Gates of Europeby Rome

Gates of Europe is Rome's angry, anguished tribute to Ukraine, a country singer Jerome Reuter often travelled. While plenty of pop stars (not that Rome really fits the profile of a pop star) could coast on public sentiment for sales and rave reviews, it's obvious that this is very personal for Reuter. The songs drip with disgust, despair and, most of all, defiance. Importantly, Rome does not depend on emotion alone, each song is honed like a weapon. The sound design is amazing. In Eagles of the Trident, for example, martial drums thump like marching feet, and Reuter adds little details - news clips, an air horn, a squalling guitar - until, at the end, a soaring synthesizer coda introduces a small element of hope, even triumph.