Neun Welten - Vergessene Pfade

*=Staff's pick	Nebelung: - Valg - Walden - Nebelland* Nordwind: - Nahend Zauberwald - Auf Kargem Fels* - Svartalfheim Sonnwend: - Midsommer* - Tamtrollbach - Jötunheim* - Heidenacht (live)

Genre	Folk/Prog. Metal	Anja Hoevelman	Flutes, Clarinet
Tracks	10	Meinolf Mueller	Acoustic guitar
Runningtime	46 Min.	David Zaubitzer	Ac. guitar, Cello
Label	Prophecy Productions	Meinolf Mueller	Jews harp
Release	20 Oct. 2006	Marten Winter	Drums, Perc.
Country	Germany	Aline Deinert	Violin
Similar artists	Apocalyptica

Vergessene Pfade is the debut album from the german band Neun Welten, and excuse my rusty german but I think it translates into something like: "The Ninth World - Forgotten Paths". This band can be called bards for sure, inspired by the beauty of nature and nordic mythology they create some kind of dark folk music. It is the kind of music that makes you think of the mystic of the woods and they leave all the images created of their music to your imagination since it is practically an all-instrumental album.

In likeness with another recent release from Prophecy in the finnish band Tenhi, Neun Welten has created a soundtrack for the autumn as there is a sad and melancholic feeling that embraces the album. Neun Welten produces calm music, mostly mid-tempo or slower, and the influences from the nordic folk music are what come out as strongest. However, there is also a fair amount of celtic influences and seventies spaced out progressive music, but also traces of classic music as well as traditional heavy metal. Somehow, Neun Welten manage to interlace classical music and metal without really being near any of it, there are traces of classic baroque music and with melodies and structures you come close to metal, while still sounding as folk music. Many of the melodies and structures in the songs could easily be transformed into metal if played with a "regular" and electrified setting.

The lead is often carried by the violin in playful melodies and Neun Welten have created some really tasteful songs, and I like that they allow their acoustic folk music to be more of modern music as well, as a link between folk and metal without even being metal... It sounds confusing, I know. Despite the dreamy melodies I lack the essence of vocals, and with the song structures I could easily see vocals fit right in to Neun Welten's compositions. Vergessene Pfade is a relaxing album best enjoyed in small doses.

Production	Vocals	Compositions
5	-	6

Summary
5,5 chalices of 10 - Thomas