Chris Pohl’s main project Blutengel has announced that a new album titled Schwarzes Eis will be released on Friday the 13th in February. The album, which was preceded by the single Dancing in the Light in November will be a grand package indeed, as even the normal version will have another CD along with the main album. The second disc is called Behind the Mirror and it’ll boast eight completely new instrumental tracks. The limited edition of the album, however, is where the real action is. Schwarzes Eis? Check. Behind the Mirror? Check. Fancy box? Check. Grandiose 40-page booklet? Check. A third CD with not just bonus tracks but an actual, second new album? Che… Wait, what? Yeah, the third disc is a whole album of its own, Redemption, and it’ll have 10 tracks that didn’t fit on Schwarzes Eis. One of the songs is a new version of Winter of my Life which was released earlier this year as a download and very limited 7 inch vinyl. So all in all, you’ll be getting a total of three discs full of brand-new Blutengel goodness. What’s not to like?
Unfortunately I wasn’t able to find the album anywhere for preorders, but in the meantime you can listen to a part of the song Dreh dich nicht um on Blutengel’s MySpace (which has actually been updated).
L’Âme Immortelle’s live DVD+CD emerges from the shadows
The Austrian L’Âme Immortelle’s new live DVD and CD package Jenseits der Schatten was released December 15th. The DVD side has the whole concert filmed during the band’s Namenlos tour, and it contains 21 songs from all around the band’s production, whereas the CD has 16 tracks picked from the set (you can see the track list for both after the break). Interestingly, the concert was filmed completely in black and white, making for a rather unique look. The DVD also contains some extras, for example more live material filmed in Vienna and behind the scenes goofiness.
The DVD+CD was initially only released as a limited edition six-panel digipack, and it’s available at most of your usual stores: Amazon.de for 21,95 €, Infrarot.de for 18,99 €, EMP.de for 21,99 € or for you in the US, Isotank for $24.99. Please note that the CD or DVD aren’t available separately! Just though I’d need to clear that up, since my original post was a bit ambiguous on the matter.
You can watch the trailer for the DVD here, or listen to two songs from the CD on L’Âme Immortelle’s MySpace.
Nothing like a piece of breaking news to start off the year, eh? Many people were already afraid of this when it seemed that Florian Schneider wasn’t going to play at any of Kraftwerk’s shows in 2008, but according to the fansite Technopop now it’s finally official: Florian Schneider, the other one of Kraftwerk’s founding members, has left the pioneering band after 40 years for reasons unspecified.
To get an idea of how important Florian and Ralf Hütter’s collaboration has been to modern music (although you should’ve already known all about it), I’d like to direct you to Greg’s excellent essay on Kraftwerk and their influence he wrote about a year back. But indeed, Florian Schneider has been an instrumental figure in developing and utilizing techniques that have been essential to not just electronic but all kinds of music, he was for example one of the first musicians to use computer-generated speech synthesis in music. He really is one of the most influential musicians the world has ever seen, and it is a shame to see that his long, long career in Kraftwerk has come to an end. Hopefully leaving Kraftwerk doesn’t mean he has also lost his will to make music, and he’ll continue his adventures in sound design despite this. We wish him luck in all his future projects.
Kraftwerk’s already-announced South American tour and other dates for 2009 will not be affected by Florian’s departure. Stephan Pfaffe, who replaced Florian last year, will presumably continue as the fourth member of Kraftwerk. I for one am still waiting eagerly for any sort of indication of a new Kraftwerk album…
2008’s new band number 100 here on Germaniac couldn’t possibly be anything else than what a lot of people most often associate with German music - industrial metal. And damn good industrial metal at that.
Seelenzorn really has realized how important it is to offer free tasters of its music during the four years it’s been active. Last November the band released their third free web-only EP titled Keine Angst, which contains a total of five fantastically dark, stomping industrial metal songs. Three are brand-new tracks and one is a Russian version of the title song featuring the singer Draw from the Russian gothic industrial band Otto Dix, whereas the final track is an acoustic version of the song Frei which was featured on Seelenzorn’s very first album, Töte alles. You can listen to and download each song here, the band’s also included the front and back covers there if you’re inclined to put the EP on a CD. You can also check out the music video for Keine Angst.
I’m afraid the previous two web-EPs /lebenszeichen and Schwarz und Schwer aren’t available anymore, although I guess (and hope) you can find the same songs on Seelenzorn’s albums Töte alles and Gnadenloser Zorn, which are both available on Amazon.de for 13,99 €. Amazon also has samples of every song on both albums, so if Keine Angst wasn’t enough, there’s your chance to hear some of their older material. The media section of Seelenzorn’s site also has some tracks for you to listen to, including another acoustic version of a song and remixes.
Seelenzorn - Keine Angst free web-EP tracklist
1. Keine Angst
2. Sexzess
3. Obsession
4. Keine Angst feat. Draw
5. Frei Akustik Version
Limbogott are quickly becoming industrial-shock-metal extraordinaires, but their first 2 albums were sung entirely in English, a language not native to this German group. It looks like things are changing, though… at least for “Haus der Lüge”, the song they teamed up with Chris Pohl of Blutengel to record. But “Haus der Lüge” is not just the band’s first song recorded in German. It is also the first single from their forthcoming third album Spit or Swallow. And now you can download it as an MP3 file for free!
