Von Thronstahl — Conscriptum

Von Thronstahl has always been a bit of a mystery to me.  The name I’ve heard for years, but other than snippets of their songs on Cold Spring Records website, I haven’t delved into the catalog of their releases.  Call it fate, but here we have their latest release, a collection of early works, rare tracks, alternative versions of material released previously and unreleased material.

To start Von Thronstahl was formed in 1995 with the purpose to create music that would pertain to their ideal of a real European heritage, showing worth and firm values.  To the uninitiated Conscriptum is a good starting point. 

Conscriptum features 2 cds worth of material.  Starting with disc 1 it’s a primer for all things Von Thronstahl.  Yet at times it feels a bit muddled.  It’s not until the seventh track “Northern Sons Under Southern Skies” that it starts to sound like Von Thronstahl and not a tribute to Allerseelen.  Before that there is a heavy influence of Allerseelen and Sagittarius, so much so that it’s a bit tedious.

By the second cd though, things do turn around.  The main theme here is variety, from industrial to martial, neofolk and metal; each genre is deftly combined and a striking sound is created.   Some of the music that is produced here borders on magical, a fine mix of passion, emotion and musical ability. 

Lyrically we find some lyrics are taken directly from poems, interpretations of other artist’s songs or Von Thronstahl’s own creation.  With the exception of a few songs, everything is in German, which if you don’t understand German (but then again it could be a spring board to learn a new language) can be a bit complicated.

If you’re already a fan of Von Thronstahl, Conscriptum is a treasure of rarities and alternate versions.  If not it’s pretty much a cliff notes version for new fans.  A few high points but some uninspired low points as well.