Sturmpercht — Bergentrückt
The release appeared in three formats: A vinyl box set featuring three single sided LP ‘s in heavy weight cover, which came a edition of 230 copies. A CD inside a wooden box, which came in a edition of 300 copies. And a standard unlimited CD edition that comes in a A5 sized digpak slip case- I’m reviewing the standard edition of the release.
The album features twelve tracks in all, and these last between three & a half mintues, and fifteen & a half mintues. And as already mentioned this album as a whole has a very much darker, often dense, and more experimental/ darkly psychedelic vibe present through-out. Though it still remains a varied affair mixing together dark folk, with moody metal/post rock touches, heady mix of ambience & forest based field recordings, dark & rural tinged industrial/noise elements. Cinematic acoustic guitar & organ drifts that bring to mind Popol Vuh’s more acoustic based film soundtrack work, brooding Accordion waltzes, mixes of twanging rock/ dark country music, the odd hint of subtle electro beats, sampled yodelling ‘n’ cow bells, and beyond.
The album flows very nicely from track to track, so you do really feel like you are on a sonic journey through a season shifting woodland landscape- hearing first one moody & blacked fairy tale after another. For the most part this is a consistent & rewarding set of tracks, with each track having it’s own rewarding, darkly moody & creative elements- so it’s difficult to chose highlights, but here are a few of my present favourite moments: The eerier, chilling & off kilter air of “Vieräugl” which mixes together whispered-to- theatrical Germanic vocals, brooding forest horn bays, distant churning junk elements, locked tolling guitar tone & retro organ drone, bell tollings, & moody field record mix of wood creaking’s, bird songs, & rope twistings. The whole track builds to mind altering psychedelic dense-ness, before drifting back to just moody forest ambience & spoken word elements.
“Das Letzte Licht” which opens with a mix of rushing stream field recordings & retro 70’s tinged hovering drone matter, before moving onto a sombre marching mix of retro organ simmer & drift, moody 'n' chanted males chours, and whisper Germanic vocals. Then the track moves into a more dark folk meets twanging guitar 'n' dark accordion swing, before adding in subtle tumbing ‘n’ thumbing brew of organic & electro beats, then it fades back to just ambience & water rushing field recordings once more.
The moody & persistently troubled vibe of “Winterstille” which mixers together weaves of strummed acoustic guitars, melancholic flute trails, brooding accordion buzz, winter wind field recordings, and very atmospheric old man spoken word vocals.
“Bergentrückt” is yet another rewarding chapter in Sturmpercht discography, and it shows once more the band subtle shifting & developing their most distinctive sound.
It’s a real pity I didn’t hear this when it originally appeared last year, as it clearly would have featured in my best of 2013 list. Anyway if you have any interest in moody forest bound folk, with distinctive & creative edges-this is a must have item!