The last three or four Der Blutharsch albums all were the last. Yet again there is a new 7″ and a new cd has again been announced (“Everything Is Alright!” rare tracks and remixes). The 7″ is as expensive as a cd and has two (military) poprock songs. The Der Blutharsch track is the better, Sottofasciasemplice use Italian lyrics.
Links: Der Blutharsch, Sottofasciasemplice, WKN.
As mentioned in the review of the 7″ with the same name, this is again the last Der Blutharsch release. The 7″ proved a good indication for the cd. The music is still recognisable for Der Blutharsch, but different from earlier releases, also the later ones. The style has gone more into a poprock direction, but also with a more industrial sound than before. “The Philosopher’s Stone” is more tranquil than the last more rock-oriented cds and after a few listenings I might say, not as good either. The last cd certainly is a bad one, and there are some very nice songs and melodies here, but I have to admit that I hoped Herr Julius would leave the arena with a blow.
Links: Der Blutharsch / WKN
-2.5-
After a few times having quitted the project, Albin Julius again anounced a few last releases. Here we have a 7″ with the title of the upcoming cd (and cd+7″ box) with one track of the cd and of course one exclusive one. Der Blutharsch again managed to sound like Der Blutharsch, but different from before. As anounced, there are no more “martial” influences in the sound. The two tracks are rather soft experimental industrial rock or whatever you want to call it. In the line of the last material, but a bit different. The tracks are not bad, not great, but I find that Der Blutharsch’ music usually comes out better on an album where they are in line of the other tracks, so I have no fears that the next last release, will again be a nice one.
Links: Der Blutharsch / WKN
-3-
After a long periode of silence, here we have the second issue of the Greek magazine “L’Ame Electrique”. This magazine is very well printed, written in good english and has interesting interviews with Tribe of Circle, Les Joyaux de la Princesse, Waldteufel, Novy Svet, Of The Wand and the Moon, Gae Bolg & the Church of Fand (among others). However there could have been a shitload of reviews since the first issue, they sticked to recent and relevant releases. What is even more interesting though, is that the magazine comes with a cd with one track of each band that ever released something on Albin Julius’ (Der Blutharsch) “Hau Ruck!” label and the tracks are mostly exclusive and in chronological order.
So, in this order you will hear C.O.Caspar, Novy Svet, Dernière Volonté, Of The Wand And The Moon, La Maison Moderne, Tribe of Circle, Novo Homo, Lucisferrato, I-C-K, His Divine Grace, Decadence, Reutoff and Changes. Since Hau Ruck! offers a variety of styles of music, not all tracks are my taste and also it appears that most bands didn’t contribute their best material. But since all tracks beside Of The Wand are exclusive and it has all the bands from Hau Ruck! this compilation may be a good introduction for those who are not too familiar with the bands and a good expansion of the collection of those who are. Besides, the magazine itself is worth the money already!
A strange release of Albin Julius (better known as Der Blutharsch). I know Nový Svet, from Julius’ “Wo Die Wilde Kehrlen Wohnen” compilation 7″, where NS actually contributed the nicest track. The first time I listened to “Faccia a Faccia” I was quite irritated by the silly music on this disc. Now that I heard it a few times, it is quite funny in a way, but not something that I will play for enjoyment…
Try to imagine a group of people singing silly melodies in Spanish (?) as if they are totally drunk. With (traditional) instruments they produce even more silly melodies and once in a while you can hear some industrial or dark ambient tunes. The first 10 songs are fairly short and in this vein, the last track lasts for some 20 minutes and I think it is this track that makes people compare NS to Der Blutharsch. Not that I hear many similarities myself, but the last track is a bit more industrial of sound with churchbells and to me this is the best track of this cd by far. After a boring gap of nothing, the usual ghosttrack in the vein of the first 10 songs.
Conclusion? I guess only “love it or hate it” covers this silver disc. A second cd is announced for the end of this month, but I don’t think you will read about it in these pages.
This cd still says “World Serpent Distribution” by the way, but I think you better try Tesco! <9/9/00><2>
After having heard a couple of Hau Ruck! releases, I could expect this one to sound rather strange as well. And indeed it does.