Head over to e-junkie.com to download “Haus der Lüge”, Limbogott’s Christmas present to their fans. (Be sure to hurry, because it’s only available for free until December 31st.) The song is likely to be an indication about how Limbogott’s sound is progressing, but will the German lyrics make it over to the rest of the songs on Spit or Swallow? We’ll just have to wait and find out in the time leading up to it’s February 13th release date.
GermanMetal.com will be doing a special radio show this Monday, December 29th, which will take a look back at all the German metal music that has been released in the past year. It will begin streaming online at 3 PM Eastern time (12 noon Pacific time) in the US, and will continue for 4 hours. All you have to do to start listening is head to GermanMetal.com/radio.
The show will include plenty of music, but also some discussion about important bands, their music, and various events and things that happened during 2008. The results of the website’s German Metal Awards 2008 will also be announced at some point in the show. (If you haven’t voted in the poll to determine the winners of each category, you still have a few days left to do so. Just visit the poll here and vote!) In addition to all that, listeners will have a chance to win free prizes by answering some of the trivia questions that will be asked!
If you are free on Monday, be sure to check out this special radio show!
The electro-industrial band Wynardtage released their fourth studio album last month on November 21st. It’s called The Grey Line, and it comes just over a year after their last studio album Praise the Fallen. Once again, the band delivers a solid club-compatible album, with 11 songs including a special appearance by Melanie G from davaNtage on the title track. The album also has 3 bonus remixes, but you have to pay attention because the European version (released on E-Noxe) has different remixes than the North American version (released on COP International).
You can find a few songs from The Grey Line on the Wynardtage MySpace page along with some older ones. For additional samples from the new album, you can listen on AlphaMusic.de, which also has the Euro version of the album for sale for EUR 13.99. COP International’s webshop and Isotank are tied for the best price on the North American version at $9.99.
Wynardtage - The Grey Line (European version)
1. Mask
2. Tragic Hero
3. The Frozen Point
4. Leaving
5. Cutting Down
6. The Grey Line
7. In Death A Tale
8. If There Is No Tomorrow
9. My Life
10. Crash Of A Star
11. Now We Are Alive
12. Now We Are Alive (Remixed By Painbastard)
13. Mask (Remixed By ESC)
14. Tragic Hero (Remixed By X-Fusion)
Wynardtage - The Grey Line (North American version)
1. Mask
2. Tragic Hero
3. The Frozen Point
4. Leaving
5. Cutting Down
6. The Grey Line
7. In Death A Tale
8. If There Is No Tomorrow
9. My Life
10. Crash Of A Star
11. Now We Are Alive
12. The Grey Line (Remixed By Yendri)
13. If There Is No Tomorrow (Remixed By Cygnosic)
14. The Frozen Point (Remixed By Echorausch)
One of the best songs by the Jeans Team is “Keine Melodien”. Despite it’s name, there actually is a really catchy melody in the song, and it’s likely to get stuck in your head. It’s such a catchy song, in fact, that Volkswagen (or rather, their advertising agency DDB London) has decided to use it in an advertisement for their new 6th generation Golf.
It’s not just any commercial, though. It’s a 1.5 minute fight scene that takes place inside a VW facility. The basic plot of the scene, which is influenced by various action movies, is that a car designer fights himself, suggesting that the only real thing the new Golf has to compete with is the current model Golf. I guess it makes sense, considering all the praise the current Mk. V Golf has received and the fact that the Golf series is the 3rd highest selling vehicle in the world.
Sadly, we don’t get such entertaining commercials in America. I mean, if they have to exist, they might as well be worth watching, right? Anyway, if you’re in the mood for a little action, watch the ad below and be sure to pay attention to the song that starts playing. If you just want to hear “Keine Melodien” by the Jeans Team by itself, check out their music video which is posted underneath the ad.
Volkswagen’s Golf ad with “Keine Melodien”
Music video for “Keine Melodien” by the Jeans Team
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Merry Festivus… Whatever you celebrate this time of year, Happy Holidays from all the writers of Germaniac.com! Have a great time with family and friends, eat lots of good food, and try to stay warm in the cold weather!
Coming up in the last week of 2008, you’ll find our list of the best German albums of the year, the new album releases and new tour dates pages for 2009, the final 2 bands remaining on the 100 new bands list, and of course even more of the best German music news. We’ll be back after the holiday!
Since Kreator’s inception a generation ago in 1982 in Essen, Germany, the band has become legends of thrash metal. They have continually gained fans and fame worldwide as they remain at the forefront of the genre. Their latest album, Enemy of God, proved to be their most successful, reaching spot 19 in the German album charts… quite good for a band that’s so far away from the popularity contest where most mainstream musicians battle it out. But Enemy of God is now 4 years old and has already been re-released, so it’s time for something new.
