As a student I was in a band called Danse Macabre, which I thought was a really clever name at the time until a century later the internet was invented and I discovered that dozens of wannabe Goth Prog Rock bands had exactly the same idea. The name came from the famous medieval ‘Dance of Death’, which French composer Saint-Saëns used in his symphonic poem of the same name, and now Danish alternative / progressive rock band Danefae have used the central melodic theme from Danse Macabre in new track ‘Fuglekongen’, as vocalist Anne Olesen explains: 'Fuglekongen' is a theft. I stole one of the themes from the classical piece 'Danse Macabre' by Saint-Säens. The mystical interweave of death and life gave me the inspiration to write like a conspiracy theorist: About the little Goldcrest as a symbol for our actions being governed by anything else than our free will."
This is stunning, but I’ve come to expect that from Danefae, their 2022 debut album ‘Tro’ was my Album of the Year. The contrasts between intricate piano (shades of ‘Efterspil’) and explosive post rock are goosebump inducing, and Anne Olesen’s vocals are fabulous, as always. I really can’t wait for their 2nd album, Trøst which is set for a January 31st 2025 release.
Release date: 18th October 2024
Label: Danefae.
Artwork by Sissel Geyti