STURMPERCHT

"Schattenlieder"

Percht - 2009

CD / 2 LP - 500 copies / 2 LP box - 177 copies

Not long after the rarities compilation "A Wilder Zeit", it's time for the Alpine Folk heroes' brand-new album, "Schattenlieder", presented as "a small night music for mountain spirits and woods' devils". The first thing you notice while listening to this new compendium of Sturmpercht tunes is the cleaner and more powerful production, that boosts the sound out of the previous cantina atmosphere to a new dimension. Indeed, the music is much more solemn and epic, but also more traditionally folk in more than one passage. The Austrian band does its best when it still lingers into the distinctive Alpine identity of its music, with chants and ballads such as "Der Tanz Des Tatzelwurms" (new explosive version of one of their classics), the great "Wolfsschlucht" and "Zur Zwölften Stund' ", as well as the closing and magnificent "Die Teufelsgeiger" (their absolute best to the present).

As for the rest, there are appearances by Àrnica and Allerseelen, the latter massively participating with his vocals and composition, as you can easily spot in more than one track (including the honestly not too exciting reprise of his own "Feuersalamander", here called "Salamanderschnaps"). Rural noises and animals voices from the mountains and countryside landscapes do appear in the atmospheric "Novemberwoid" and "D' Forstwuudz Onnd Dr Dânnâgôischd" (introducing the new member "Waldwuuz", aka Vinterriket and Dânnâgôischd), whereas other songs follow a more orthodox and less original folk path.

Undoubtedly, "Schattenlieder", with its nearly 80 minutes of music, has a lot to offer, with many different tunes and enough interesting variations on the main theme. The album is also available as two luxurious limited editions: a three-sided double LP with etching on the fourth side, and an uncanny subscription-only wooden box with Sturmpercht's instruments inside! And only in the special boxset, the fourth side of the LP contains totally unreleased tunes.

- Simon V.

Website: http://www.raunend.com/sturmpercht

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

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