Markus Wolff is back with his remarkable pagan music project which from it’s start has stood out because of it’s succesful attempt to blend old Germanic pagan musical and literary tradition, employing the results of a thorough personal research into the true historical sources rather than fancy myth-making, with the eclecticism and technology of today, resulting in an unique sound which cannot be copied, also because Wolff’s trademark drumming and singing is something in itself.

For this record Markus Wolff was assisted by Aaron Garland on bass and S.D. Drumure on accordeon. The first track, Mein Blut, reminds me of the good old Gothic 80’s: a heavily flanged bass guitar and dramatic vocals with lots of delay, with a compelling drive holding it together. The next track, Staercke Uns, is divided in two parts, one on each side of the record. It’s a hypnotic incantation based on the slow pulse of a quiet drum, with layers of vocals drawing the listener into an atmosphere which evokes images of both a lost past and the sleeping forces beneath just waiting to come to life again.

The last track is called Stuerme and features a text by Friedrich Rueckert. Dominated by the uptempo battle-drums we know from the previous Waldteufel releases, this contrasts very well with the drony reverberations from the previous track. The processed sound of the accordeon adds something special to the song. It sounds almost comical, yet it stays clearly within the concept.

The overall production is a shade darker and gloomier than the previous Waldteufel releases. Also the starkness of the arrangements is a surprising aspect these recordings. The violin and cymbals which for example dominated much of the Heimliches Deutschland CD are completely absent here. I’m interested in how Waldteufel will develop from this record. Clearly this release indicates a new direction for Wolff and his friends. I wonder what the next release will bring. For now I’m quite content with playing Eines Gottes Spuhr very frequently, as this is a textbook case of a record which starts to reveal it’s hidden beauty after repeated listenings.

The packaging is beautiful: A purple gatefold cover with Markus Wolff’s distinctive artwork on the outside and atmospheric photographs of forest clearings on the inside. The vinyl itself is of the best quality, heavy and well-pressed. A curious detail is that side A plays at 33 1/3 rpm and side B at 45 rpm. This release is limited to 650 copies, so if this review arouses your interest you should lose no time in ordering your copy from Eis & Licht.

—JV