Engelsstaub - Nachtwärts
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After releasing great Anderswelt (1999), climbing up rungs of a musical career Engelsstaub group seemed to be on a right way to secure themselves permanent place in history of the German ethereal. It was then, after seven years of active operations, the band suddenly silenced. Trio occasionally reminded of themselves, by remastering old material, released or previously not published. Over the future of group, at least in the eyes of many listeners and supporters, was a question mark. After twelve years few people probably believed that Engelsstaub will return, and with a completely new material. And let the hellfire consume those, who doubted. Trio returned accompanied by fresh, neofolk Nachtwärts.
Little bells - which open strong, balanced Carpe Noctem intro. Arrangement is deeply electronic, supported by serious male vocal of Hofmann. It lacks typical folk setting, which becomes, however, the background for subsequent tracks, although to a lesser extent, than it was on previous band’s releases. Following tracks, Intempesta and Deep Inside, reveal the factual music novelty of Nachtwärts - a marriage of folklore with expressive, electronically generated motifs. While in Deep Inside that combination, despite the phenomenal vocal of Silke Hofmann, sounds a bit unnatural, for most part of the composition it works perfectly. After deep sounding, atmospheric ballad Nocturnal Conversation, appears Oneirodynios Activa - electronic, with a strongly accented rhythmic path, symmetric and unusually energetic for Engelsstaub. An die gruene Fee is a vocal dialogue, firmly embedded in folk atmosphere thanks to flutes and bagpipes interweaving in the background. It prepares the ground for extremely committed, dark Lullaby – a deceitful song, resounding among musical experiments from Engelsstaub: electronic mixture of strings, flutes and more dangerous, heavier beats. Track ends with a strong, neofolk accent - and smoothly goes into even darker, gloomy Memento Mori, musically already well embedded in medieval atmosphere. Arousing, variable rate, homogenous theme broken by successive drum strikes and thrilling female vocal – and it all among small, barely noticeable experiments. Album is crowned by the title track, which theme become little bells - same ones that captivate listener in Carpe Noctem. Nachtwärts is a return to old sound of the band - in a new, refreshed style. It develops gradually, and slowly vanishes, crowning another work from Engelsstaub.
Nachtwärts is a consistent album, although it has its good and bad moments. To these worse you should include a lack of sense in terms of using heavier, more expressive electronic motifs – they often go to the foreground, though they should remain in the background. Sometimes there are just too many of them, and what suffers the most is folk, characteristic for Engelsstaub’s side of sound. However, such works, as Oneirodynios Activa or Lullaby indicate the great group’s potential that apparently is still looking for the right path. Engelsstaub’s creative potential is not exhausted, even - swells from the huge amount of ideas. It would be enough just to choose them and compose with a little more sensitivity.
Tracklist:
01. Carpe Noctem
02. Intempesta
03. Deep Inside
04. Nocturnal Conversation
05. Oneirodynios Activa
06. An die grüne Fee
07. Lullaby
08. Momento Moria
09. Nachtwärts
Little bells - which open strong, balanced Carpe Noctem intro. Arrangement is deeply electronic, supported by serious male vocal of Hofmann. It lacks typical folk setting, which becomes, however, the background for subsequent tracks, although to a lesser extent, than it was on previous band’s releases. Following tracks, Intempesta and Deep Inside, reveal the factual music novelty of Nachtwärts - a marriage of folklore with expressive, electronically generated motifs. While in Deep Inside that combination, despite the phenomenal vocal of Silke Hofmann, sounds a bit unnatural, for most part of the composition it works perfectly. After deep sounding, atmospheric ballad Nocturnal Conversation, appears Oneirodynios Activa - electronic, with a strongly accented rhythmic path, symmetric and unusually energetic for Engelsstaub. An die gruene Fee is a vocal dialogue, firmly embedded in folk atmosphere thanks to flutes and bagpipes interweaving in the background. It prepares the ground for extremely committed, dark Lullaby – a deceitful song, resounding among musical experiments from Engelsstaub: electronic mixture of strings, flutes and more dangerous, heavier beats. Track ends with a strong, neofolk accent - and smoothly goes into even darker, gloomy Memento Mori, musically already well embedded in medieval atmosphere. Arousing, variable rate, homogenous theme broken by successive drum strikes and thrilling female vocal – and it all among small, barely noticeable experiments. Album is crowned by the title track, which theme become little bells - same ones that captivate listener in Carpe Noctem. Nachtwärts is a return to old sound of the band - in a new, refreshed style. It develops gradually, and slowly vanishes, crowning another work from Engelsstaub.
Nachtwärts is a consistent album, although it has its good and bad moments. To these worse you should include a lack of sense in terms of using heavier, more expressive electronic motifs – they often go to the foreground, though they should remain in the background. Sometimes there are just too many of them, and what suffers the most is folk, characteristic for Engelsstaub’s side of sound. However, such works, as Oneirodynios Activa or Lullaby indicate the great group’s potential that apparently is still looking for the right path. Engelsstaub’s creative potential is not exhausted, even - swells from the huge amount of ideas. It would be enough just to choose them and compose with a little more sensitivity.
Tracklist:
01. Carpe Noctem
02. Intempesta
03. Deep Inside
04. Nocturnal Conversation
05. Oneirodynios Activa
06. An die grüne Fee
07. Lullaby
08. Momento Moria
09. Nachtwärts
