Hope
OUT NOW
1. Hope Is (04:44)
2. Stay Human (05:52)
3. Insomnia (06:06)
4. Trail (07:07)
5. Welcome (05:16)
6. Queen (05:15)
7. Perfect Run (05:50)
8. Don’t Surrender (06:59)
9. Simple Pleasures (07:34)
10. Dolina (03:09)
“Hope” starts with its title track, featuring Marta’s hypnotic vocals, intense bass, and a wall of sound from distorted guitars, ending with Michał’s compelling guitar solo. “Stay Human” begins with Radiohead-like tones, escalating into an intense sound, ideal for live performances. “Insomnia” captures anxiety and depression, reminiscent of early Pink Floyd, but with Amarok’s modern twist.
“Trail” stands out as the most dynamic track, blending a memorable vocal line with Muse-like sounds. Zielinski and Popławski contribute their pieces, “Welcome” and “Queen,” bringing cold-wave and trip-hop influences, showcasing the band’s versatility and willingness to experiment.
“Perfect Run” veers towards electronic sounds with heavy guitars and raw drums, while “Don’t Surrender,” a subtle ballad with progressive elements, speaks of resilience. The album concludes with “Simple Pleasures” and “Dolina”, offering a peaceful guitar solo and a Polish-lyric track that elegantly wraps up the album.
With “Hope,” Amarok demonstrates their ability to blend genres and experiment while maintaining musical excellence. This album not only highlights the band’s expansive creativity but also cements their place in the art rock music scene, promising further innovation in the future.
Amarok is a Polish band of Michał Wojtas, Marta Wojtas, Konrad Zieliński and Kornel Popławski. The Amarok recordings were attended by such artists as Colin Bass (Camel), Mariusz Duda (Riverside, Lunatic Soul) and others. Amarok have played live on the same stage with Nick Mason (Pink Floyd), Gazpacho, Bjørn Riis, Riverside and other bands.
Amarok is an art-rock music project founded in 1999 by guitarist, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Michał Wojtas and guitarist Bartosz Jackowski. Between 2001 and 2004 Amarok released three international albums. Since 2003, the formation transformed into Michał’s solo project.
2017, after a 12-year break, Amarok’s fourth album, ‘Hunt’, was released. Special guests were again Colin Bass and Mariusz Duda. Marta Wojtas, who wrote the lyrics, also joined the line-up permanently. In 2019 Michal collaborated with British choreographer James Wilton which resulted in Amarok’s fifth album – ‘The Storm’ for the show of the same name. As of 2021, Amarok has expanded its line-up with two more musicians – Konrad Zielinski (dr) and multi-instrumentalist Kornel Poplawski. Amarok’s sixth album, “Hero”, was released in autumn 2021.
Previous live band members:
Konrad Pajek – voc, guitars, kb, b (2017-2019)
Paweł Kowalski – drums (2017-2019)
Maciej Caputa – kb (2018)
Michał Ściwiarski – kb (2017)
Michał Kirmuć (guest) – kb (2018-2019)
Amarok live @ Loreley 2024!
