Tennyson and Power Metal?

Tennyson’s pastoral The Lady of Shalott combined with the raw power of electric guitar and heart thumping drum beats? An unlikely combination has, indeed, been done. The Italian power metal band, Domine, appears to have been inspired by the tragic tale of Elaine of Astolat and created a song entitled “The Lady of Shalott” for their 2007 album Ancient Spirit Rising. The new take on the poem is a bit of a stretch from it’s original soft rhythmic beat, but surprisingly enough, was not the first song of its type in Shalott’s history.

There have been other interpretations of the Victorian poem, such as a soft ballad by Lorenna McKennitt. McKennitt plays with a new age, Celtic sound which she used to incorporate the stanzas to a more fitting folk song.
Emilie Autumn created the most powerfully emotional rendition. Autumn, an American singer-songwriter and violinist, captured the desperation and sadness conveyed in The Lady of Shalott and placed a contemporary twist on the Tennyson poem. Mixing classical and electronica music, her song, titled Shalott incorporated strong vocals and her trademark violin; creating a sound she dubbed "Victoriandustrial."
Seems fitting now doesn’t it?




Jessica K