The Premonition (album)

Infobox Album
Name = The Premonition
Type = Album
Artist = Firewind

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Recorded = Studio Fredman in Göteborg, Sweden
November–December 2007
Released = Italy March 21, 2008
U.S. March 25, 2008
UK April 7, 2008 [http://www.firewind.gr/myspace2008/top3.jpgThe release dates banner from the official myspace] , cited Date|2008-3-4]
Genre = Power metal
Length = 45:11
Label = Century Media
Producer = Fredrik Nordström
Reviews = * "Allmusic" [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:fzfqxzejldhe link]
Last album = "Allegiance"
(2006)
This album = "The Premonition"
(2008)
Next album =
Misc = Singles
Name = The Premonition
Type = Album
Single 1 = Mercenary Man
Single 1 date =
(Online début) February 2, 2008Firewind.gr news update Date|2008-02-02 , cited Date|2008-3-4]
Flagicon|Greece February 25, 2008

"The Premonition" is the fifth full-length album by Firewind and their only album to feature the same line-up as its predecessor. Gus G. said "we basically kept the "Allegiance" 'winning team' together" much to the apparent surprise of fans.Firewind.gr news update Date|2007-11-28 , cited Date|2008-3-4]

The complete album leaked on the internet on 18 February, 2008.

Creation process

The song writing began in part while in tour supporting the bands previous album "Allegiance" during which time they wrote 6 titled songs (Remembered, Life Foreclosed, The Silent Code, Mercenary Man, My Loneliness, Head Up High)Firewind.gr news update Date|2007-11-12 , cited Date|2008-3-4] Gus G. said "Song writing-wise I think all songs are special and once again everyone was involved in the writing" while in the studio they recorded a total of 12 original songs and "a few covers" including their cover of the Michael Sembello song "Maniac". Gus G. also said:

Touring and promotion

Firewind started touring after the completion of the album in January, in which time they filmed the content for the bonus DVD. They are scheduled to tour supporting Kamelot on their "Rule the World Tour" in April through Europe and then in May on their "Tyranny and Bloodshred" tour through North America with Arch Enemy, Dark Tranquillity, and Divine Heresy. [http://firewind.gr/2008/tour.html firewind.gr] 2008 tours page, Cited Date|2008-4-1]

Release history

Unlike previous releases, "The Premonition" wasn't first released in the band's homeland, Greece, although it was first announced for release there. Instead, it was initially released in Italy and Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg) on March 21, 2008. Then the following day in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. On March 24, 2008, it was released in Greece, Denmark, Norway and to a large portion of the rest of Europe. In Spain and Portugal, it was released on March 25, 2008, and the following day in Sweden, Finland and Hungary. It was released four days later in France and is to be released in the United Kingdom on April 7, 2008.Firewind.gr news update Date|2008-03-19, Cited Date|2008-4-1]

ingles

The first single from "The Premonition", "Mercenary Man", was released on the band's official Myspace page for streaming almost two months before the album's release on February 2, 2008, and one month before the album's release as a maxi-CD exclusively to Greece on February 25, 2008. In-between the two release dates, the band filmed the music video for the song in Sweden with Patric Ullaeus as the producer. [http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=91805 blabbermouth.net] news archive Date|28-2-2008, Cited Date|1-4-2008] "Mercenary Man" entered the Greek Top 50 Singles chart at #6 and is peaked at #5. Meanwhile, the two singles from their previous album, "Allegiance", were still charting in Greece. "Falling to Pieces", which peaked at #11, is was still in at #43, and "Breaking the Silence", which peaked at #16, was still in at #33. [ [http://www.ifpi.gr/chart03.htm ifpi.gr] page on the Greek Top 50 Singles, Cited Date|2008-4-1]

Track listing

#"Into the Fire" (Gus G., Katsionis, Papathanasio) – 6:29
#"Head Up High" (Gus G., Katsionis, Papathanasio) – 3:46
#"Mercenary Man" (Gus G., Papathanasio) – 3:27
#"Angels Forgive Me" (Gus G., Katsionis, Papathanasio) – 4:57
#"Remembered" (Niclas Engelin, Gus G., Papathanasio) – 3:38
#"My Loneliness" (Gus G., Papathanasio) – 4:04
#"Circle of Life" (Cross, Gus G., Papathanasio) – 4:14
#"The Silent Code" (Cross, Gus G., Papathanasio) – 4:48
#"Maniac" (Dennis Matkosky, Sembello) – 4:55
#"Life Foreclosed" (Chasyain, Gus G.) – 4:52
#"Wild Rose" (Gus G.) – 4:23 (iTunes bonus track)
#"Ride to the Rainbow’s End" (Japanese Bonus Track)

B-sides

#"Spirits in a Digital World" (Gus G., Christo) – 4:04 (from the "Mercenary Man" single)
#"Mercenary Man [Acoustic] " (Gus G., Papathanasio) – 3:54 (from the "Mercenary Man" single)

Bonus DVD

The special edition version of the album comes with O-Card packaging and a bonus DVD with four songs, recorded at a live performance of the album in the Principal theatre in Thessaloniki, Greece, on January 12, 2008, and interviews with all the band members.Firewind.gr news update date|2008-03-05, cited 8 March 2008]

#"Into the Fire" – 6:34
#"Head Up High" – 3:43
#"Mercenary Man" – 3:56
#"My Loneliness" – 4:01

Personnel

;Band members
* Apollo Papathanasio – vocals
* Gus G. – guitars
* Babis Katsionis – keyboards
* Petros Christodoylidis – bass
* Mark Cross – drums;Guest musicians
* Marcus Palsson – backing vocals on tracks 2, 5, 8 & 9;Technical staff
* Fredrik Nordström – mixing, engineering
* Henrik Udd – mixing, engineering
* Rickard Bengtson – engineering
* Gustavo Sazes – artwork
* Patric Ullaeus – photography
* Olga K. – photographs of Mark Cross

Footnotes

External links

* [http://firewind.gr/ Firewind's official website] [http://www.firewind.gr/index.asp .]