Neun Welten Ull (The Nine Worlds)
Lichtkreuzweihe (Consecration of the Luminous Cross)
Von Gaat und Ernte
Wille (The Will)
Irminsul
Um Wodansmal (Woden’s Mark)
Wotans Wilde Jagd (Wodan’s Wild Hunt)
Bergandacht (Meditation on the Peak)
Wolfstund (Hour of the Wolf)
Nachhall (Reprise)

A change is as good as a rest. Or so the old saying goes. Sometimes the same old power noise / black ambient music that I revel in becomes too much and I feel the need to experience something different.

Waldteufel is that something different. Fuck knows what made me buy this, I’ve long given up rationalising my buying urges, but I’m thankful that I did. I know absolutely sod all about this group but hearing "Heimliches Deutschland" has made me want to seek out more of their music. File this under neo-folk and you can’t go wrong. Over the ten tracks the music is played on the simple but effective instruments of ye olden times. Fans will recognise the dulcet tones of the flute, cello, trumpet and drums etc that are used throughout. Of course the music itself is never enough to carry a recording if the vocals aren’t up to much. Here the songs are sung in a nice blend of guttural German…which is no bad thing in my humble view…and is quite sexy and evocative in a strange sort of way. If pure raw vocal emotion moves you then you’ll find plenty to applaud here. There’s a nice sense of melancholy and sadness that permeates throughout the tracks which adds to the general atmosphere making it very pleasing to the ear. This is a record that just keeps getting better and better every time you hear it.

Although not the biggest collector of this type of music, it needs to be out of the ordinary to set my juices alight and empty my pockets, I can only urge you to give Waldteufel a try. I certainly enjoyed the experience and I think many of you may also feel the same way if you’re willing to take the plunge.

ANM