Shield Of Wings, order, chaos, balance, extravagance

SHIELD OF WINGS will begin the year of 2022 with their Epic Symphonic Metal resurrection, and their debut full-length album, Unfinished.
“These songs’ roots range from a decade old to only a year, yet they all carry the weight and concurrent theme of a soul obsessed with self-analysis and growth. Often, we travel these roads seemingly alone, and sometimes we get lost in the meaningless or mundane sloughs of despond. Hope can only remain if we keep the flame alive, and sometimes we are lucky enough to find others to carry the flame with us. We hope this music helps to carry your flame for a little while, and that we may all, in our Unfinished states, never give up on our reshaping.”
The number 11 has many conflicting meanings in numerology; order, chaos, balance or extravagance, it depends which tradition you consult. But for SHIELD OF WINGS, 11 years adds weight to their return to life after their sweepingly vast EP, 2011’s Solarium.
Sure to appeal to fans of symphonic metal giants NIGHTWISH and EPICA, as well as film score composers like HANS ZIMMER, JAMES HORNER, and HOWARD SHORE, their new album, Unfinished, will bring into view 10 bombastic compositions of poetic exploration.
Each song from Unfinished explores themes of growth through self-examination, regret, sacrificial death and rebirth. From the “Crushing Hail” of the suffering which is inherent in life, the listener is carried through this journey, until the final track expounds upon the realization that we are all, in ways, “The Scarred Clay Reshaping.” With bold, vast orchestral compositions soaring over chugging guitars, SHIELD OF WINGS makes it abundantly clear that they are Unfinished, in more ways than one.

Musicwebzine – Hi there, first of all, tell us something about the band
Shield of Wings – Shield of Wings is a Symphonic Metal band with an epic, folk, and heavy twist. Rebirthed in 2020 after an extended hiatus, we have released our debut full-length album, “Unfinished”, on February 11, 2022.

Musicwebzine – Which is the main theme of your album ?
Shield of Wings – “Unfinished” focuses on introspection and personal growth. This can come through acknowledging our own flaws, remembering the wisdom of our ancestors, and pushing through difficulties, among other things. There is an overall awareness of struggle, but keeping hope alive for the journey ahead.

Musicwebzine – What about the cover and the title of your album?
Shield of Wings – Well, from the description just mentioned, I think you can understand one of the title’s meanings – the “Unfinished” journey of all people who have life yet to live. It is also a statement of presence, that we, as a band, are not finished. And third, two songs that were intended for this album have been delayed until a later release, so it is “Unfinished” in that regard.
The artwork is, I think, subconsciously pulled from many lyrical themes from throughout the album. The idea came to James in a sort of vision, he sketched it, and Aliyah helped to make a mockup. We enlisted the aid of the classical-style oil painter Maximos Manolis out of Greece to create this work of art, who did an excellent job of translating the vision to canvas.

Musicwebzine – Which bands has influenced your sound ?
Shield of Wings – Besides the obvious Nightwish love, our sound is inspired by everything from composers like Hans Zimmer, James Horner, and Howard Shore, to an eclectic blend of other metal bands like Eluveitie, Children of Bodom, and Rotting Christ.

Musicwebzine – Do you think you can still live only on music?
Shield of Wings – Some certainly can! Given our hiatus, we are almost like a brand new band, and as such, we all still have our “day jobs”. It takes a lot more than great music to be able to make a living on it.

Musicwebzine – That’s all!! greeted our readers with a message!’
Shield of Wings – Well, thank you for the interview, and thanks to anyone who has read this far! If you’re into metal of the symphonic, epic, and melodic variety, please give our album a listen on your favorite streaming platform! – https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/shieldofwings/unfinished