Song of the Week: WarCry - Espíritu de Amor

Yes, its a Spanish song, by a Spanish metal band. But its not just any Spanish metal band, its one of Spain's premier power metal bands, who have collected numerous accolades throughout their career from Radial Awards, Rockferendum, MetalZone etc, ranging from best keyboardist and guitarist and vocalist to best album and even best website (oO?). Its state of existence fluctuated during its initial years and it wasn't until 2001 that WarCry became a full-time band, fronted by Víctor García. Since then, its line-up has gone under constant change, with the exception of García, but its quality remains top class and it has quickly risen to fame first in Spain and then across Latin America.

"Espíritu de Amor" is from their 2004 album, Alea Jacta Est, and it means "spirit of love". Its an intricate piece of work, befitting the band's genre of power metal. Everything from the twin guitar riffs to the powerful keyboards solo to García's gravelly voice gives the song a simultaneously complex and simple beauty. And at the centre of this paradox is the lyrics itself, a sad poetic declaration of love for someone who has passed on that is delivered in a soaring energetic fashion. There is passion in its creation, with some sort of certainty that love transcends life or death. Even if you didn't know a single bit of español, I bet you can still feel all that emotion from the music itself.

Perhaps its not such a conventional song for making confessions of love, but it takes a different kind of appreciation perhaps. In that whirlwind of power metal melodies, with 5 instruments and a single voice playing out their separate roles to form a complicated song, there is just that simple meaning of wanting to be with the one you love. And experiencing the same loss of life within yourself when you lose your other half. Porque tu dolor es mi dolor.

No matter how difficult things can get, how messed up everything is, there can be meanings that shine steadfastly through all others, always strong, just like the quality of WarCry. For all those who are in el espíritu de amor, this is for you *winks*: