The title translates to "Ashes to Ashes, indeed" and it's how I feel about where Blutengel stands musically right now. (Asche zu Asche was one of the singles off the 2015 album, Omen)
I don't mind or fear change, especially in art. You can only do the same thing for so long before it gets stale and becomes tiresome. Ever since Monument in 2013, Chris Pohl has been implementing new elements into Blutengel's music. More orchestral sounds, they started touring with live drummers, guitarists and bassists. Not inherently bad, it sounds nice and it's fresh.
They also did Black Symphonies: An Orchestral Journey, in which select tracks were reworked with claasical instrumentation. They did a tour for that, too. It wasn't my cup of tea. It sounded great when I first read about it, but it just didn't translate for me. Goth club songs don't have the same feel that way and it just reached too far for me.
With bringing all these things together, its all sort of found its way into the base product and the live shows and I'm just not feeling any of it... I haven't heard Omen in its entirety, so I'm not going to judge it, but I did listen to a bootleg of the 15 Jahre (Year) anniversary tour from Leipzig and just...no...
So many of the old tracks and even the newer ones have acoustic accompaniments and all this crap that isn't anything this band has ever done or been about. Some of the songs (Especially Black Roses) benefit from the live drums and keep their old identities alive, but I heard a version of Über den Horizont (Over the Horizon) that sounded so unecessesarily overdone that I just couldn't believe my ears.
It was plenty somber in electronic form, it didn't need acoustic guitar and stupid wind chimey crap. I understand the need for change and growth, but I also understand when its time to move on and I think I'm at that point now.
I'm not one of those fans that plays the "they sold out" card. I don't listen to things because they're "unpopular" or "underground", I listen to them because they're unique and they speak to me. And yes, Blutengel is bigger than ever before and as such there's more pressure to make a more universally embraced type of music. That isn't MY type of music and therefore I'd rather just keep the good memories.
Reibun~
I don't mind or fear change, especially in art. You can only do the same thing for so long before it gets stale and becomes tiresome. Ever since Monument in 2013, Chris Pohl has been implementing new elements into Blutengel's music. More orchestral sounds, they started touring with live drummers, guitarists and bassists. Not inherently bad, it sounds nice and it's fresh.
They also did Black Symphonies: An Orchestral Journey, in which select tracks were reworked with claasical instrumentation. They did a tour for that, too. It wasn't my cup of tea. It sounded great when I first read about it, but it just didn't translate for me. Goth club songs don't have the same feel that way and it just reached too far for me.
With bringing all these things together, its all sort of found its way into the base product and the live shows and I'm just not feeling any of it... I haven't heard Omen in its entirety, so I'm not going to judge it, but I did listen to a bootleg of the 15 Jahre (Year) anniversary tour from Leipzig and just...no...
So many of the old tracks and even the newer ones have acoustic accompaniments and all this crap that isn't anything this band has ever done or been about. Some of the songs (Especially Black Roses) benefit from the live drums and keep their old identities alive, but I heard a version of Über den Horizont (Over the Horizon) that sounded so unecessesarily overdone that I just couldn't believe my ears.
It was plenty somber in electronic form, it didn't need acoustic guitar and stupid wind chimey crap. I understand the need for change and growth, but I also understand when its time to move on and I think I'm at that point now.
I'm not one of those fans that plays the "they sold out" card. I don't listen to things because they're "unpopular" or "underground", I listen to them because they're unique and they speak to me. And yes, Blutengel is bigger than ever before and as such there's more pressure to make a more universally embraced type of music. That isn't MY type of music and therefore I'd rather just keep the good memories.
Reibun~
I like this post. Not because you're leaving one of your favorite bands behind, that sucks. I like it because you took the high road. So many people just turn on a dime when stuff like this happens. "Fuck them! Fucking sellouts are just in it for the money!" It's really sad and kinda pathetic. But you made your case and did it respectfully. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd just to throw my two cents in, I don't find the newer stuff to be ugly or bad, but you're right. It doesn't sound a thing like their old stuff. And the whole vampire theme seems to have completely gone out the window.
Love you, Reibun! I'm sure you'll find something new to love just as much! XOXO ♥♥♥
I kinda feel basically the same way about EA, but with a healthy dose of what the fuck with all the overpriced merch whoring. I prefer Opheliac EA, with a side of Enchant, and while I like FLAG as well, I hate the costumes and the dippy movies she's been sort of vaguely in. I'm just done. If she doesn't come out with new stuff, that's okay. I'll still have my older EA things and be happy with those. On that note, woooooohoo Halestorm! haha Love you!
ReplyDeleteI totally get the EA thing. When she really came into her own with Opheliac, she tapped something special. This whole market of outcasts, goth chicks, whatever that didn't have that angry female voice to speak for them. The whole Victoriandustrial music style was so limited at the time, too, and she made that more widespread. Then she just sorta left it all hanging. EP's, singles, cover/classical albums aren't what those fans wanted, not what I wanted, either. Opheliac was so varied in just about every way an album could be. It was almost too good to be duplicated.
ReplyDeleteThe costume choice for FLAG was atrocious and she pushed that feminism button a little too hard for me. It was a great album, but it lacked the overall theme that Opheliac had. It was like "The title track is the theme, and here's some random crap." All the "Reprise" instrumentals, the lack of harpsi, violin, I dunno. Didn't recapture the magic.
It's like she's in this confused limbo right now. Broadway, movies, writing books and none of it is going anywhere fast. She's got her fangirls who will hang on forever, but most of the Opheliac fans have moved on, FLAG didn't sell as well and she'll be an afterthought barring a musical revival of epic proportions. Such a waste of talent...
I'm so frustrated with music in general. I mostly just listen to the same stuff I've been listening to for years now. I've found SOME new stuff, but it's like a single here, an EP there, nothing to sustain me longterm.
And thank you for your comment, Lacey, honey! :3 I really did put some thought in before I did it. I love this band and all their music has done for me, I'm just not feeling the current stuff.
Love you both! :33333 *Hugs*
Reibun~