Chamber Music Redux: Seven(Suns – “Heathens”

Seven(Suns

“Heathens” (TWENTY ONE PILOTS)

For Hearts Still Beating

This orchestra is so wonderful, but what is most amazing is not just their covers, which they really own, but on this upcoming album, they also perform their own composition, “Yama”, which is one of the greatest songs I’ve ever heard.  Seven)Suns is Amanda Lo (violin), Earl Maneein and Fung Chern Hwei (violin and viola) and Jennifer DeVore (cello).  The four of them push the envelope about what a string quartet is supposed to sound like, the same way that Mannheim Steamroller changed Christmas music forever.

Seven)Suns is a string quartet that defies pre-existing notions of what a string quartet should be by bringing two related popular music subcultures, Metal and Hardcore, into the tradition of the chamber ensemble. Seven)Suns has a far wider aural palette than is to be expected: driven, aggressive, dissonant and hard-edged as well as at times, contemplative, meditative, and still, running the entire gamut of human emotions ranging from pure, primal rage to serene contemplation. Their repertoire is drawn from works by the members of the group, re-imagined string quartet versions of metal and hardcore songs, as well as works from the Western art music tradition.

Being a huge fan of chamber music, heavy metal, hardcore, and modern classical music, Seven(Suns makes my dreams come true.  Thank you so much for expanding the classical/rock repertoire to fit everywhere.