Interpretations and Tributes
Extended Single
Last Christmas
Cinematic metal act DISCONNECTED SOULS have released their 2023 festive offering following what has become a tradition of sorts for the quintet. Beginning in 2018 with "Walking in the Air", the band have since given a Christmas classic an eclectic twist each year. Now, in 2023, it's finally time for WHAM! to receive a DISCONNECTED SOULS reimagining. It's a 90's-esque synth fueled take (with a twist) on this '80s hit.
Band leader Fletch comments: "If you've followed DS for any length of time, you'll probably know that we love doing reinterpretations of Christmas classics, and therefore it was kinda inevitable that at some point we would find ourselves faced with 'Last Christmas'. To be brutally honest, none of us are big fans of the original! However, we wanted to see what we could do with it and were particularly keen to make one of our friends happy (who had been repeatedly suggesting it). We ended up staying surprisingly accurate to the original music, but focussed on vocal FX / reducing the tempo and adding some more melancholy instrumentation. As always we hope you enjoy and happy holidays!"
Originally written and performed by WHAM!
Performed by DISCONNECTED SOULS
Mixed by Matthew Simon Fletcher and Andy Fernihough Mastered by Andy Fernihough
Photography: Tom Lloyd
"Last Christmas" cover art by Felix Luca King
Visualiser: Patrick Lloyd
“You read the words “Disconnected” and “Souls” together and you immediately think holiday cheer, right? And then you see that the DS sound is billed as “Cinematic Metal” and instantly think “Hey! who better to cover the WHAM! holiday classic than this quintet?”
Extended Single
Can You Stop The Cavalry
We're thrilled to share our fifth Christmas cover song with you! Our little tradition continues in 2022 with this dark and dramatic re-imagining of Jona Lewie's classic!
Credits
Original song written and performed by JONA LEWIE
Arranged by DISCONNECTED SOULS
Music: Matthew Simon Fletcher
Additional Lyrics: Patrick Lloyd, Holly Royle
Mixing: Matthew Simon Fletcher, Andy Fernihough
Mastering: Andy Fernihough
Art: Tom Lloyd
Visualiser: Holly Royle
“Get into the festive spirit with a large dose of distortion. Unleashing their creativity and flare for instrumental layering, dynamic textures and compelling soundscapes, DISCONNECTED SOULS showcase their distinctive style through this dramatic re-imagining.”
- Frontview Magazine (Dec 03, 2022)
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and once again the eclectic metal outfit Disconnected Souls have reworked a seasonal track into their distinctive style. This year sees “Stop The Cavalry” transformed into a high-impact electrified track which ventures into darker realms.”
Extended Single
Merry Xmas (War Is Over)
Our Christmas cover for 2021 is here! We hope you enjoy our interpretation of this classic by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. We had great fun creating it!
Credits
Original song written and performed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono
Arranged by DISCONNECTED SOULS
Music: Matthew Simon Fletcher
Mixing: Matthew Simon Fletcher, Andy Fernihough
Mastering: Andy Fernihough
Art: Tom Lloyd
Visualiser: Holly Royle
“Inventive Metal band Disconnected Souls have shared an amazing and heavy take of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s “Merry Xmas (War Is Over)!””
“DISCONNECTED SOULS are continuing their annual tradition of releasing a Christmas cover. 2021 sees their fourth cover, John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s “Merry Xmas (War Is Over)” receive a dramatic, heavy reimagining. Fusing metalcore sounds with intense electronics, folk instruments and a choir singing in Latin, the genre busting outfit have produced their most dynamic seasonal treat yet.”
Extended Single
The Power Of Love
Releasing cover songs every Christmas has turned into a little tradition for us! This year, our chosen track is Frankie Goes to Hollywood's 'The Power of Love'. Not only is this a fantastic song, with the unexpected events of 2020 we wanted to try and spread some positivity and love. We hope you enjoy it!
Credits
Originally performed by Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Vocals: Holly Royle
Instrumentation and Arrangement: Matthew Simon Fletcher, Holly Royle & Tim Jenkins
Mixing: Andy Fernihough, Matthew Simon Fletcher
Mastering: Andy Fernihough
Artwork and visualiser: Holly Royle
Thanks also to Jonny Young and Lindzi North of Fight The Tornado for backing vocals!
“The metallers from Chester, UK, combine classical and electronic elements with metal to create a dynamic signature sound. This new cover delves into haunting and ethereal synths, orchestration and heavy guitars.”
“The Disconnected Souls cover version is a different story. They handle the song in a much subtler way, diminishing the 1980’s feel and replacing it with a much more thoughtful and ambient soundscape. ‘The Power of Love’ really lends itself to this genre as it is a long and slow song, leaving plenty of space for all manner of synths and guitar sounds to fill the void.”
Extended Single
A Spaceman Came Travelling
In the spirit of Christmas we wanted to share a special cover that we've put together of A Spaceman Came Travelling,
We hope you enjoy it and have a wonderful Christmas!
Lots of love,
~Disconnected Souls~
Credits
Originally composed and performed by Chris de Burgh.
Vocals: Holly Royle and Patrick Lloyd
Instrumentation and Arrangement: Matthew Simon Fletcher
Thanks also to Jordan Taylor and Thomas Lloyd for backing vocals!
Mixing: Andy Fernihough, Matthew Simon Fletcher
Mastering: Andy Fernihough
Artwork: Holly Royle
Extended Single
Walking In The Air
In the spirit of Christmas we wanted to share a special cover that we've put together of Walking in the Air, originally composed by Howard Blake and performed by Aled Jones as well as drawing inspiration from the Nightwish rendition!
Credits
Vocals and additional verse lyrics: Holly Royle
Instrumentation: Matthew Simon Fletcher
Thanks also to Jordan Taylor and Thomas Lloyd for backing vocals!
Mixing: Andy Fernihough, Matthew Simon Fletcher
Mastering: Andy Fernihough
Artwork: Simon Atkinson