Black THunder - April 2015

Photo © www.iconphoto.ch

This coin commemorates 200 years since slavery was abolished in the UK in 1807.

I've always loved the Deep South of North America, with it's pungent atmosphere, and New Orleans has inspired several of my album tracks, including Camino Royal. But beneath that incredible vibe of music in the streets are stories of vampire haunted cemeteries, the howl of the blues and behind that is the cry of millions. The slaves of the Southern States suffered hardships we can barely imagine, and my track Black Thunder focuses on that point where the waters burst their banks... a hurricane as metaphor for an imagined slave uprising from the past, when slaves rebelled at the point where life had become unbearable...

Jo and I visited the slave museum in Liverpool which showed the extent of British involvement as well as American, with the torture and inhumane treatment. We also visited the birthplace of Martin Luther King in Atlanta where you really felt the soul of that amazing man with his dedication to racial equality. All this fed into the song's spirit.

The first part of the track has a more bluesy vibe, which via a gospel choir followed by electric guitar, swings into an angry rock sound with a progressive twist.

The following photos taken by Maurizio and Angéla Vicedomini beautifully describe the story of the song, from oppression to freedom...

Steve Hackett discusses the track 'Black Thunder'