Search - Of the Wand & The Moon :: Sonnenheim

Sonnenheim
Of the Wand & The Moon
Sonnenheim
Genres: Alternative Rock, Folk, Pop, Metal
 
  •  Track Listings (1) - Disc #1

This is the 4th, long awaited and much anticipated masterpiece from :OTWATM: with 15 new tracks. The release also features collaborators from Forseti and Sonne Hagal. Musically, this is Kim Larsen and :OTWATM: as we all kn...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Of the Wand & The Moon
Title: Sonnenheim
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: HEIDRUNAR MYRKRUNAR
Original Release Date: 1/1/2010
Re-Release Date: 6/8/2010
Genres: Alternative Rock, Folk, Pop, Metal
Styles: Goth & Industrial, Traditional Folk
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 4038846800030

Synopsis

Album Description
This is the 4th, long awaited and much anticipated masterpiece from :OTWATM: with 15 new tracks. The release also features collaborators from Forseti and Sonne Hagal. Musically, this is Kim Larsen and :OTWATM: as we all know it, but with a very big development in sound and atmosphere. Indeed, "Sonnenheim" has some of the best songs ever to emerge from this Danish cult folk noir project! After the "trilogy" "Nighttime Nightrhymes", "Emptiness:Emptiness:Emptiness" and "Lucifer", a new chapter for OTWATM starts with "Sonnenheim," which is also the first album of OTWATM to appear on Kim Larsen's new label Heidrunar Myrkrunar via Tesco. 'Bring Your Friends To The Feast! It's nighttime In Sonnenheim!' A true feast for the ears as well as the eyes! Comes in very nice digipack with embossed metallic-foilblocked titles and debossed images and a 12 page booklet with all the texts.
 

CD Reviews

Persistent Dark Folk Excellence
IcemanJ | Ohio, USA | 05/21/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is another exceptional album by this atmospheric folk band cloaked in shadows. Their basic song style and structures haven't changed much, although this album's sound is a bit more refined and has even more of a darker atmosphere. This album quickly became my favorite release by the band. There is a bit less experimentation and ultra-ambient songs, but you'll still hear some of that briefly between songs and for a few minutes at the very beginning and at the very end of the album - and also on the track "I Shall Feast" which is a little redundant and kind of annoying... he basically keeps murmuring "I Shall Feast" with the same 3 notes being played and with strange noises in the background. "Lieblos Hin Zur Dunkelheit" is also one of those tracks... However there is much more of the rich musical goodness on this album.



Most of the vocals are shrouded whispers or very cynical, merciless, elusive droning. These vocals definitely aren't "good" by the standard definition of singing ability. When I think of "good" I think an extremely powerful, ranged singer with a superb sense of melody and a smooth, pleasing timbre. Well this is probably the exact opposite. But it fits this music absolutely perfectly therefore being "good" vocals in my opinion. Actually, they have a very smooth and lulling tone, just not powerful or ranged whatsoever.



Some of these songs are so layered and intricate, however, minimal and desolate at the same time. It's almost like the music could almost be cheerful if there weren't vocals or if the vocals were the complete opposite. In fact, most of the songs are actually kind of fast-paced and have a great rhythm to them. There is beautiful yet restrained acoustic playing, accordions, interesting percussion, a very interesting keyboard tone that I can't really say I've heard anything like before - very mysterious and hazy, most prominent on "Honour" and "Hollow upon Hollow." Accordions might sound odd but they work very well and don't sound wacky or anything. The accordion is the outstanding melody on a few songs such as "Summer Solstice" and "Hail Hail Hail II."



I'd also like to point out this is far from the most varied and diverse of albums... Like many folk-noir albums, you must enjoy the sound and atmosphere, if not, the lack of variety will probably bore you to death.



If you enjoyed previous OTW&TM albums, Antimatter's "Planetary Confinement," Death in June & Current 93's folk-noir albums, Sol Invictus, or you're looking for something completely different and full of bleak emotions in your collection, you will certainly find something in this album."