DIE WEISSE ROSE

"A Martyrium Of White Roses"

Cold Meat Industry - 2009

CD / LP - 300 copies

Finally this long-announced and even longer awaited debut sees the light. Die Weisse Rose has been dwelling in the martial / neofolk underground for a few years now, spreading live performances of powerful visual impact and sharing stage with several big names in the scene during prestigious festivals, last but least the WGT in Leipzig. This Danish outfit follows the steps of early Blood Axis and Les Joyaux De La Princesse, as its very name should suggest, combining melancholic organs and keyboards to fierce martial percussions, occasional violin and accordion, as well as voice samples and excerpts from old songs.

Thomas' spoken vocals are deep and dramatic, alternating texts of his own to readings of poems by Nietzsche and Hesse. The music shifts from the pure atmosphere of "Letzter Wille", "At The Doorsteps Of Our Temple" (on a familiar piano theme) and "The Solitary Volcano" (a tribute to Ezra Pound), to the imperious marches of "Unser Leben Geht Dahin Wie Ein Geschwätz" and "Nicht Schuldig" (surely the two most accomplished tunes), not forgetting the dramatic finale of "As The Last Of The Petals Are Shattered", with a touching violin solo portraying a desolate scenario of defeat and loneliness.

Although several other bands / projects followed the same path before, Die Weisse Rose seem to have clear ideas about their goals, and show it with the nostalgic and mesmerizing atmospheres of this debut album. A recommended listening to every follower of the martial / neofolk scene, especially of its early days. Beside the luxuriously decorated digipak, "A Martyrium Of White Roses" is also available as a limited edition gatefold LP, which brings back memories of the good old Cold Meat times, when important releases came on wax too.

- Simon V.

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/dieweisserose

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