A Post-classical kind of tribute

Further Down is an artist name of a pianist from the Czech Republic, he did a couple of cover albums and the one that is on the dissection table today, These Tracks Must End, is a cover of a Cult of Luna album, Somewhere Along the Highway. First, let’s talk a little about the Cult of Luna’s masterpiece that is featured on this album.

Somewhere Along the Highway was released after their magnum opus, Salvation and it is a little bit less atmospheric and more on the heavy side of the line. The songs are absolutely gorgeous and one song from the album, Dim, is actually one of my favorite songs of all time and a perfect example of a flawless Post-metal song structure. I found this guy accidentally while surfing the web, downloaded the record and immediately fell in love with the music.

All of the songs are played on just one instrument, an acoustic grand piano, and hearing them played on this magnificent piece of musical instrument made me appreciate Cult of Luna’s music even more. I mean, hearing crushing post-metal melodies played in this completely different arrangement allow one to see the grandeur of the songs like never before because the piano strip the compositions of every superfluous element and leaves them naked, natural, primal, with only their pure emotion left on them. And that’s when you realize how much these compositions are brilliant, melodic, complicated and simple. When I finished the first listen through I knew that Cult of Luna is a gathering of superb musicians that are not world famous by now only because of their choice to play music that is not meant to have mass appeal, and I thank Further Down for that, he’s managed to make the music so familiar but at the same time completely unknown, just waiting to be discovered again by post-metal fanatics like myself.

The guy plays really well, he’s put his emotions into every song and that can be sensed from the moment when the first song starts. He is succeeded in his intention to take the songs from one of the most crushing bands in the world and show them in a completely different light, as compositions that are at the same level as other brilliant classical works of art.

Check out this album if you are a Post-metal fan or if you just like to listen to classical music, because this is a classical music, it always was, but only when played on a piano it shows its true potential and quality.