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Band Spotlight: Nebelung
13 years ago
General
ᚠ ᚢ ᚦ ᚨ ᚱ ᚲ ᚷ ᚹ ᚺ ᚾ ᛁ ᛃ ᛇ ᛈ ᛉ ᛊ ᛏ ᛒ ᛖ ᛗ ᛚ ᛜ ᛟ ᛞ Funprox (02.05.2005)
A new German neofolk project always has my interest. Especially when they are released by Eis & Licht, who don't often add new artists to their roster. Nebelung comes from Bonn in the 'Ruhrgebiet', a grey industrial area which forms a sharp contrast with the forests depicted on the green digipack. The band is actually a duo, consisting of singer Stefan Otto who also plays most of the instruments (guitar, flutes, percussion) and guitarplayer Thomas List. They are supported by a few guest musicians on accordion, drums and strings).
Their style reminds me of acts like Forseti, Empyrium, Neun Welten and the early work of Orplid. That means rather traditional acoustic folk music, mainly carried by strumming guitar and further adorned by flutes and strings. The music has a romantic feeling, which is not only stressed by the melancholic vocals, but also by the lyrics taken from Baudelaire, Von Hofmannsthal and Nietzsche, dealing with nature, love and Sehnsucht.
The style of Nebelung is not highly original and they are not in the same league of Forseti or Orplid yet. Nevertheless this mini cd with six tracks leaves a positive impression. It is solid handwork and their intentions sound honest. The most convincing track is probably the warm and melodic, Forseti-like sounding 'Kain und Abel'. The uptempo instrumental 'Misteltein' is also worthwhile, this could appeal to fans of the acoustic folk-metal projects from the Prophecy label. I'm looking forward to see this new group live at this year's Wave Gotik Treffen.
Funprox (06.07.2006)
Nebelung is back with a new release. After their debut mcd ‘mistelteinn’ on Eis & Licht, the German neo-folk group now presents two new tracks on a vinyl single. Only 250 copies are available of ‘Reigen’. The title track is a pleasant romantic folksong. Nice acoustic guitar playing, a clear melody, sensitive male vocals in German, a down-to-earth, natural feeling. Like the label already admitted itself, the resemblance to Forseti is striking. But I don’t consider that to be a reproach, since it’s an attractive song and there are worse examples.
The B-side ‘Herbstwind’ is a bit less to my liking. It’s fully instrumental and contains a sort of elaborate acoustic guitar duet, a bit in line with later Empyrium releases.
All in all nothing extraordinary, just a nice single. I wonder if Nebelung would be capable of creating an interesting full-lenght album, perhaps time will tell.
Author: HD
Heathen Harvest (14.10.2005)
Eis & Licht has a firm reputation based on releasing highly anticipated and appreciated neofolk music from predominately-German musicians. When a new artist is showcased on the Eis & Licht label, it is definitely an occurrence that demands ones attention. Eis & Licht recently signed the newly formed German neofolk artists Nebelung for the release of the bands debut mini CD titled Mistelteinn. Nebelung are relative new comers to the genre though they bring a mature sound. Stationed in the German city of Bonn, Nebelung is comprised of multi instrumentalist singer Stefan Otto and fellow guitarist Thomas List. Four guest musicians who contribute string arrangements, drums and accordion respectively join the two founding members of Nebelung on Mistelteinn.
Mistelteinn is comprised of five neofolk / neoclassical compositions. The text of each song is comprised of lyricism taken from writers Friedrich Nietzsche, Charles Baudelaire, and Hugo Hofmannsthal. The lyrics grant the songs a textual reference to neo-romanticism that gently compliments the natural acoustic melodies of the music. The music featured on Mistelteinn is a thoughtful construction of neofolk and neoclassical elements with a strong infusion of standard neofolk song structures. Comparisons could be made with established neofolk musicians working within the context of neofolk / neoclassical fusion such as Dies Natalis, Forseti, and Empyrium. Though comparisons can be drawn, the music of Nebelung remains an original and mature offering.
