Join us in our rehearsal room for our very first full band live playthrough video.
For this live session of Beginnings, we invited our good friend, outstanding violinist and singer Amalie Skriver.
The theatrical metal experience – behind the curtain
We wanted to share the energy we experience in our rehearsal room and invite you to feel what happens behind the stage curtains of Ethereal Kingdoms.
This video has a more low-key feeling compared to the character of our live shows, providing an intimate and personal experience of the dynamics in our little theatrical metal ensemble.
Capturing the spontaneous fun while still creating a visually interesting outcome was easier than it sounded. With some lights, coffee, cookies and a bit of additional sound adjustments, we got right into the feeling as the camera started rolling.
With a little help from our friends
Our good friend Christoffer Valentin Hildebrandt helped out with the mix and production of the audio tracks.
He created the majestic soundscape of his band SUNLESS DAWN‘s critically acclaimed debut album “TIMEWEAVER”. If you’re into progressive metal, definitely check it out!
Video was filmed by Alexander Petrovich Birk, who also documented our performance with WINTERSUN in 2019. An absolute joy to work with the guy again.
With some editing magic, Sofia brought it all together at her little workspace-corner in our rehearsal room.
A special guest
Amalie Skriver is not only featured in this live session. She is a strong presence on our 2019 debut album Hollow Mirror.
She appears with her emotive solo violin and otherworldly backing vocals on most of the tracks. Amalie has also joined us at our special theatrical performances at NORDIC NOISE FESTIVAL, FINNTROLL SUPPORT, and latest at our WINTERSUN support show in 2019.
The story of Beginnings
On Hollow Mirror, every song is a story of its own, with veins and ties reaching across the tracks and combining into a larger overlying narrative.
Beginnings is the counterpart for our 2019 single Endings. Together, they tell the story of blind hope and bitter consequences. They are also related to the story of Heartchamber, which acts as a prequel for the events unfolding in the two songs.
If you look closely at the background of our video, you will notice our stage backdrops having the imagery of the characters from the artwork for Beginnings and Endings, but in a ghostly, incorporeal form.
Hear the story of Endings here, with this beautiful lyric video created by Scott Rudd, featuring Anna Holms enchanting artwork: