CD Review: Blutengel - Tränenherz

Written by Petra Whiteley Thursday, 03 March 2011 08:43

Artist: Blutengel
Title: Tränenherz
Genre: Futurepop / Electro / Gothic
Release Date: 18th February 2011
Label: Out Of Line

Album Review

BLUTENGEL is in its thirteen years of existence now; within their career they have become one of the foremost bands of the Gothic club scene. ‘Tränenherz’ (Heart of tears) is their seventh album and it shows a new material of all elements that make them great refined to excellence. The choice of the sequences of songs is done perfectly, the album has a wholesome feel, and their dark romanticism is in no way melodramatic, sentimental and over the top or clinically cold and sterile, but gives a listener a feeling of something very beautiful with unforced melancholy, I wouldn’t say tinged with passion, but warmth definitely. That’s despite the triviality and clichéd nature of album’s title.

‘The Lost Children’ is one of the best moments of the album; the bell sounds connect it with ‘Tränenherz (Prologue)’, it invites you to dance, its refrain digs itself deep into memory. I wouldn’t be surprised if this song made it to be a video. The following ‘Save Me’ is like one big wave of a shade darker melancholy; it gets under your skin pretty fast. ‘Irgendwann’ is an outstanding composition regarding rhythm, not surprising if I let the title give me a clue that the song has something to do with time, there’s a strong sense of nostalgia here. ‘Ordinary Darkness’ has the beautiful contrasting of Pohl’s vocal with his female counterparts, though contemporary there is something reminiscent of the beginning in the era of electro music. Towards the end, the heavier territory comes to haunt the listener, the soundscape is a degree colder and one gets a feeling of being lost (in a good way of course!). The Outro of ‘Tränenherz’ finishes with a sound that breaks down creepily with silence following.

BLUTENGEL never fail to surprise the listener, ‘Tränenherz’ is one of their best albums. It undoubtedly deserves attention, though I’m not so sure about the tears!


Tracklist

01. Tränenherz (Prologue) – 3.02
02. Über den Horizont – 4.16
03. The Lost Children – 4.29
04. Save Me – 4.50
05. Irgendwann – 4.47
06. The Watcher – 4.46
07. Ordinary Darkness – 5.44
08. Reich mir die Hand – 3.25
09. Down On My Knees – 5.11
10. Doomsday – 4.43
11. Undone – 3.59
12. The End – 6.06
13. Das andere Ich – 5.55
14.  Ein Augenblick –5.10
15. Tränenherz (Outro) – 2.39


Line-up

Chris Pohl - Male voice, programming, and lyrics
Ulrike Goldmann - Female voice and lyrics
Steffi Weingarten -Female voice and lyrics
Anja Milow -Female voice and visual concept


Websites

http://www.blutengel.de/ / http://www.myspace.com/vampireromance


Cover Picture




Rating

Music: 9
Sound: 9
Total: 9 / 10