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dunkelschoen zauberwort
Artist: Dunkelschön
Title: Zauberwort
Genre: Folk Metal
Release Date: 19th August 2011
Label: Screaming Banshee / Alive!


Album Review

DUNKELSCHÖN seem to have gone from strength to strength with their latest offering 'Zauberwort'. A ten track album with a good mix of fast and slow pieces starts in good form with a mournful cello based refrain which soon drives it's point home when the metal instruments turn up. My only slight criticism is that the vocals, which come pretty late in the day anyway, do get lost in the mix a little but it's a very strong start. If the vocals were lost on 'Zauberwort' they certainly aren't on 'Golden' a riotously good effort, full of eastern riffs and contra rhythms.

'Spielmann' comes next, hard and hot and driving, hammering home that this is not simply any old folk group with an electric guitar but a true metal contender. 'Flugelschlag' calms things down a little next with seagull calls and a lovely melancholy about it, making it one of the most beautiful tracks on the album. 'Im Namen der rose' is all Spanish and brooding, Moorish shadows playing across a hurdy-gurdy refrain to great effect, another masterpiece in my opinion. 'Tri Martolot' is pretty reminiscent of a blend of folk metal and early prog rock and is a brave departure from what anyone would normally expect, a departure which the band pulls off beautifully. 'Spielmann Lyrisch' comes next, soft harps and sound effects and a beautiful male vocal. It's a gem of a track.

This band isn't afraid to ferret through the sound effects box, and whilst I'm not usually a fan of people who overuse, I realise that these guys have used them to great atmospheric effect and that it works on pretty much every track, especially the evocative 'Mutter'. Drumming violence comes next with 'La Nuit', another proggy track that I find I really like, all JETHRO TULL like in it's lack of apology for suddenly stopping and totally changing direction. Great! 'Es War' finishes in gorgeous style what has been a real rollercoaster of an album, so diverse in style and pace has it been. I love bravery in music and these guys have that in spades and have pulled off a real coup with this album, it being something I think I'll find myself listening to again and again.


Tracklist

01. Zauberwort
02. Golden
03. Spielmann
04. Flügelschlag
05. Im Namen der Rose
06. Tri Martolod
07. Spielmann Lyrisch
08. Mutter
09. La Nuit
10. Es war


Line-up

Vocals, Flutes - Vanessa Istvan
Guitar, Irish Bouzouki - Nicolas von Stolzmann
Nyckelharpa, Harp, Hurdy Gurdy, Vocals - Michael Kaiser
Percussion - Christian Wittkopf
Cello - Monika Klüpfel
Drums, Vocals - André Straub
Bass - Bernie Horn


Website

http://www.dunkelschoen-musik.de / http://www.myspace.com/dunkelschoen


Cover Picture

dunkelschoen zauberwort


Rating

Music: 9
Sound: 9
Extras:-
Total: 9 / 10


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