Title: Auf dem Weg in deine Welt
Artist: EisheiligGenre: Gothic Rock
Release Date: 28th September 2007
Label: Drakkar Entertainment
Introduction
The band was founded in 1998 with the aim to spread dark and orchestral music. After the release of their first demo in 1999, the band was approached by Napalm Records and the first self-titled album was released by the label in 2001. After a tour with L'AME IMMORTELLE and GARDEN OF DELIGHT, the band shrank to a quartet after the guitar player Hardy Zenero decided to leave the band. The successor to the debut called ‘Die Gärten des Herrn’ is released in 2004 and lyric-wise it plays with Christian symbols and the question to good and evil. After they switched to Drakkar Entertainment, the third album ‘Elysium’ was released in 2005. After the release they played some festivals and got a new member in the line-up. Bass player Niklas Peternek was replaced by Markus Vogler. The latest album was released at the end of September.
Members
Dennis Mikus - Vocals
Till Maiwald - Guitars
Markus Vogler - Bass
Dominik Sapia - Drums
Website
http://www.eisheilig.de/ / http://www.myspace.com/eisheiligband
Track Review
01. Wir Leben - 4:52
A positive vibe flows throughout the whole song. It is like an anchor when everything around you seems lost. It's like it would say “You can always count on me no matter what may happen”. Introduced by a short line from the chorus accentuated by some synth sounds and low layers, the song starts right away with drums and guitars that disappear to give way to organ sounds and gentle guitar chords combined with the mellow voice of Dennis.
02. Dein Stern - 4:26
A song that spreads a somehow mystical mood right from the start with its orchestral elements and the gentle guitar chords but a star is actually a mystical thing isn't it. It's probably burned out since thousands and thousands of years but we still see its light and for many people a star is a symbol of hope, a shimmer in the dark they can hold on to. Let's get back to the song which also comes up with an energetic but never dominant drumming and wonderful piano lines.
03. Auf dem Weg in deine Welt - 3:59
The feeling that comes up when the song starts is something I would describe as longing and it causes wistfulness when listening to it. A short calm intro passage with restrained guitars and some deeper strings leads to a powerful yet balanced drumming and energetic guitar riffs. Before the chant finally starts, the drumming changes to a more military style. Drum-wise it sounds like music accompanying a march but filled with a special atmosphere created by the orchestral strings and the mellow vocal style.
04. Steht auf! - 4:09
Other than the previous song this one's kind of aggressive and pushes more forward. Guitars are much more dominant here but the dark strings used during the verses give the song this monumental darkness. A part I really like is right after the chorus when Dennis starts the second verse and when his voice is underlined by this processed guitar sounds and the nice drum arrangement. Speaking of the drums, they're a lot more dynamic and versatile here with changes in tempo and rhythm.
05. Die dunkelste Stunde - 3:55
With “The darkest hour”, a very calm and fragile ballad awaits you and if you just read the title you could assume this song to be very depressive but that's not the case here. A line from the lyrics for example is “At the end of the tunnel it gets bright one day” or from the chorus “It is the darkest hour, the darkest day, and from now on it gets bright until the end of the night”. Those lyrics are accompanied by very slow played drums with retrained guitar parts and beautiful strings.
06. Ich halte dich - 3:46
“Are we alone, everyone on his own and nobody for no one?” We're always looking for a sense. Worry all the time what happens when we're not around anymore but maybe we should just focus on the time we have and concentrate on the things that are really important and make the best out of our time. Another very gentle song with rather slow drumming and focussing more on the atmosphere and emotions with gentle strings and piano chords.
07. Gold - 4:37
This song combines two different moods in itself. While a dark shadow seems to lie upon the whole verses, this dark veil suddenly disappears at the first seconds of the chorus to unfold its uplifting side filled up with hope supported by the fitting strings and lyrics. The drumming here is very layered and varied and there are lots of different melodic elements in the song like the already well known gentle guitar parts and piano lines that help to built up a more intense atmosphere.
08. Kein Land in Sicht - 4:13
No land in sight and no chance to be rescued .Hopelessness spreads in your mind but don't loose your hope. There will be land someday and you can leave all those pain behind. A straighter and faster rhythm welcomes you to this song, followed by multi-layered guitar parts that are also the dominating elements here. A short break and the orchestral strings appear together with some piano chords before the drums join in again accompanied by more harsh guitars.
09. Wird alles gut - 5:30
“What's to do if there's no tomorrow, what shall I do if you're gone tomorrow?” Those are questions we all ask ourselves from time to time what if... But in most cases we can't find an answer to that until that situation becomes reality, when someone really close to you is gone and leaves a void inside your heart and soul...I guess this is the calmest song on the album, but also different in term of its instrumentation. The voice of Dennis is just carried by gentle piano and guitar parts and creates an acoustic feeling. Later also drums join in.
10. Geh durchs Feuer - 4:27
A sudden change of mood comes along with this song that is much more aggressive. The vocals style has changed quite a bit compared to the other songs. Dennis sings in a deeper pitch and more angry than before. The strings and chorals create a much more menacing mood Tempo and rhythmic changes of the drumming are on the agenda. After the song has ended and after a gap, there's also a hidden track in form of a small orchestral arrangement with strings and chorals.
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 8
Sound: 8
Extras: 8
Total: 8
Conclusion
Very often when German lyrics are used, they're getting cheesy and flat but not in this case. EISHEILIG managed to avoid that cheesiness and come up with meaningful German lyrics that are far away from being flat. The whole album is very calm and gentle and focuses more on the atmosphere except for the last track ‘Geh durchs Feuer’ which turns the mood inside out. If you're not averse to the calmer side of gothic rock with German lyrics, this album is definitely worth a listen.
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