New Model Army are a band who continue to truly exist and thrive outside of any singular genre. Throughout their long and storied career, they have never taken the easy or safe choice, becoming notorious for shunning fame, and instead with each successive album pushing the boundaries of creativity. It is the same principled, music-first approach that led to one of this year’s essential album’s – “Sinfonia”. Recorded at Tempodrom, Berlin on July 15th, 2022, New Model Army and Sinfonia Leipzig, a full-scale orchestra, conducted by Cornelius During, may seem to some like an obvious evolution, however, in true New Model Army style they have broken down the barriers between band and orchestra in a new and exciting fashion. On “Sinfonia”, the band have redefined that relationship and defied expectation in a way that only they know how. The show starts with a fully orchestral ‘Overture’, but from the opening notes of ‘Devil’s Bargain’ to the closing of ‘Wonderful Way To Go’, it is a complete journey across the time and space of a band who have always created vital, visceral music. The band and orchestra absorb each other alike and elevate the songs in both power and sensitivity. All songs have been arranged for orchestra by long-time friend and guest violist Shir-Ran Yinon, with whom New Model Army collaborated previously. However, this time they went above and beyond to create something unique, yet distinctly New Model Army. The result is an album that subverts expectation of a previously well-trodden path between rock bands and orchestras. New Model Army’s music lends itself perfectly to this new, fresh interpretation without losing its identity. Experimentation without compromise is the hallmark of New Model Army, and one of the primary reasons they are continually revered.