Mistelteinn begins with a short instrumental introduction titled “Heimsuchung.” From the very first notes of the guitar and the long-winded cello, you recognize the talent and beauty of this release. The guitar and cello play in coordination creating a shimmering tapestry of acoustic music that strains with emotion and expression. Gentle male vocals sing over the instrumental duo with sensitivity conveying a romantic masculinity and introspection. The compositional elements are rather simple but the results are nothing short of mesmerizing. The cello plays a sad deep song while the guitar sparkles and drifts creating an uplifting juxtaposition to the deep lament of the cello. A flute joins the music floating across the guitar like a vagrant breeze blowing through a shade dappled forest. “Heimsuchung” achieves a delicate balance between instrumentation, sentiment, and beauty that so many bands strive for but often fall short of achieving. There is nothing forced or over emphasized within the music, rather the song flows like a gurgling stream free and uninhibited.
“Mistelteinn” is the fourth song on the album and it grants the listener an opportunity to hear the band play an all-acoustic composition free of vocals. The music is once again composed of entwining guitar and cello along with dramatic drums. The song begins with an enchanting and rather sophisticated guitar and cello arrangement that moves through several deep moods. Strong thunderous drumming disturbs the instrumental duo’s elaborate dance of nearly two minutes. The drums bear down upon the composition with a stern force that redirects the music from a lingering escapade into a driving force. The guitar and cello surge forward keeping pace with the deep drums while a second guitar flirts above the pulsing rhythm like a bird soaring above a battlefield.
The final track “Heimatlos” illustrates a different facet of the music of Nebelung as the romantic layers of instrumentation are drawn back in preference of a more forceful acoustic set that emphasizes heroic vocals and somber drumming. “Heimatlos” launches quite directly with hard guitar strumming, snare drums, and deep bass drumming. The impression is slightly martial though not quite bombastic. The glittering guitar and saddened cello that defined previous tracks is shelved as the band moves in the direction of bands such as Death In June or Barditus. The vocals are stern and masculine as the singer delivers a powerful song marked by a vocal restraint not shown in other songs. His voice is deep and slightly more monotone communicating a sense of purpose and directness. The guitar is linear as well, playing a very direct and simple role as the drums and voice tend to define the track with the accompaniment of a very rapidly played violin. The violin is played fast lending a sense of anxiety to the rather somber song. I was very excited to hear this side of Nebelung as previous songs showed the bands ability to engage beauty and delicacy, “Heimatlos” demonstrates a harder side of the band that really taps into the martial tone of neofolk music without compromising the bands identity or originality.
I was highly impressed with Nebelung’s debut offering. If Mistelteinn is any sign of what Nebelung has in store for us then I for one will be anxiously awaiting their full-length debut release. In an ever-growing genre, Nebelung has delivered an original and relevant album that is sure to please and seduce even the most demanding neofolk music listeners. If you have not yet obtained a copy of Mistelteinn act fast as the album has had time to circulate and it is a limited addition pressing. Act now or pay outrageous prices later when you realize what you missed and have to seek out a copy on EBay!
Author: Malahki Thorn
Chronicles of Chaos (10.10.2005)
Neo folk, and its German subdivision in particular, has always been obsessed with the untamed beauty of deep woods and mountains, so all the forest imagery in Mistelteinn's cover art comes as little surprise. And indeed, _Nebelung_ sounds as natural as it gets, employing acoustic instruments exclusively to deliver five songs that would fit a cozy fireplace during a winter night perfectly. The music itself is simple, stripped to the very bone, yet effective and memorable. The backbone of all tracks is formed by the dual acoustic guitars and Stefan Otto's clean chants -- which tend to be good, though far from distinguishing. Additional instruments involved include accordion, flute and cello, making tracks like "Mistelteinn" and "Heimatlos" quite similar to the more widely known sound of neo folk masters Orplid and Forseti. Lyrical inspiration has been sought in the usual places: classic European poetry and philosophy, namely Charles Baudelaire, Friedrich Nietzsche and Hugo von Hofmannsthal. All in all, _Mistelteinn_ is an enjoyable album, lacking distinctive personality though it might be.
