Raimund Burke’s SPIRIT OF LAO DAN – Secret Life (2021)
After various instrumental albums, it was clear to virtuoso guitarist Raimund Burke that it was time for a full new project including lyrics and a story to tell. The idea was born: Laozi meets Metal! Transforming the verses of Laozi (the legendary Chinese Daoist philosopher) into a rhythmically meaningful and yet singable form, the project named SPIRIT OF LAO DAN started, and the resulting album titled “Secret Life“.
To complete the work, Burke enlisted some of the best melodic metal vocalists around, like David Readman, Oliver Hartmann, Roland Grapow, Henning Basse, etc, resulting into an intense collection of songs with progressive metal touches as well, and lots of melody.
Here Raimund doesn’t skimp on virtuoso parts, borrowings, gimmicks and interesting interludes, which are reminiscent of a mixture of Dream Theater, Michael Schenker, Uli Jon Roth and Yngwie Malmsteen, always done in a balanced way that is serving to the song and implemented with feeling.
Some surprises are also hidden here. Chinese instruments appear every now and then in the middle of the song, while all songs are connected by intros and outros that were played with traditional Chinese instruments. The chinese spoken album intro (based on a top template by Jan Silberstorff) was performed by Burke.
The songs offer a very wide, powerful range of outstanding vocal performances and interesting, virtuoso, fast-paced and soulful instrumental parts. It’s an interesting concept / approach, and if you are only interested into the music, there’s plenty of rocking moments to enjoy on “Secret Life”.
1. Intro
2. All Things – Featuring Rasmus Andersen
3. One Brings About – Featuring Henning Basse
4. The One – Featuring Oliver Hartmann
5. Secret Life – Featuring Sebastian Zierof
6. How They Return – Featuring Roland Grapow
7. Attained The One – Featuring Christian Erik
8. The Movement Of TAO – Featuring Sebastian Zierof
9. If All On Earth – Featuring Roland Grapow
10. Mother Of The World – Featuring David Readman
11. Live Forever – Featuring Christian Erik
Raimund Burke – all instruments
guests VOCALS:
Roland Grapow (ex-Masterplan, ex-Helloween)
Oliver Hartmann (At Vance, Hartmann, Avantasia)
David Readman (Pink Cream 69, Voodoo Circle, Almanac, Pendulum of Fortune)
Henning Basse (Skyline, ex-Firewind)
Rasmus Andersen (Diamond Head)
Sebastian Zierof (Sign X)
Christian Erik
Pre order:
spiritoflaodan.com/?product=spirit-of-lao-dan-the-album
