“The Ride Of Heroes”, taken from “Into The Maelstrom” (2020, Fighter Records), the new album by Italian band HyperioN, is a song inspired by the deeds of Francesco Baracca, the most skilled fighter ace among the “Squadron of the Aces” of the Italian Air Force during WWI.

He acquired fame thanks to his extraordinary strategy expertise and an astonishing number of aerial victories. However, Francesco Baracca wasn't a simple WWI soldier: he became known as “The Cavalier of the Skies” not only for his personal emblem (a black horse, in tribute to his former cavalry regiment), but also for his honorable approach to aerial dogfights, even during a conflict where traditional gallantry values got lost. His most well-known phrase “I aim at the aircraft, not at the man” proves his will to win by avoiding any useless bloodshed and, when his enemies managed to survive, he usually went visiting them in the hospital, as a sign of respect for their bravery. On the anniversary day of his shooting down (that took place on the Italian defense line, near river Piave, a few months before the end of the conflict), HyperioN released a special symphonic version of the song written in his memory, featuring orchestral arrangements edited by Marco Rosetti. 

The lyric video for the track, realized by Unreal Eye Productions, is also a historic documentary on Baracca's deeds during WWI. HyperioN guitarist Davide Cotti (who wrote the song together with singer Michelangelo Carano) stated: “While composing, I've always thought about the riffs and melodies for “The Ride Of Heroes” as the musical score for a hypothetical symphonic performance, but our new album “Into The Maelstrom”, with its heavy metal sound, wasn't the right context. Today, thanks to the wonderful arrangements by Marco Rosetti, you can listen to this song in its orchestral version, the one I've been originally imagining since the very beginning. It's our way, as a band, to pay tribute to Francesco Baracca, an extraordinary historical figure.”

"The Ride Of Heroes - Orchestral Version" is available as single exclusively on digital format; in order to thank all the fans supporting the band in these troubled times, HyperioN will offer its free download to anyone who already purchased (or will purchase) the CD “Into The Maelstrom” in physical format.