“In Some Brutal Way…” opens with a soundscape that goes over in a martial sound. It is slow and minimal. The second track is a minimal rhythmical track and the third track is more dance-like. Also a dance-like track at the beginning of face B and this track has some robot-voice in it as well. Then some minimal industrial sounds with marchdrums and the last track sounds a bit like an electro/dance track. For experimental purposes quite nice, but musically not too good.
On friday 21 april I saw Der Blutharsch live in Antwerpen. This is supposedly the farewell tour. Der Blutharsch became a 5-man-band with a drummer (Bain Wolfkind), a guitar player, a bassist and mister and misses Blutharsch. They played mostly metal or rock versions of Der Blutharsch tracks. As usual, there is a limited (2000 copies) one-sided 7″ which can be bought ‘only’ during the tour. The track is a slow rocky song with a wah-wah guitar and singing. Nothing special really, but since I own most Der Blutharsch material and the band may cease to exist after the tour, a nice thing to have.
However much I enjoy the militant and bombastic sound of Der Blutharsch, it was about time for something new. So, Der Blutharsch became a quartet instead of a duo, attracted a couple of guest musicians and vocalists and left the ‘postindustrial’ sound for a more ‘rocky’ one. I have heard the cd a few times now and I think I don’t like the new style as much as the old, but like I said, I am glad that the new cd isn’t just another too typical Der Blutharsch album. Not that the sound changed drastically by the way. If you take the last few albums and listen to the minor progression, this new cd is a bigger step forward. Both electric and acoustic guitars have been added with which I am not always too happy with, but most of the tracks are still enjoyable. It seems that Bain Wolfkind (Novo Homo) has had some influence on the style, but essentially the sound is still Der Blutharsch, but more eh… poppy? (by lack of a better description.)
In a way there are a few tracktitles this time too. One track is obviously the title song, track 6 is a new version of “Frost Flowers” from the DIJ album “Take Care And Control” and the DVD has a videoclip of a track called “So Bring Your Iron Rain Down Upon Me” which is also on the cd. The clip -by the way- is nice, but not as funny as on “Time Is Thee Enemy!”.
Overall I would say that you may have to get used to the album and maybe you will hear the Der Blutharsch sound and like it, but maybe you may think it to be too different for your taste. As for me -like I said- I am glad about the progression, but time will tell if I am happy with the new sound. One thing is certain, there are a couple of great tracks on the album that I liked immediately. Minor points, the album is again very short and within these 45 minutes there is empty space for an awfull ‘ghost track’.
He, did I forget to review the ‘new’ Der Blutharsch that I got the same day as the cds below? And this just in the time of heavy discussion about the show Herr Julius is going to give in Leiden tomorrow (28/9/04) which will continue, but under protest.
Just like Blood Axis/LJDLP Der Blutharsch here rereleases hard-to-get material on a cd for a normal price. I had “The Moment…” on tape, the other material was new to me. The cd is only 35 minutes and the material is typical for the older and exclusive material: good and not too great tracks and a bit more experimental than the normal releases. If you didn’t have the 10”, mcd and 7” yet, this is a way to complete your Der Blutharsch discography a bit. An exclusive tune for this nicely packed cd is a 3” mcd with Gameboy-music-versions of some well-known Der Blutharsch tracks. Herr Julius is always in for a joke! <27/9/04><3>
Another one-sided picture 7″ that is only sold at concerts. I was in Waregem (Belgium) last saturday (1 may) in the same place where I bought the very first Der Blutharsch 12″ at a TMLHBAC concert 7 years ago. Not stuffed with people like earlier Der Blutharsch shows this time, but still enough audience in The Steeple. Novo Homo started the evening with a strange performance, Deutsch Nepal continued with a better version of the show that he wanted to give in Groningen a couple of weeks ago. Then Der Blutharsch entered the stage with four people, playing old tracks, news tracks and tracks that I didn’t know. I don’t believe that the song on this 7″ was one of them though. This 7″ has a rather folky, sung track and is quite enjoyable. No idea how you should get it, but I suggest just go to one of the shows or wait for it to appear on Ebay.