Nachtgeschrei

Hoffnungsschimmer

Written by: PP on 15/07/2008 17:24:08

Folk metal. Most people think of the joyous Irish melody with bagpipes and the lot at the very mention of this genre. But what people forget is that the Irish/Celtic aren\'t the only ones with long-lasting tradition in folk music, and that\'s one idea Germany\'s Nachtgeschrei are trying to change with their debut album \"Hoffnungsschimmer\".

The band itself describes their sound as \"medieval metal\", which is a more or less accurate label for their sound. Instead of boasting with an overly happy and danceable folk sound, the band relies on an approach that\'s as much alternative rock as it is metal, with non-distorted guitar melodies and clean singing taking the lead in songs like \"Räuber Der Nacht\". The folk references are present in the form of bagpipes, tin- and low-whistels, and their groovy sound, but this time around they emit a much darker, almost gloomy sound. It\'s a sound that makes you think of knights at tournaments, princesses needing rescue, and all those things you were reading in storybooks when you were about the size of a fire extinguisher. It sounds typically german, and one can\'t help but notice the gothic undertones that emerge from a couple of the songs, even though they are surely unintentional. What this also means, however, is that the songs are much slower and less energetic, which is rather costly in the folk metal environment in my opinion.

All in all, Nachtgeschrei bring a welcome change to folksy bands by utilizing a different traditional background to their advantage. You\'re treated to traditional German music spiced up with melodic rock, which is well produced and executed. The only problem is the lack of speed and that the songs start sounding a little bit too much like each other towards the end of the album. The best way to put \"Hoffnungsschimmer\" is, though, that it\'s an album that you can put on even whilst being around elderly people, as it has enough folk reference to get them intrigued about it without scaring them away with too much metal.

6

Download: Hoffnungsschimmer
For the fans of: Dunkelschön, Schattentanz, Letzte Instanz
Listen: Myspace

Release date 02.05.2008
Massacre Records
Provided by Target ApS

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