VINTERRIKET

"Horizontmelancholie"

Heimatfolk - 2009

DVDplus / DVDplus box - 150 copies

Active since 1996, during the last ten years Vinterriket gave birth to a huge discography. Feeding on the shadows and icy solitude of northern forests and landscapes, this German one-man band always lurked into dark ambient territories, using sounds that oozed melancholy and abandonment, often coupled with evocative videos shot, in livid black and white, in those sceneries so dear to it. Putting aside few occasional flirts with black metal, it's just in recent times that Vinterriket is changing skin, getting closer to neofolk. "Horizontmelancholie" is, indeed, a neofolk album, where acoustic guitar and vocals are the protagonists, whereas the characteristic glacial keyboards remain in the background, creating the setting.

The disc's format is particular, as it is a DVDplus, with music normally playable from a CD player on one side, and videos for the DVD player on the other: sound and visuals together on the same product. Even if the listening of the seven tracks is enjoyable, they are a bit thin and flat in comparison to other German and Alpine neofolk bands (such as Sturmpercht, of which, by the way, Vinterriket has recently become a member). They work much better as soundtrack for the videos, that are, as usual, infinitely magic and charming.

For the moment, Vinterriket in neofolk outfit isn't completely convincing, sounding much better in his side-project Dânnâgôischd. Anyway, as there are both media available on the same disc, you could give this release a chance, especially because of the excellent visuals. Like most of the latest Heimatfolk / Percht outputs, "Horizontmelancholie" is also available in a limited edition deluxe box.

- Simon V.

Website: http://www.vinterriket.com

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