8 out of 10
Author: Nikola Shahpazov
Music:
Reigen - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iti1K50yUPQ
Abel und Kain - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-6PwFsA7FY
Hoffnung - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_C23IZJSzY
A new German neofolk project always has my interest. Especially when they are released by Eis & Licht, who don't often add new artists to their roster. Nebelung comes from Bonn in the 'Ruhrgebiet', a grey industrial area which forms a sharp contrast with the forests depicted on the green digipack. The band is actually a duo, consisting of singer Stefan Otto who also plays most of the instruments (guitar, flutes, percussion) and guitarplayer Thomas List. They are supported by a few guest musicians on accordion, drums and strings).
Their style reminds me of acts like Forseti, Empyrium, Neun Welten and the early work of Orplid. That means rather traditional acoustic folk music, mainly carried by strumming guitar and further adorned by flutes and strings. The music has a romantic feeling, which is not only stressed by the melancholic vocals, but also by the lyrics taken from Baudelaire, Von Hofmannsthal and Nietzsche, dealing with nature, love and Sehnsucht.
The style of Nebelung is not highly original and they are not in the same league of Forseti or Orplid yet. Nevertheless this mini cd with six tracks leaves a positive impression. It is solid handwork and their intentions sound honest. The most convincing track is probably the warm and melodic, Forseti-like sounding 'Kain und Abel'. The uptempo instrumental 'Misteltein' is also worthwhile, this could appeal to fans of the acoustic folk-metal projects from the Prophecy label. I'm looking forward to see this new group live at this year's Wave Gotik Treffen.
-Funprox (06.07.2006)
Nebelung is back with a new release. After their debut mcd ‘mistelteinn’ on Eis & Licht, the German neo-folk group now presents two new tracks on a vinyl single. Only 250 copies are available of ‘Reigen’. The title track is a pleasant romantic folksong. Nice acoustic guitar playing, a clear melody, sensitive male vocals in German, a down-to-earth, natural feeling. Like the label already admitted itself, the resemblance to Forseti is striking. But I don’t consider that to be a reproach, since it’s an attractive song and there are worse examples.
The B-side ‘Herbstwind’ is a bit less to my liking. It’s fully instrumental and contains a sort of elaborate acoustic guitar duet, a bit in line with later Empyrium releases.
All in all nothing extraordinary, just a nice single. I wonder if Nebelung would be capable of creating an interesting full-lenght album, perhaps time will tell.
Author: HD
-Heathen Harvest (14.10.2005)
Eis & Licht has a firm reputation based on releasing highly anticipated and appreciated neofolk music from predominately-German musicians. When a new artist is showcased on the Eis & Licht label, it is definitely an occurrence that demands ones attention. Eis & Licht recently signed the newly formed German neofolk artists Nebelung for the release of the bands debut mini CD titled Mistelteinn. Nebelung are relative new comers to the genre though they bring a mature sound. Stationed in the German city of Bonn, Nebelung is comprised of multi instrumentalist singer Stefan Otto and fellow guitarist Thomas List. Four guest musicians who contribute string arrangements, drums and accordion respectively join the two founding members of Nebelung on Mistelteinn.
Mistelteinn is comprised of five neofolk / neoclassical compositions. The text of each song is comprised of lyricism taken from writers Friedrich Nietzsche, Charles Baudelaire, and Hugo Hofmannsthal. The lyrics grant the songs a textual reference to neo-romanticism that gently compliments the natural acoustic melodies of the music. The music featured on Mistelteinn is a thoughtful construction of neofolk and neoclassical elements with a strong infusion of standard neofolk song structures. Comparisons could be made with established neofolk musicians working within the context of neofolk / neoclassical fusion such as Dies Natalis, Forseti, and Empyrium. Though comparisons can be drawn, the music of Nebelung remains an original and mature offering.
