Recently, a friend of mine turned me on to a band called Apocalyptica (thanks, Oboe). Long-time readers of this blog know I’m a huge fan of classical music and not such a huge fan of most forms of popular music. Being a musician myself, I’m rather particular about the types of music I enjoy and listen to on a regular basis. And it’s not that I disapprove of certain genres of music outright, since I do appreciate the artistry of certain bands that fall under the headings of alternative, rock, and even rap and hard rock (for the sake of simplicity here I will lump all forms of metal under the banner of hard rock, even though I’m sure that will cause metal purists to foam at the mouth).
The thing I love about Apocalyptica is that they’re a group of four metal-style rockers – who are all virtuosos of the cello. They’re simply amazing to watch and listen to, since their music is very definitely a form of hard rock but played exclusively on cello. I love their sound, and as someone currently learning how to play the violin, I can fully appreciate the level of skill necessary to play the music they do.
If you haven’t experienced Apocalyptica yet, below is a video of them playing Edvard Grieg’s “In the Hall of the Mountain King” in their unique style. And then, if you want more, try setting up an Apocalyptica radio station on Pandora.com and get a sampling of them and other groups like them.
