Track By Tracks: Evoking Winds - The Heroes (2022)

“The Heroes” is our tribute album inspired by the music of Paul Anthony Romero, made with his permission. We went through beloved themes of Heroes II and Heroes III to celebrate once again the music which will be always in our hearts.

“Once in Enroth” as the first track is our rearrangement of the classic Heroes II grassland theme. We decided to start with it as for many this was the music we heard first when we played the game. In the contrast to the welcome and fairy-tale mood of the original theme, we spiced it up with grief for a world that no longer exists. In the last chapter of Heroes III, the world of Enroth came to end, and it is somewhat symbolic to us as well. Let me cite one thing here:

“A blue tinted face exploring a land,

Adventure afoot and mouse in hand,

Surrendered to sleep but wanting more;

Something to wake up for.

Nowadays, a thousand games,

But none can make me feel the same.

Time was the final boss.”

This is our central feeling for the album.

In the tribute, you can find all Heroes III town themes. All of us have our favorites, so we decided to arrange all of them, so each can find something in it. This is a journey through Enroth through all of its lands and corners.

“Might, Not Magic” is our interpretation of the Stronghold theme, which is associated with life on the rough steppes of Krewlod, the land of rocky mountains. A land where you find orcs, cyclops, giant roc birds, and tribes of goblins living as a horde with barbarian chieftains. “To Arms” is our arrangement for the Combat4 theme, which accompanied the most epic battles. Since we’re still passing the rough lands, it’s arranged with the same dose of ethnic singing and wind instruments.

“Gelu’s Meadows” is different in its mood. This is the interpretation of Rampart in AvLee, the land of elves, dendroids, centaurs, and dwarves. Being a well-known sharpshooter, Gelu is a central character in Heroes III campaigns, and he guides the listener through the beautiful lands where green and gold dragons rule.

The memories of Gelu remind us of the dark plot of the Shadow of Death campaign, which was the last main add-on to the game. The suspense grows in the “No Time To Hesitate” theme, which sounded when the heroes first faced the legions of dead armies in their quest to approach the land of the dead, Deyja. Progressing next we enter the town of Necropolis, observing “The Obelisk” (a grail building of the dead fraction). The special part of our arrangement is we started with a reprise of the end of the original “Dies Irae” theme: the undead remembering their past lives with deep sadness.

“Echoes of Battles” is one more tribute to the earlier game in the series, Heroes II, which in our opinion has ingenious battle themes. We played it imagining marching armies of different kingdoms, the same style as “The Siege” another one from the early Heroes age.

The next one is very personal to me. Paul Romero’s Snow Theme from Heroes II once inspired me to become a musician, and I feel grateful to the author for making such an inspiring, life-changing instrumental theme. The listener can find it walking in the snowy landscapes, and thus we called our arrangement “Endless White”. Our vocalist, Alia Fay made the main connection of our band to the melodies of Paul, and this integrity of the snow waltz makes us feel flowing in the magic of falling snow. Continuing with the journey, we enter the snowy lands of Bracada, the ones described in our artwork. The “Waltz of Bracada” is our interpretation of the original Tower town theme.

Our musical wandering continues to Tatalia, the home of swamps, gnolls, lizardmen, beast masters, and witches. “Signs of Fear” tells us the story of prehistoric chaos of nature, and the willpower of those who can make a marching order of chaos.

Going further to the islands of Nighon, we face the complex network of twisted subterranean tunnels, where the Dungeon fraction dwells. The harpies, minotaurs, manticores, black dragons - all of this appears dangerous until you face the true masters of the underworld: the warlocks. “The Warlock’s Power” is our tribute to them.

Eeofol, once inhabited by the halflings, was invaded by infernal creatures and turned into an inhospitable volcanic wasteland. “Ifryte’s Tyranny” is our arrangement of the Inferno town theme, full of cruel brass, marching orchestra, and tempting waltz time signature.

The opposite to it is the lighthearted, but powerful land of the humans - Erathia, where Roland and Katherina ruled their lands with justice and prosperity. “Your majesty” is our arrangement of the Castle theme.

The coda of the album is a re-imagined Conflux theme, uniting all the living elements which were here before all the mortals, and would be here until the end of times, long after we all pass away.

So, the journey is complete. Thank you all for being with us together. Now, shall we install Heroes, and play “just one more turn”?