It says Passendale on the street sign in the little village with its huge Tyne Cot cemetery and memorial centre. Ive passed it many times on the way to Isaacs (Delahaye, our former guitar player) for our notorious drinking sessions in Ypres, not far from the French border.
I was really impressed by how this town breathes World War I. The numerous cemeteries, the Menin Gate with its daily last post ceremony happening daily since 1929, with the exception of just one day during a bombardment in World War II. The buildings have been restored to their original state and are definitely inhabited by English, Irish and Scottish people that visit Ypres every weekend, probably because one of their relatives died there during the war. During the night at the bars & pubs, they tend to get really drunk and sing louder than the bartender can crank up the stereo! Its during these times that I was inspired by the Great War and decided to write a concept album about it. Ypres and Passendale were the center of war activities with around 900,000 casualties compared to 9 million worldwide. I realized how harsh it must have been there during those 4 years. Passchendaele was the official name of the little village during the war, but since the English speaking armies couldnt pronounce that, they nicknamed it to: Passiondale - Henri Sattler
Tracklist:
1. The Cross Of Sacrifice
2. Under A Darkening Sky
3. No Mans Land
4. Poison Fog
5. Drowning In Mud
6. Passiondale
7. No Survivors
8. Behind Enemy Lines
9. Fallen Empires
10. Artifacts Of The Great War
