Nebelung - Palingenesis

Published February 10 2014

*=Staff's pick	Mittwinter Polaris Nachtgewalt Aufgang Wandlung Innerlichkeit

Genre	Acoustic/Melancholic	-	Vocals
Tracks	6	-	Guitar
Running time	52 Min.	-	Guitar
Label	Temple Of Torturous	-	Bass
Release	17 February 2014	-	Drums
Country	Germany	-	Keyboard
Producer	Thomas List
Similar artists	---

Personnel: Stefan Otto (classical guitar, steel-string acoustic guitar, piano accordion, Indian harmonium, hammered dulcimer, glass harp, frame drums, chimes, bells, rattles, voice), Thomas List (steel-string acoustic guitar, classical guitar), Katharina Hoffmann (cello). Additional personnel: Johannes Hönscheid (spoken lyrics, frame drums) and Karl Peters (guitars).

Palingenesis generally means two constantly plinking acoustic guitars throughout the entire record. It's saturated with a distinct mournful shadow and it's almost totally instrumental with a few whispers, hums and grunts that break the ice occasionally. I haven't checked out Nebelung's background, but I have a hard time to understand the album's musical intentions and to whom this effort may reach out to in our beloved world of heavy music.

I can't say that this is something that will arouse your energetic mode and it's undoubtedly nothing that I would choose to play to my friends at a party or any other event. With it's weaving woeful appearance, it connects more to loneliness and grief. Most people would probably lay this one to rest, even before they have come to the end and if I personally don't look at it in a positive perspective, I would find myself deeply depressed somewhere along the melancholic ride.

Naturally there are nuances in the songs, but the factor of variation leaves a deep canyon. When looking at the full fifty-two minutes, I see a hard truth telling me that most of it pretty much sounds the same, over and over again. On the other hand, what possibilities or options are given when you decide to stick to a limited type of appearance like this?

Finally, I must add that I most likely won't listen to this record again. It gives me no more than questions, wonderment and heavy eyelids. It's definitely an experience beyond the ordinary metal frames and some people could absolutely define this piece of music as this and that, but to me it just becomes a long walk to reach the end. Although a song or two would do, it just gets too much eventually.

Performance	Originality	Production	Vocals	Songwriting
6	9	6	-	4

Summary
2 chalices of 10 - Tobbe