Symphony of Sinners & Saints is a concept studio album[1] by American orchestral composer, songwriter, pianist/keyboardist, and music producer Kitt Wakeley.[2] The album peaked at #1 on Billboard's Classical Crossover and Classical charts, and at #18 on Hot Hard Rock Songs.[3] It was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London, UK and released on May 21, 2021, by the Studio Seven Media record label.[4] The album was recorded with an orchestra, several choirs, and a rock band, with elements of rock, EDM, Classical, and symphonic rock. Feature guest appearances include Joe Satriani, Andy Timmons, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Voices, and the Dallas Gospel of Light Choir.[5]
The album was supported by three singles, "Conflicted", "Sinners & Saints", and "Forgive Me", which all reached No. 1 on Billboard's Hard Rock Digital Sales chart.[6] It won Album of the Year at the Josie Music Awards,[7] and "You Gave Me Wings" won Best Instrumental Song at the 2021 Hollywood Music in Media Awards.[8] Wakeley charted in the top 10 of 2021's Year-End Classical Crossover Albums Artists.[9]
Background
History
Symphony of Sinners & Saints was conceived when the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the cancellation of Wakeley's live shows for 2020. Having an abundance of time away from touring led to the album's creation, production, and guest list.[10] In an interview with American Songwriter magazine, Wakeley said, "There’s a really dark, sinister underlying bed, but then there’s this euphoric stuff over it. That's the concept of the album."[1]
The album was initially recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London, UK, then co-produced, engineered, and mixed by Tre Nagella at Luminous Sound Studios in Dallas, Texas. Due to the pandemic, Wakeley recorded remotely from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, tapping into the musicians in London in real time to work on each song.
The album was supported by three singles, "Conflicted", "Sinners & Saints", and "Forgive Me", which all peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hard Rock Digital Sales chart.[6] Wakeley charted in the top ten of 2021's Year-End Classical Crossover Albums Artists.[9]Symphony of Sinners & Saints won Album of the Year at the Josie Music Awards,[7] and "You Gave Me Wings" won Best Instrumental Song at the 2021 Hollywood Music in Media Awards.[8]
Joe Satriani played lead guitar on the tracks "Conflicted" and "Forgive Me".[14] When asked about working with Satriani, Wakeley replied, "I emailed very well known artists of Joe's caliber on their respective instruments. Joe being so gracious opened up a whole lot more doors of other artists who wanted to play on my project."[citation needed]
Critical reception
The album received favorable reviews from music critics upon its release:
"The larger-than-life track showcases rock-driven guitar shredding alongside precise and sprawling orchestration, making for a uniquely powerful hybrid of chamber music, heavy metal and rock, and film score." - Glide Magazine[15]
"The album is great on first listen, but repeated plays reveal more and more layers and the listener will find him/herself drawn further in and finding new things to hear with each listen. A stunning piece of creative artistry!" - Andy Hawes, Metal Planet Music[16]
