Among The Living Dead

Album: Plagues Of Babylon (2014)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song features the voice of Blind Guardian singer Hansi Kürsch, who also contributed backing vocals to some other Plagues of Babylon tracks. He also is a member of the side project Demons and Wizards along with Iced Earth mainman/guitarist Jon Schaffer. Speaking with Metal Exiles, Schaffer explained how the collaboration happened: "Well the thing of it is, because we were in Germany, and literally like an hour and a half from Hansi's house it was pretty easy," he said. "That's different than doing something like Demons & Wizards where you have to get together, write songs, and I mean, Hansi came into the studio for one day. He got there around 2:00 in the afternoon, and he left at I think 10 or 11 that night. That's a whole different thing, coming in and singing parts that are already written, than getting together and writing songs...that's something that can take a couple months."

    "I talked to Hansi while we were in Germany doing pre-production for the tracking and that was also pretty close to his house and he came to visit us and I played the song, 'Among the Living Dead' for him and I told him I would love for you to do a verse in this song," Schaffer continued. "He agreed, and said it would be cool, and of course he'd be up for that. And then a little bit later I mentioned to him that normally when I'm working in Indiana or Florida I have a group of backing vocalists that I can call upon to sing choir parts on the album, on the choruses. And being in Germany I was a stranger in a strange land, so I called Hansi and he said he'd be happy to help out and that he had a friend he could bring along too. So, that's how that worked out."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Sam Phillips

Sam PhillipsSongwriter Interviews

Collaborating with T Bone Burnett, Leslie Phillips changed her name and left her Christian label behind - Robert Plant, who recorded one of her songs on Raising Sand, is a fan.

Jello Biafra

Jello BiafraSongwriter Interviews

The former Dead Kennedys frontman on the past, present and future of the band, what music makes us "pliant and stupid," and what he learned from Alice Cooper.

Jimmy Webb

Jimmy WebbSongwriter Interviews

Webb talks about his classic songs "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," "Wichita Lineman" and "MacArthur Park."

Martin Page

Martin PageSongwriter Interviews

With Bernie Taupin, Martin co-wrote the #1 hits "We Built This City" and "These Dreams." After writing the Pretty Woman song for Go West, he had his own hit with "In the House of Stone and Light."

Bob Dylan Lyric Quiz

Bob Dylan Lyric QuizMusic Quiz

Think you know your Bob Dylan lyrics? Take this quiz to find out.

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie Combination

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie CombinationSong Writing

In 1986, a Stephen King novella was made into a movie, with a classic song serving as title, soundtrack and tone.