'The Arrival' has a great meaning behind it. 'Itherians' are other beings from a distant galaxy visiting earth thinking that it's a paradise but realising that earthlings are not good at keeping peace and harmony among themselves. And so, the song is from the Itherians' perspective, advising humans, which the humans optimistically accept. Having a sci-fi based theme, the music also does an excellent job of conveying the theme through a melodic combination of instruments. Keeping the traditional rock tone of the song on top, the electronic sounds and strings are smoothly blended, delivering a futuristic touch. The vocals by Oli Kobl and Steffi Bauer, performed in multi-octave harmonies with passion and wide range, are the heart of this song.
The guitars are crunchy and support the rhythm with their powerful alternate picking. The drums lead with a strong kick and sparkling hi-hats followed by a tight snare. The dramatic transition from verses to the chorus is impressive with dynamic shifts from a combination of elements of opera, electronic beats and strings to a rock dominated section. A special guitar solo connects the climax along with the vocals leading to the end of this unique song.
Definitely listen to this 7 times Nominee at German Rock and Pop Price 2021 'The Arrival' by RT-Projekt on Spotify.
About RT-Project:
"Anyone who releases a sci-fi mini-rock-opera with a running time of nearly 20 minutes in these times of 10-second-TikTok-videos has courage. This courage should be rewarded, because with Cycle of Itheria, the new EP by RT-Projekt, everything fits: composition, tension build-up and arrangement by Rainer Thanner, the alternating vocals by Oli Kobl and Steffi Bauer and the great guitars by Oli Zangl, always with the right dose of harshness. In the four acts of the concept album, each with a short prelude, "Cycle of Itheria" tells the story of the Itherians (Oli Kobl): Their home planet lies in a foreign galaxy, and after they found the peace they set out into space to search for alien life forms and to bring peace there too. They come to Earth and here it is bitterly necessary to do something about the dispute. They succeeded: the earthlings (Steffi Bauer) gladly accept the advice. An optimistic vision in which the key to a peaceful life lies in love, forbearance and forgiveness. The cycle of Itheria has become somewhat heavier than the previous album (cycle of twenty-one), lies on the border from pop-rock to hard rock and will surely find enthusiastic listeners in both camps. In its entirety, it is reminiscent of the concept albums of the great rock bands from the 1970s and 1980s, yet it sounds modern and independent. With the excellent artwork (as well as the lyrics - again written by Frank de Blijen), the CD gets a special charm from the cover alone."