Enter Hordes of Chaos, Kreator’s new album for 2009. The 10 tracks it contains were recorded earlier this year during July and August, and are expected to be a bit more organic sounding, given the relative simplicity of the live setting and analog tape method that was used to record them. This is the first time in 20 years the band has recorded this way, according to the band’s singer Mille Petrozza. The length of the album is different also, in that it’s more than 15 minutes shorter than Enemy of God, coming in at under 40 minutes. Don’t expect the quality to suffer, though. A quick listen to the sample of the song “Warcurse” won’t let you down.
Are 4 different versions enough?
Hordes of Chaos will be released in 4 different formats. First, the standard version will just have the 10 songs on a CD in a normal jewel case. Second, the limited edition will contain the CD plus a bonus DVD with a “making of Hordes of Chaos” video, 2 videos of songs performed live, and the music video for the album’s title track which was influenced by the movie 300. Third, the “ultra deluxe edition” will contain the CD, an extended version of the bonus DVD, a Kreator T-shirt, and a book. And finally, there will be an LP version of the album which will feature alternative artwork not available on any of the CD versions. All the versions will be released on January 13th in North America, January 16th in Germany, and January 19th in the rest of Europe.
You can find the album anywhere
Because Kreator is such a well known band around the world, you should have no problem finding Hordes of Chaos (or most other Kreator albums) in your local CD shop. And if you’re a child of the internet age, you can easily find it on any major online retailer like Amazon.com. They’ve got most of the versions available: the standard edition, the limited edition, and the vinyl LP version, but not the ultra deluxe edition. I haven’t found anywhere you can buy that version yet. Amazon.com also has the tracks for sale as MP3 downloads, which you can buy either together as an album or as individual songs. You just have to wait for the release date before they become available.
Follow the jump and read to rest of the article, including the album track listing and Kreator’s North American tour dates. Read the rest of this entry »
What I really like about Christmas music-wise is that a lot of bands suddenly get all generous and allow people to download stuff for free. So does Silbermond, who are giving away the title track off from their upcoming album Nichts passiert. Nichts passiert, which will be released sometime early next year, is the band’s third album, and expectations are high: the latest album Laut gedacht was a smash hit in 2006, grabbing the number one position of the official sales charts in Germany and Austria, as well as the third place in Switzerland. It seems Silbermond’s energetic pop-rock goes rather well down in their home country, as the album has sold over 800 000 copies, granting it quadruple platinum status. The band has definitely come far from their humble beginnings in the TEN SING music project of Germany’s YMCA, where the band members met each other in 1998.
You’ll be able to download the free song Nichts passiert starting tomorrow until 28th this month on Silbermond’s website in the audio section. Silbermond’s MySpace also has three full-length live tracks and their latest single song Das Ende vom Kreis for you to listen. Amazon.de has both of Silbermond’s albums for sale, the debut Verschwende deine Zeit for 16,95 € and Laut gedacht for 12,45 €.
Curse feat. Silbermond
In addition to preparing for the release of their own album next year, Silbermond recently collaborated with the German rapper Curse. The song Bis zum Schluss featuring Silbermond can be found on the critically lauded album Freiheit which was released three months ago on 26th September, or as a single. You can check out the video for Bis zum Schluss here, or listen to half the song on Curse’s MySpace, where you can also catch some other tracks if you’d like to get to know the rapper better. Bis zum Schluss is available at least on Amazon.de for for 3,95 € or 5,95 € for the premium edition.
Thanks to Jutta for reminding me about Silbermond!
Also, for my part, it’s happy holidays to every single one of you! Just a couple more left, we’ll make it…
announced that a new album titled Schwarzes Eis will be released on Friday the 13th in February. The album, which was preceded by the single Dancing in the Light in November will be a grand package indeed, as even the normal version will have another CD along with the main album. The second disc is called Behind the Mirror and it’ll boast eight completely new instrumental tracks. The limited edition of the album, however, is where the real action is. Schwarzes Eis? Check. Behind the Mirror? Check. Fancy box? Check. Grandiose 40-page booklet? Check. A third CD with not just bonus tracks but an actual, second new album? Che… Wait, what? Yeah, the third disc is a whole album of its own, Redemption, and it’ll have 10 tracks that didn’t fit on Schwarzes Eis. One of the songs is a new version of Winter of my Life which was released earlier this year as a download and very limited 7 inch vinyl. So all in all, you’ll be getting a total of three discs full of brand-new Blutengel goodness. What’s not to like?
The Austrian L’Âme Immortelle’s new live DVD and CD package Jenseits der Schatten was released December 15th. The DVD side has the whole concert filmed during the band’s Namenlos tour, and it contains 21 songs from all around the band’s production, whereas the CD has 16 tracks picked from the set (you can see the track list for both after the break). Interestingly, the concert was filmed completely in black and white, making for a rather unique look. The DVD also contains some extras, for example more live material filmed in Vienna and behind the scenes goofiness. 
To get an idea of how important Florian and Ralf Hütter’s collaboration has been to modern music (although you should’ve already known all about it), I’d like to direct you to 