Mistelteinn begins with a short instrumental introduction titled “Heimsuchung.” From the very first notes of the guitar and the long-winded cello, you recognize the talent and beauty of this release. The guitar and cello play in coordination creating a shimmering tapestry of acoustic music that strains with emotion and expression. Gentle male vocals sing over the instrumental duo with sensitivity conveying a romantic masculinity and introspection. The compositional elements are rather simple but the results are nothing short of mesmerizing. The cello plays a sad deep song while the guitar sparkles and drifts creating an uplifting juxtaposition to the deep lament of the cello. A flute joins the music floating across the guitar like a vagrant breeze blowing through a shade dappled forest. “Heimsuchung” achieves a delicate balance between instrumentation, sentiment, and beauty that so many bands strive for but often fall short of achieving. There is nothing forced or over emphasized within the music, rather the song flows like a gurgling stream free and uninhibited.
“Mistelteinn” is the fourth song on the album and it grants the listener an opportunity to hear the band play an all-acoustic composition free of vocals. The music is once again composed of entwining guitar and cello along with dramatic drums. The song begins with an enchanting and rather sophisticated guitar and cello arrangement that moves through several deep moods. Strong thunderous drumming disturbs the instrumental duo’s elaborate dance of nearly two minutes. The drums bear down upon the composition with a stern force that redirects the music from a lingering escapade into a driving force. The guitar and cello surge forward keeping pace with the deep drums while a second guitar flirts above the pulsing rhythm like a bird soaring above a battlefield.
The final track “Heimatlos” illustrates a different facet of the music of Nebelung as the romantic layers of instrumentation are drawn back in preference of a more forceful acoustic set that emphasizes heroic vocals and somber drumming. “Heimatlos” launches quite directly with hard guitar strumming, snare drums, and deep bass drumming. The impression is slightly martial though not quite bombastic. The glittering guitar and saddened cello that defined previous tracks is shelved as the band moves in the direction of bands such as Death In June or Barditus. The vocals are stern and masculine as the singer delivers a powerful song marked by a vocal restraint not shown in other songs. His voice is deep and slightly more monotone communicating a sense of purpose and directness. The guitar is linear as well, playing a very direct and simple role as the drums and voice tend to define the track with the accompaniment of a very rapidly played violin. The violin is played fast lending a sense of anxiety to the rather somber song. I was very excited to hear this side of Nebelung as previous songs showed the bands ability to engage beauty and delicacy, “Heimatlos” demonstrates a harder side of the band that really taps into the martial tone of neofolk music without compromising the bands identity or originality.
I was highly impressed with Nebelung’s debut offering. If Mistelteinn is any sign of what Nebelung has in store for us then I for one will be anxiously awaiting their full-length debut release. In an ever-growing genre, Nebelung has delivered an original and relevant album that is sure to please and seduce even the most demanding neofolk music listeners. If you have not yet obtained a copy of Mistelteinn act fast as the album has had time to circulate and it is a limited addition pressing. Act now or pay outrageous prices later when you realize what you missed and have to seek out a copy on EBay!
Author: Malahki Thorn
-Chronicles of Chaos (10.10.2005)
Neo folk, and its German subdivision in particular, has always been obsessed with the untamed beauty of deep woods and mountains, so all the forest imagery in Mistelteinn's cover art comes as little surprise. And indeed, _Nebelung_ sounds as natural as it gets, employing acoustic instruments exclusively to deliver five songs that would fit a cozy fireplace during a winter night perfectly. The music itself is simple, stripped to the very bone, yet effective and memorable. The backbone of all tracks is formed by the dual acoustic guitars and Stefan Otto's clean chants -- which tend to be good, though far from distinguishing. Additional instruments involved include accordion, flute and cello, making tracks like "Mistelteinn" and "Heimatlos" quite similar to the more widely known sound of neo folk masters Orplid and Forseti. Lyrical inspiration has been sought in the usual places: classic European poetry and philosophy, namely Charles Baudelaire, Friedrich Nietzsche and Hugo von Hofmannsthal. All in all, _Mistelteinn_ is an enjoyable album, lacking distinctive personality though it might be.
8 out of 10
Author: Nikola Shahpazov
-Music:
Reigen - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iti1K50yUPQ
Abel und Kain - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-6PwFsA7FY
Hoffnung - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_C23IZJSzY
Foxpiper
~foxpiper
I have both of Nebelung's albums. They are a great neofolk band.
Neofolkfurs
~neofolkfurs
OP
True.Very melancholic and near nature music, wonderful.
