Dreamweaver (Sabbat album)
Encyclopedia
Dreamweaver is the second full-length album by the British thrash metal
band Sabbat
.
Dreamweaver is a concept album
based on the 1983 book by psychologist Brian Bates
- "The Way of Wyrd: Tales of an Anglo-Saxon Sorcerer". The album demonstrated singer and lyricist Martin Walkyier
's deep held beliefs in Wyrdism
, Anglo-Saxon spirituality, Celtic mysticism and paganism
. Musically the album reflected composer Andy Sneap
's predilection at that time for increasingly lengthy and progressively technical thrash metal
songs. Shortly before the album was recorded, former Holosade guitarist Simon Jones was recruited into the band as an additional lead and rhythm guitarist.
The album has come to be regarded as a classic of the thrash metal
genre, described variously upon its re-release in 2007 as "essential listening" (Rock Sound
), a "staggering work of total excellence" (Kerrang!
), a "seminal chapter in the evolution of British metal" and one of the "finest metal albums ever made" (Metal Hammer
).
), and three bonus live tracks, recorded in East Berlin
in 1990:
(No 240, May 27, 1989) and Metal Forces
(No 39, May 1989).
magazine that having been told of the preparations he must undergo before meeting the spirits, Brand deviates from this with the result that the spirits come too soon.” Walkyier explained to Kerrang!
magazine that “at the end of the song they steal Brand's soul and he has to prepare himself for a journey into the spirit world to reclaim it." To Metal Forces
, Walkyier stated that “He [Brand] has two days in which to recover his soul or his lifeforce will ebb out.”
and the power of nature. She tells him to look no further for she is his soul and on returning to the material world he will know anything he wanted to know." To Kerrang!, Walkyier elaborated that his soul “explains the way of Wyrd
to him, everything that he wanted to know.” Thus his mission to convert the Pagans has become instead "a voyage of self-discovery”.
Recorded at Sky Trak Studio in Berlin then mixed at Hansa Studio Berlin from January to March 1989.
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
band Sabbat
Sabbat (band)
Sabbat are a thrash metal band from Nottingham, England, currently consisting of Martin Walkyier , Andy Sneap , Simon Jones , Gizz Butt and Simon Negus . Over the years Sabbat have released three studio albums, four demos, two split singles/compilation albums, two singles and a live VHS...
.
Dreamweaver is a concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
based on the 1983 book by psychologist Brian Bates
Brian Bates
Brian Bates is former Chairman of Psychology at the University of Sussex. He is currently a Senior Visiting Research Fellow there in the Sussex Institute and a Visiting Professor at the University of Brighton. He is best known as the author of best-selling books on the shamanic wisdom of...
- "The Way of Wyrd: Tales of an Anglo-Saxon Sorcerer". The album demonstrated singer and lyricist Martin Walkyier
Martin Walkyier
Martin Walkyier is an English singer who began his career with thrash metal band Sabbat in the late 1980s, releasing two albums. After leaving Sabbat in 1990 due to differences with other band members, Walkyier teamed up with guitarist Steve Ramsey to form a heavy metal band with strong folk...
's deep held beliefs in Wyrdism
Wyrd
Wyrd is a concept in Anglo-Saxon culture roughly corresponding to fate or personal destiny. The word is ancestral to Modern English weird, which retains its original meaning only dialectally....
, Anglo-Saxon spirituality, Celtic mysticism and paganism
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
. Musically the album reflected composer Andy Sneap
Andy Sneap
Andy "Undie" Sneap is an English record producer, recording engineer, mixer, guitarist, and songwriter. He is best known for producing and mixing many acclaimed heavy metal albums.-Musician:...
's predilection at that time for increasingly lengthy and progressively technical thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
songs. Shortly before the album was recorded, former Holosade guitarist Simon Jones was recruited into the band as an additional lead and rhythm guitarist.
