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neofolk

Rome * Berlin (mcd 2006 cold meat industry) + Nera (cd 2006 cold meat industry)

It took so long before I got the mcd, that I received the full cd two days earlier. Rome are the new stars on CMI. I no longer automatically buy new CMI-cds, but the mp3 snippets from Rome did make me want to hear this new band, and I’m glad I did! Rome acts somewhere between ConSono, Coph Nia (on the mcd) and popular military acts such as Von Thronstahl, Thoroidh, HERR or Dernière Volonté. Industrial, ambient, tranquil (orchestral) music with male vocals and especially on the full-length a lot of acoustic and soft electric guitars. The result is a nice original sound with good to stunning songs with often a veru full sound with many layers of samples. CMI surely did it again and found a great band. Rome may even come close in musical quality to Coph Nia and that surely is something to say. Rome should be bought by lovers of CMI-music, but surely also by those who listen to military pop or atmospheric industrial.

Ostara * Ultima Thule (cd 2003 eislicht verlag)

This is the third cd of Ostara and so far all have been ‘shocking’ in some respect. First too accessible neofolk, then too poppy neofolk but Ostara gets away with it and after a while the first albums proved to be brilliant. Then a year ago, mr. Leviathan ‘warned me’ that the new cd could contain some metal elements and as the year 2003 continued ‘rumours’ said that the new cd would be more ‘rocky’, so when “Ultima Thule” eventually DID come out, I waited a while before ordering the cd… So… the cd indeed opens with who a whole range of rock songs and around the end more songs that would have been the more ‘natural development’ for Ostara. Musically it is still Ostara, but different. The melodies, Leviathan’s vocals, rhythms, samples and the keyboards are still recognisable, but these electric guitars… I have heard the cd several times now and I start to hear the recognisable elements, but I am still not used to the rocking guitars…

Ostara * Kingdom Gone (cd 2002 eis & licht tonträger)

I don’t buy most neofolk cds, but of course there are also bands that I do like and Ostara is one of them. If you follow the band a little, you will already have 5 of the 12 tracks of this cd, which is a bit of a pitty. “Kingdom Gone” opens with the brilliant “Bavaria” that we of course already got from the mp3.com page. “Hammer Of Ages” is new and nice. “The Trees March North” was already available on the 10″. “March Of The Rising Sun” is an experimental ‘industrial’ track showing that Ostara means to continue to push the boundaries of the genre. Songs 5 and 7 (“Overworld” and “Never Weep”) were already available on the picture 7″ and 10″ and also 10. “Divine Wind” comes from the “Whispers To The Soul” 10″. The new songs 6. “Sword Of Reverie”, 9. “Life’s Symmetry” and 11. “Transsylvania” are very beautiful (especially the last), quite melancholic actually. And speaking of pushing boundaries, 8. “Talenokai” is some kind of techno/trance like track that is nice, but a bit too long. The closer is a slightly darker track “Kingdom Gone”. Overall resulting in a wonderfull cd of almost an hour.
The back had the well-known photo of Richard Leviathan and Timothy Jenn, but Leviathan will continue Ostara alone with guest musicians.

Ostara * Whispers To The Soul (10″ 2001 eis & licht tonträger)

Ostara joined the ranks of Eislicht who now release this 10″ which was originally supposed to be a mcd on World Serpent.
Side A contains all known songs, both Never Weep and Overworld from the picture 7″ (also reviewed somewhere) and The Trees March North which has been available as mp3 from the band’s webpage for a while. All three very poppy neo-folk songs going a few steps further than the first Ostara cd of a while back. Side B opens with a strange experimental track and then we get two live songs. The end of the 10″ proves that there is also a dark side to Ostara…… Get a copy if you can!

Ostara * Never Weep/Overworld (picture 7″ 2001 world serpent)

Waiting for future releases we are kept silent with a wonderfull 7″. Two modest and very poppy neo-folk songs going a bit further than on the “Secret Homeland” cd. Eh, what more is there to say?
Aha, now I get the story. This 7″ was supposed to be rereleased as a mcd with two extra tracks by World Serpent, but since Ostara left World Serpent this will be a 10″ on Eis & Licht.

