music in your kitchen; then you have to make it louder than the washing machine.
I hope it sounds raw as I’ve gone with a first take (like I’ve got time to get in the kitchen and play the same riff twice with two kids to cater for!) as despite recording digitally; I wanted it to be in keeping with the great man’s ethos and to sound ‘played’ and organic, so like my Crying Wolf cover, all the riffs were recorded in a single pass of the hands across a fretboard playing every part and harmonies in one continuous stint and then assembled afterwards with the solo being the only overdub.
Listen out for a harmonic dive with a whammy bar; a first I think in relation to Hammill’s music and probably for good reason.
It was an interesting key to improvise a solo over too, once the riffs were herded into place. That was a bit of challenge as I’d been stuck jamming in E minor since I was practically “Just a Child.”
I even got to dust off my five string bass on this one and had a bit of fun between the chord arpeggiations – being more faithful on bass to the Latin feel of John “Fury” Ellis’ acoustic guitar solo on the original – than the actual lead breaks I improvised.
I even had to tune the bottom string of the bass up a tone to match the full drop C that my guitar was in. So tuning higher is a first for me!
Vocally, no one can match Peter’s soaring range and intensity, but my regular brand of clueless shouting didn’t work on this one first time around, so I had a crude stab at making notes with my mouth.
Funnily enough, it turns out that singing in my accent turns Hammill’s eloquent received pronunciation on words like “Chance” into something like “Tchantz!” – but being scouse never did the Beatles any harm…
(Not that I can sound anything like them either!)
Guitarist in UK hardcore band BALLPEIN
www.ballpein.co.uk
Second Guitar in Melodic Death Metal band Monstrance