The album has come to be regarded as a classic of the thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
genre, described variously upon its re-release in 2007 as "essential listening" (Rock Sound
Rock Sound
Rock Sound is a British magazine which champions rock music. The magazine aims at being more "underground" and less commercial, whilst also giving coverage to more well known acts.-History:...
), a "staggering work of total excellence" (Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
), a "seminal chapter in the evolution of British metal" and one of the "finest metal albums ever made" (Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer is a monthly heavy metal music magazine published in the United Kingdom by Future Publishing, and in several other countries by different publishers. Metal Hammer articles feature both mainstream bands and more unusual acts from the whole spectrum of heavy metal music...
).
Track listing
All lyrics by Martin WalkyierMartin Walkyier
Martin Walkyier is an English singer who began his career with thrash metal band Sabbat in the late 1980s, releasing two albums. After leaving Sabbat in 1990 due to differences with other band members, Walkyier teamed up with guitarist Steve Ramsey to form a heavy metal band with strong folk...
- "The Beginning of the End (Intro)" – 0:36 (Music: Andy Sneap)
- "The Clerical Conspiracy" – 5:38 (Music: Sneap)
- "Advent of Insanity" – 2:27 (Music: Sneap)
- "Do Dark Horses Dream of Nightmares?" – 6:24 (Music: Sneap)
- "The Best of Enemies" – 8:14 (Music: Sneap, Simon Jones)
- "How Have the Mighty Fallen?" – 8:18 (Music: Sneap, Jones)
- "Wildfire" – 4:39 (Music: Sneap)
- "Mythistory" – 6:47 (Music: Sneap, Jones)
- "Happy Never After (Outro)" – 1:02 (Music: Sneap)
2007 re-release
On February 19, 2007, Dreamweaver was re-released by Sanctuary Records. The new edition features an expanded booket with extra photos and liner notes, remastered sound (undertaken by the band's own Andy SneapAndy Sneap
Andy "Undie" Sneap is an English record producer, recording engineer, mixer, guitarist, and songwriter. He is best known for producing and mixing many acclaimed heavy metal albums.-Musician:...
), and three bonus live tracks, recorded in East Berlin
East Berlin
East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
in 1990:
- "The Clerical Conspiracy (Live)" – 6:04
- "Do Dark Horses Dream of Nightmares? (Live)" - 6:17
- "The Best of Enemies (Live)" – 8:05
The Story of Dreamweaver
At the time of the album's release, lyricist Martin Walkyier spoke to the metal press about the story behind the concept album, including to Kerrang!Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
(No 240, May 27, 1989) and Metal Forces
Metal Forces
The British publication Metal Forces emerged during 1983 and aided greatly in the promotion of metal and rock genre music. The magazine was well known for its coverage of unsigned bands through its Demolition feature and championed the likes of Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, HellsBelles, Overkill,...
(No 39, May 1989).
"The Clerical Conspiracy"
"The Clerical Conspiracy" sets the scene for the story and themes to come, introducing us to Wat Brand, the Christian missionary from northern England who, a thousand years ago, is sent down to southern England to learn about the pagan ways of the southern Anglo-Saxons and in doing so determine the best way in which they can be converted to Christianity. Speaking to Kerrang! Magazine, Walkyier explained that in "The Clerical Conspiracy", "the monks are talking in an abbey in the north of England, discussing the best way of converting Pagans in the south to Christianity.""Advent of Insanity"
Having accepted the quest, Wat Brand sets sail for the south of England, via the coast, and according to Martin Walkyier, speaking to Metal Forces magazine, "Advent of Insanity" depicts his thoughts during the journey, thinking about what he left behind and the perils that face him in the future… Did he do the right thing?""Do Dark Horses Dream of Nightmares?"