Ostara * Secret Homeland (cd 2000 osterraed)

Ostara is the new incarnation of Richard Leviathan and Timothy Jenn who made name with the well-known neo-folk band Strength Through Joy. Ostara seems to be a continuation or evolution that couldn. t bear the same name.
In some way you can say that Ostara is the next step in neo-folk music or at least a modern and more accesible version of it. Some songs sound a bit like the previous band, while most songs have a lot less of the ‘classic’ neo-folk sound.
A big difference for example is the way the strikers are used. Another point is the use of a slide guitar. Most remarkably -though- is the way the percussion is used. Especially the last element gives this cd the ‘poppy’ sound that you may have heard off. Also the way of singing often adds to this. Then there are female backing vocals at times. Anyway, whereas some songs are still pretty neo-folkish, other more sound like romantic popsongs which is something that you may have to get used to.
I have heard this cd a couple of times when I write this review. I like it better than the first time. Secret Homeland is definitely a cd that has to grow on you. I praise the courage to reach so far for the borders of popmusic and surely think highly of the progressive urge of this release. Why should World Serpent neo-folk. always sound more or less the same?
Still, Secret Homeland is not too much of my taste. I think it is alright, but not smashing. Some nice songs, some less nice. <23/6/00><3>
Well, I feel like something has to be added. The songs of Secret Homeland keep haunting around in my head which makes me put on the cd once in a while. Every time I play it, I like it better and now I’m up a point that I actually really like Secret Homeland. Also I keep hearing new things in the background and nice melodies that had passed me before. This seriously is the first time that it took me so lang to appreciate a cd. I usually can tell if I like something after one time playing, sometimes I need two or three times of playing, but seldom have I to adjust my opinion. Here I do have to, a little, so with a new date, comes a new rating. <19/8/00><4>

Orplid * Sterbender Satyr (cd 2006 auerbach)

Orplid’s 1997 debut cd was the album that for the first time (consciously) introduced me to the neofolk genre. Still this album is the absolute highlight of a genre that soon lost my interest for the largest part. Orplid continued to do their own thing, so the following releases were different every time. The same goes for “Sterbender Satyr” (‘dying satyr’). This time the music became very tranquil with quite some electronic sounds and ‘an 80’ies feeling’ here and there. I am not really sure what to think of the album. One track with female vocals is simply horrible, other tracks are rather boring, some are nice. Do I have to get used to the new album, or is Orplid for me following a downward track? I have heard the cd a few times now, and the album grows, but very slowly. Too bad, but I always admire a band that doesn’t follow the obvious parths.
-addition 21/5/07 : another magnificent album with spoken word and singing over subtle soundscapes –

Orplid * Nächtliche Jünger (cd 2002 prophecy productions)

Ever since their brilliant first cd of 1998, Orplid has been one of my favourite bands. After quite a long wait came some vinyl and a mcd (some even released before I started these pages, the debut originally as well) all very good, but not as good as the debut cd. The same goes for “Nächtliche Jünger”. This new cd is much more tranquil than previous releases and only at the end there are some industrial influences and darker material. Also the songs aren’t as ‘victorious’ as they used to be anymore. What remains are beautiful modest songs with acoustic guitars and singing or electronic music and singing. A very nice cd again of this German band.

Orplid * Geheiligd Sei Der Tote Name (mcd 1999 eis und licht tonträger)

The German Orplid really amazed me last year with their outrageous debut cd. A magnificent blend between neo-folk music and industrial in a way I hadn’t heard before. After that debut came an okay 10″ and now a new mcd. 5 Songs, 20 minutes in the unique Orplid style. There’re acoustic guitars, double male vocals (no female this time), orchestral themes and industrial passages. Neither the 10″ nor this mcd reach the level of the cd, but I guess that’s partly caused by the lengths.

Orplid * s/t (cd 1998 eis & licht tonträger / 2000 prophecy productions)

Yesterday I was taping a few Orplid releases and I thought that it is actually a shame that one of my all time favourite albums didn’t have a review in Sententia, especially because it was re-released a while back, which should have given me a reason to review it anyway. But at least Orplid did already got a place on my page while another brilliant band hasn’t: Blood Axis. The good news is that a new Blood Axis album is anounced by Tesco and the classic debut cd from 1995 (Chthulhu / Storm) which was already rereleased by Misanthrope, will be available again on Tesco in a remix, so I guess also Blood Axis will be here some time soon.
But back to Orplid. I have had my copy since it was just out and Eis & Licht was a small and rather unknown label. I was totally smashed by the music of Orplid and they re-awoke my interest in dark neo-folk music which obviously was out there. Orplid plays tranquil neo-folk with very nice male and female vocals, extremely dark neo-folk with industrial and totally industrial tracks and in a way I hadn’t heard before. Maybe you can compare this with Ordo Equilibrio, but don’t expect Orplid to sound the same (actually they are better in my opinion). Fortunately everybody is again available to get their hands on this masterpiece. Orplid also has a brilliant mcd on Eislicht called “Geheiligt Sie Der Toten Name” and an outrageous 10″ “Das Schicksal”. In a few weeks the new 10″ “Barbarossa” will be out. Whenever you are able to buy yourself an Orplid item, don’t hesitate, because “NIEMAND IS BESSER ALS ORPLID”!!