World class opera singer, Angela Hench, and Altered State frontman, Gregory Markel, have collaborated to bring Freddie Mercury’s and Monserrat Cabelle’s iconic classic to life, with their remarkable cover of ‘Barcelona’. Released on August 6th, the tribute sees Hench take the place of the immensely talented Montserrat Cabelle, and Markel take the place of the iconic Freddie Mercury – both, however, fill these enormous shoes with absolute ease, showing us from the very first second that they are on another level.
The song is introduced in a wonderfully soft way – with piano keys slowly taking us to Markel’s vocals, which fits perfectly with the music, which is then followed by an operatic burst by Hench. With a contrast in styles, there’s always a thought of ‘will this work?’ before listening, but this cover is quick to dispel any doubt – the two styles fit together immensely, complementing each other’s styles perfectly.
The pacing of the music allows all pieces to be sung just as you would want, giving the vocalists the time and space to really give a performance that is worth remembering. As the song plays, the music provides gaps to give Angela Hench the perfect platform to give a breath-taking opera performance – gracefully roaring with a power and precision that is underlined by Markel’s passionate performance. Duetting spectacularly, the music backing them really helps set the mood for the next crescendo, which again gives them to platform to stand out with their immense talent and ability to dovetail together with absolute ease.
As the crescendo hits its peak, we hear Markel take his turn as the vocal powerhouse, which is then matched by Hench, giving us an ending of the highest quality and energy that is unlikely to be matched for a long time. Showcasing the best in themselves throughout, and complementing each other every step of the way, it’s an overall performance that pays respects in the absolute best way to a song of this magnitude.
Two immense vocalists who have been perfecting their craft for years covering with a song that needs no introduction like ‘Barcelona’ is something that is always to be cherished. With an other-worldly amount of talent on display with Hench and Markel, it’s most definitely a song to seek out – and if you’re a fan of the original, you will absolutely not be disappointed. Released on August 6th, ‘Barcelona’ is ready to be heard.