In “Do Dark Horses Dream of Nightmares?”, Wat Brand has arrived at the South, and whilst waiting for his pre-arranged guide to arrive, falls asleep, during which he falls prey to nightmares during which the pagan spirits make first contact with him. According to Walkyier (speaking to Metal Forces), the spirits using this contact to “try to work out whether he is trying to destroy the old Gods… to impose the new religion upon them.” Explaining the title of the song, Walkyier told Kerrang! that “one of the spirits he meets is a black horse's head on a totem pole in a clearing in the forest.”"The Best of Enemies"
In “The Best of Enemies”, the morning after his nightmare, Brand finally meets his guide, Wulf, who tells him of the pagan ways and starts to rebuke his Christian ideas. Walkyier told Metal Forces magazine that Wulf tells Brand that “if he really wants to learn then he can't just tell him about the spirits and the spirit world, he has to encounter that for himself and has to meet the spirits face to face. He says that the spirits will give him all the knowledge he wants, but only if he has the conviction to go through with it. He has to actually risk his own death in meeting the spirits.” Walkyier told Kerrang! that “Brand thinks that he [Wulf] is going to show him around. But Wulf is actually a Shaman priest.”"How Have the Mighty Fallen?"
Told from the perspective of the spirits, ”How Have the Mighty Fallen?” describes Brand’s first real meeting with the spirits and makes plain their intention to fight for their survival notwithstanding the threat of their imminent replacement by Christianity. Walkyier told Metal ForcesMetal Forces
The British publication Metal Forces emerged during 1983 and aided greatly in the promotion of metal and rock genre music. The magazine was well known for its coverage of unsigned bands through its Demolition feature and championed the likes of Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, HellsBelles, Overkill,...
magazine that having been told of the preparations he must undergo before meeting the spirits, Brand deviates from this with the result that the spirits come too soon.” Walkyier explained to Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
magazine that “at the end of the song they steal Brand's soul and he has to prepare himself for a journey into the spirit world to reclaim it." To Metal Forces
Metal Forces
The British publication Metal Forces emerged during 1983 and aided greatly in the promotion of metal and rock genre music. The magazine was well known for its coverage of unsigned bands through its Demolition feature and championed the likes of Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, HellsBelles, Overkill,...
, Walkyier stated that “He [Brand] has two days in which to recover his soul or his lifeforce will ebb out.”
"Wildfire"
In "Wildfire", Brand journeys into the spirit world. Walkyier told Kerrang! Magazine that the title is a reference to Brand’s naked dance between two fires called "Wildfires"."Mythistory"
In “Mythistory”, as described by Walkyier to Metal Forces Magazine, Brand “encounters his own soul which is a woman. He doesn't know that he has met his own soul and tells the woman he has come to learn the way of the WyrdWyrd
Wyrd is a concept in Anglo-Saxon culture roughly corresponding to fate or personal destiny. The word is ancestral to Modern English weird, which retains its original meaning only dialectally....
and the power of nature. She tells him to look no further for she is his soul and on returning to the material world he will know anything he wanted to know." To Kerrang!, Walkyier elaborated that his soul “explains the way of Wyrd
Wyrd
Wyrd is a concept in Anglo-Saxon culture roughly corresponding to fate or personal destiny. The word is ancestral to Modern English weird, which retains its original meaning only dialectally....
to him, everything that he wanted to know.” Thus his mission to convert the Pagans has become instead "a voyage of self-discovery”.
Personnel
- Martin WalkyierMartin WalkyierMartin Walkyier is an English singer who began his career with thrash metal band Sabbat in the late 1980s, releasing two albums. After leaving Sabbat in 1990 due to differences with other band members, Walkyier teamed up with guitarist Steve Ramsey to form a heavy metal band with strong folk...
- vocals - Andy SneapAndy SneapAndy "Undie" Sneap is an English record producer, recording engineer, mixer, guitarist, and songwriter. He is best known for producing and mixing many acclaimed heavy metal albums.-Musician:...
- lead, rhythm and acoustic guitars - Simon Jones - rhythm and lead guitar
- Frazer Craske - bass
- Simon Negus - drums and percussion
Production
- Produced, Engineered and mixed by Roy M. Rowland
- Artwork by Tim Beer.
Recorded at Sky Trak Studio in Berlin then mixed at Hansa Studio Berlin from January to March 1989.