Allerseelen — Terra Incogninta

Since the late 1980’s Austrian project Allerseelen have been creating their own distinctive brand of Folk & Industrial music, which along the way has seen the band dip its toe in many different genre waters taking in elements of Metal, traditional Germanic folk, world music influences, avant garde pop, jazz and many others.  With their new album Terra Incogninta, the band offer up a selection of old & new tracks which highlight the bands unequal sound & their seemingly effortless ability to mix in varied musical genre traits into their trademark sound, and make them their own.

The last time we heard from Allerseelen new album wise was 2010’s Rauhe Schale- this saw the band going for a darker, grey & rough sonic feel, mixing a stronger bass & guitar focus with harsh electrionca, industrial textures & beats. I sadly found the whole thing a little one dimensional, and often lacking the project’s past ability to create memorable, creative, and layered tracks.  So when I saw there was a new album in the works, I was some what apprehensive- I wondered would it follow further down the path set out by Rauhe Schale?, would it return to their past glories? Or would it head off some where completely new?  well I guess the answer is a bit of all of the above.

The album offers up 15 tracks in all- with six new versions of old tracks, mixed amongst the nine new tracks. The album opens with the first of the new versions of old track, and this comes in the shape of "Steingeburt"- which originally appeared on the 2003 Maxi-Single Pedra.  This new version mixes together churning guitar & wondering indie/ goth bass with the original tracks sampled string swoon- all in all it’s a interesting balancing act between the fairly lose, shambolic, and rough bass/ guitar elements,  and the lush  & dark yet  harmonic string swoon. Next we have the first new track "Fliegerlied", and this mixes together a Industrial/ electronica background beat map with rising & dramatic synth horn melody, bass & guitar elements, and lead singers Gerhard’s distinctive  Germanic vocals- I must say this track is a great mix of Rauhe Schale key elements with the more interesting, creative & memorable elements of old. And I guess you’d say from  here on  the rest of album brings together Rauhe Schale guitar ‘n’ bass focus, with the more old school elements, with a few new twists.

A few of my favourite moments come in the form of  the new version "Flamme", which see the band take this 1999’s original  which mixed together murky/ sluggish bass dirge, sing-song female gemanic vocals, and looped crow call. And transform it into an up-beat mix of sampled swinging jazz horn loop, layered electrionic & organic percussion, and wondering bass guitar line-all topped off with a surprisingly animated Gerhard vocal.
"From The Emptiness", which layers together a lazy yet playful melodic harmonica like sample, weaves of string swooned keyboard work,  tight ‘n’ noisily dramatic guitar chugs , and what sounds like a dialogue sample of the late Leonard Nimoy talking about how we come & go from emptiness.
"Neunmondmesser" which melds together tightly sampled almost psycho like string instrument-neck textures, throbbing & moody guitar/ bass stabs,  thick heart beat like percussion, and a haunting almost cinematic melody line.

All in all Terra Incogninta is a  satisfying return to form from Allerseelen, with Gerhard & his band members showing  they  still have much to offer. All making this well worth picking up for both old & new fans alike!.