Sorcerer - "Gates of Babylon" (Rainbow cover)

Look away from the sea
I can take you anywhere
Spend a vision with me
A chase with the wind
Move closer to me
I can make you anyone
I think you're ready to see
The gates of Babylon

The power of what has been before
Rises to trap you within
A magic carpet ride a genie maybe more
A city of heavenly sin

Sleep with the devil and then you must pay
Sleep with the devil, the devil will take you away
Oh gates of Babylon

You can see but you're blind
Someone turned the sun around
But you can see in your mind
The gates of Babylon

You're riding the endless caravan
Bonded and sold as a slave
A saber dance removing all the veils
Getting as good as you gave

Sleep with the devil and then you must pay
Sleep with the devil, the devil will take you away

Look away from the sea
I can take you anywhere
Spend a vision with me
A chase with the wind
Move closer to me
I can make you anyone
I think you're ready to see
The gates of Babylon

The power of what has been before
Rises to trap you within
A magic carpet ride a genie maybe more
A city of heavenly sin

Sleep with the devil and then you must pay
Sleep with the devil, the devil will take you away
Black gates of Babylon

The devil is me
And I'm holding the key
To the gates of sweet hell
Babylon

Το μακρινό 1978 οι Rainbow κυκλοφορούσαν τον δίσκο "Long Live Rock 'n' Roll". Ήταν ο τελευταίος με τον Ronnie James Dio στα φωνητικά. Το τελευταίο τραγούδι της πρώτης πλευράς του βινυλίου ήταν το "Gates of Babylon". Επικολυρικό κομμάτι σχεδόν επτάλεπτης διάρκειας με έντονα ανατολίτικα ηχοχρώματα, έγινε ένα από τα πλέον χαρακτηριστικά τραγούδια της μπάντας.

Δεν είναι λίγα τα συγκροτήματα που επιχείρησαν να το διασκευάσουν. Οι Tad Morose (στο "Sender of Thoughts"), ο Yngwie J. Malmsteen (στο "Inspiration"), οι Mägo de Oz [στο "Gaia II: La Voz Dormida" - πρόκειται για το τραγούδι "En nombre de Dios" ("In the name of God") που είναι βασισμένο στο "Gates of Babylon"], οι Sons of Apollo (στο "Plovdiv Psychotic Symphony") κλπ.

Στην λίστα των παραπάνω συγκροτημάτων προστίθενται και οι Sorcerer που κυκλοφόρησαν σήμερα το ομότιτλο single. Άξιο αναφοράς το ότι δεν είναι η πρώτη φορά που οι Sorcerer διασκευάζουν Rainbow. Το είχαν κάνει στο demo του 1992 "The Inquisition" όπου παρουσίασαν την δική τους εκδοχή στον ύμνο "Stargazer" (τρία χρόνια αργότερα "μπήκε" και στην ομώνυμη συλλογή τους)...

Kristian Niemann: «When trying to come up with a way to arrange 'Gates Of Babylon' and give it a different spin, I tried to imagine what it would've sounded like if Tony Iommi wrote it instead of Ritchie Blackmore. It probably would've been slower and heavier, possibly down-tuned a bit. We skipped the keyboard intro because it would be impossible to capture the magic of the original. We had a great time recording this single at SolnaSound Studios, and overall we are very happy with how it turned out. We hope our fans will dig it too.»

Band: Sorcerer
Country of origin: Sweden
Location: Stockholm
Formed in: 1988
Genre: Epic Doom Metal
Lyrical themes: History, Fantasy, Battles
Years active: 1988-1992, 2010-present

Video: "Gates of Babylon"
Filmed at: Solna Sound Recording
Edited by: Kristian Niemann
Cameras: Conny Welén, Johnny Hagel

Album: "Gates of Babylon"
Type: Single
Release date: September 10th, 2021
Label: Independent
Format: Digital