When the Curtain Falls

When the Curtain Falls is the third track and the first promotional single from Greta Van Fleet's debut studio album, Anthem of the Peaceful Army.

Background and release
The song was their first promotional single since Safari Song, from the EPs Black Smoke Rising and From the Fires, and was first released on July 17, 2018 as the debut single of their "unreleased and untitled upcoming studio album".

Four days prior its release the band posted on their social media accounts an image of four white roses against a black background as a countdown, posting the same picture for the next three days but each day eliminating a rose on the process.

About the song
The song tells the fall from grace story of a young star struggling in the limelight and, “when the curtain falls”, they go back to the fake shallowness of Hollywood.

Music Video
The music video was released on August 15, 2018. The video alternates between clips of the band performing in the desert, and footage of glowing-eyed people observing things resembling solar eclipses and Aurora borealis.

Critical Reception
Loudwire praised the song saying it "boasts a rich classic rock warmth and sheen worthy of the genre’s most accomplished artists." Digital Journal also praised the "rocking single", specially Josh's vocals and the band's dinamic, saying "[He] has a voice like no other and [the song] showcases his versatility as a vocalist (especially the piercing notes he belts out), as well as their wide range of talent as a rock group." NME said positively that "the twists and turns [of the track] incite all the thrill and fear of watching a fire rage out of control."

Trivia

 * The song reached number one on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart on November 11, 2018;


 * It was featured in the soundtrack of the video game NHL 19;


 * It was released as a limited DLC for the video game Rock Band 4.