Title: Manufactum II
Artist: Saltatio Mortis
Genre: Medieval Metal
Release Date: 30th April 2010
Label: Napalm Records
Album Review
‘Manufactum II’ is understandably enough the sequel to ‘Manufactum I’, SALTATIO MORTIS' initial live offering and I'm pleased to say this is no less great than the first album.
The first track is the often performed 'Mersberger Zauberspruche' (Merseberg Magic Spells). There is scarcely a medieval band that doesn't have a go at this in one form or another, but for me this is one of the most evocative and beautiful versions to be heard. It's an excellent choice of an opener for such an album, as it sets the atmosphere perfectly with the audience clapping to the driving beat before 'Varvulven' another beautiful offering. As it's a live album, the first thing to strike you about is that the sound is very well-handled, managing to make the audience noise a good thing, rather than an irritating interference, which for me is great as I'm usually less of a fan of live albums than studio ones for exactly that reason.
With fabulous drumming from Lasterbalk der Lasterliche and crazy bagpipes, ' Dr Eisenhans' rollicks along with screaming audience participation to give us the first of several purely instrumental tracks on the album. It's a great thing that is often missing from many live recordings that they have managed to capture the nature of the live performance without it detracting from the music itself, and listening to this you almost feel you're actually at the gig. 'Skudrinka' follows with more frantic rhythms and great musicianship, and so seamless is the flow of music it's difficult to identify individual lines in this instrumental masterpiece, whilst the following track ' Douce Dame Jolie', another wordless wonder, is just as tight and flawless and again leaves the audience screaming for more.
A cry of 'Un, deux, trois, quatre' leads us into 'Dessous Le Ponte De Nantes', an awesome and strangely rhythmic song that meanders around with very competent French vocals before falling into alternately a bagpipe frenzy and a drum & vocals-only section. One of the things I like about SALTAITO MORTIS is their careful and clever arrangements which never get boring and this song underlines that perfectly. 'Equinox' is another fast-paced track, to be followed by the fabulous 'Prometheus' which however you look at it is a work of art with a fantastic hurdy-gurdy line, played by the multi-talented and intimidatingly aristocratically named Falk Irmenfirend von Hasen-Mummelstein. As ever, Alea's vocals are spot on and the rest of the band as tight as if they were a single entity. Brilliant!
'Le Corsaire', a thumping bagpipe fest, really swings back to the purely medieval, and hammers along to its own merry content to great audience appreciation. 'Ali Ben', after a lengthy verbal introduction, sways its way into your head with a pipe that sounds as if it's charming snakes, before launching into a really kicking full on bagpipe assault. And the audience is really lapping it up from the whoops, yells and general joining in that punctuate this. 'Veitstanz' has a great intro with the audience clapping alternately loud and soft, depending on the drum work before the melody breaks, though in high piping tones.
And now to a good old English track ' Drunken Sailor' which is pure fun as it gains more and more momentum, careering along like a runaway train until it crash lands to an abrupt end, leaving the audience howling their approval. Track thirteen 'Tulla' is more of the frenzied bagpipe sort with a rhythm that'll drive you crazy while 'Palästinalied', another of those songs often done to death on the medieval circuit, has new life breathed into it by this inspired version. 'Spielmannsschwur' has some great wailing chants at the beginning, and the audience sings so well they could almost join the band as the lead singer launches into another energetic and perfectly executed vocalisation which falls to soft before the audience once again pick up the chant until the song dies.
You can't say that these lads stick to music from their own back yard, for now we are regaled by probably the best version I've ever heard of the Scottish standard ' Loch Lomand' in the form of a duet entirely unaccompanied. It's absolutely beautiful! The final track 'Ecce Gratum' is full of the fire and enthusiasm of their live set and embodies perfectly what this band is all about: Hard, heavy, fun medieval metal.
Having seen this band live several times, I can faithfully say that this album does them justice in terms of conveying how enjoyable and engaging their live set can be. For those that have seen them, I'm preaching to the converted, to those that haven't: It's 100% recommended that you check them out live and this CD will help you know what you're missing 'til you do.
Tracklist
01. Merseburger Zauberspruch
02. Varulven
03. Dr. Eisenhans
04. Skudrinka
05. Douce Dame Jolie
06. Dessous Le Ponte De Nantes
07. Equinox
08. Prometheus
09. Le Corsaire
10. Ali Ben
11. Veitstanz
12. Drunken Sailor
13. Tulla
14. Palästinalied
15. Spielmannsschwur
16. Loch Lomond
17. Ecce Gratum
Line-up
Alea der Bescheidene - Vocals, Guitar, Diverse Flutes, Bagpipes
Lasterbalk der Lasterliche - Drums, Percussion
Falk Irmenfried von Hasen - Mummelstein:- Hurdy-gurdy, Bagpipes, Schawm, Nyckelharpa, Flute, Whistle, Accordian
El Silbador - Bagpipes, Schwams
Bruder Frank - Bass, Fretless Bass, Chapman Stick, Electric Kontra-bass, Guitar, Klavier, Keyboard, Ukulele
Samoel - Guitar, Bazouki, Klavier
Jean Mechant - Drums, Percussion, Klavire, Guitar
Website
http://www.saltatio-mortis.com/ / http://www.myspace.com/mittelalterpunk
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 10
Sound: 9
Extras: -
Total: 9.5 / 10
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