Intwine

Pyrrhic Victory
Let us travel far back in time to 279 BC, when King Pyrrhus of Epirus fought the Romans on their turf. His quest? To free the Greek-speaking part of the population from Roman oppression. Pyrrhus won, but the price of victory was steep. His troops suffered extreme and irreplaceable casualties in the battle. Legend has it that he emerged from combat to utter the now legendary words: Another such victory and we are undone. For ages now, a victory earned in the wake of tremendous losses is referred to as a Pyrrhic victory.
Back to 2006. The Dutch band Intwine has released their third album: Pyrrhic Victory. What is the band trying to say with this title? That they are gaining ground. And that they have achieved success. But also that the band is aware that there is a drawback to everything. Intwine has been through some very difficult times recently, involving business as well as personal setbacks. Intwine was forced to go through several line-up changes, of which the latest was Ferdinand van Duurens departure.
Pyrrhic Victory was recorded with sound artist Gordon Groothedde (whose CV includes Absent Minded, The Sheer, Vengeance, Spittball and others), who also worked with Intwine on their previous albums. The result is the most impressive project so far. This is a dark record. Spare, without any filler or frills. The gloves are off in songs such as Cut Me Loose, For Goodness Sake and Solo. Disappointment and pain have seldom been conveyed so beautifully and at the same time as grippingly as they have on this third CD. Yet the record also conveys a genuine fighting spirit. Intwine is rocking harder and sounding more honest than ever.
For Intwine, this album signifies the latest exciting chapter in an epos that started in 2001. It was in that year when a group of students at the Rock Academy in Tilburg decided to form a band. Everything happened very quickly after that in the years that followed. The untitled first album was released in 2003, preceded by the single Happy that was enthusiastically received by fans and media alike. In December 2003, Intwine took a sold out Ahoy by storm in Rotterdam, as part of an event organised by Radio 538. In 2004, the band performed at the Noorderslag festival in Groningen. Their second CD, Perfect, was released later that year. The song Cruel Man was featured on the soundtrack of the film De Dominee. The sophomore release lived up to its name, earning the 3FM Award for Best Album in 2005. Another highlight of the year was a well-received performance at the Pinkpop Festival in Landgraaf.
Intwines engagement calendar filled up quickly in 2006, too. The band started working on their third CD and was part of the Vrienden van Amstel Live bill, once again in Rotterdams mega sports complex Ahoy. Intwine accompanied performers including Sarah Bettens when she performed the old Ks Choice hit Not an Addict.. Intwine also had the singular experience of visiting the favelas or slums of Rio de Janeiro. Impressions of their trip were incorporated into the single Peace of Mind.
Intwine will once again be heard in cinemas. The first single from Pyrrhic Victory, Feel It, was chosen as the title song for the Dutch film Nachtrit about the taxi wars in Amsterdam. The soundtrack will also include Intwines song For Goodness Sake. Director Dana Nechushtan: Both songs perfectly capture the feeling that I want to convey in the film. The film will premiere on 30 September during the Dutch Film Festival in Utrecht and will hit Dutch theatres on 12 October.
All of Intwines plans are coming together in complete harmony. The single Feel It will be released on 18 September, followed by the album Pyrrhic Victory on 9 October. An extensive theatre tour is in the works for next year, featuring a set of stripped down versions of old and new songs.
In closing, let us reflect once more on the Ancient Greeks and poor King Pyrrhus. Ultimately, victory did in fact prove to be his undoing. This is the aspect of the term Pyrrhic victory that does not apply to Intwine. Thanks to the CD, the single, the current fantastic line-up and all of the upcoming performances, Intwines future is looking brighter than ever.