Sure, there’s pageantry involved in choosing who gets to perform a Bond track, but the Broccoli estate (the stewards of Bond) have basically been chasing another Shirley Bassey ringer since she stopped contributing to title themes in 1979 ( Moonraker, what a one to go out on). No joke, every time a Bond theme has debuted since 2003, I’m thinking “why isn’t it Snake Eater, and/or why isn’t Cynthia Harrell singing it?” Part of the reason I was completely drawn into this world was the Snake Eater song: written by Norihiko Hibino and performed by the immensely talented Cynthia Harrell. Even though I was already on board with Kojima’s antics with two prior mainline entries, I wasn’t ready for love to bloom on the battlefield. I was completely alone at the time as my wife (then girlfriend) was out of town, and outside of a few minor obligations, I played through it unfettered. Playing Metal Gear Solid 3 for the first time at launch, with no guides or discourse, was an absolute experience. “What a thrill…” you’re already hearing it in your head! Yes, it’s the Snake Eater song, and it’s currently worming its way into your ear. He sings, extremely hard at times, but he’s always singing nonetheless.Just hire Cynthia Harrell for the next Bond theme He doesn’t use the roar or growl that has become typical the typical vocal formula in a lot modern metal as a crutch. He shows range, making it fairly high on the scale at times. Nile’s vocal performances on the songs are what take me back in time. More reminiscent of those legendary eighties bands than the keyed-in rhythm section or the solos, in my opinion, are the vocals. It’s a little bit more metric without being overly angular or mathematic.” “When the songs are constructed around the tempo and the actual beat itself, everybody kind of knows where they fit in. When asked about how the band achieves that “classic” sound, Nile cites the fact that all Imperial Battlesnake songs begin with the drums and the bass, giving the guitar and vocals a sort of platform to build on top of. This era’s influence is clearly evident in the band’s fast, driving, guitar-solo-stacked brand of metal. Imperial Battlesnake then backs up these tall words and bring the toughness with what Nile describes as a kind of “classic metal.” He attributes influence from bands came out of the 1980s, bands like Metallica, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and even Black Flag. We are those tough plants and this is the music that comes from the foliage that comes out of the bitter ground.” “In the bitter, hard ground, the seeds have to be tougher to grow and when the tough seeds grow, they sprout up tough plants. We really are defined by our environment.” Nile then goes on to explain the correlation between the band’s music and the sometimes brutally harsh region in which the band lives and creates music. We’re beaten by the heat in the summertime and we’re beaten by the cold in the wintertime. “Hardland is a take on the word heartland,” says Wes Nile, vocalist for Imperial Battlesnake. The band’s latest full-length record, “Sentinels of the Hardland,” is even a direct reflection of this principle in its title. One major theme throughout much of what Imperial Battlesnake produces is a sort of Midwestern toughness.
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