The German outfit, Nebelung, play dark folk music with a wistful edge and ethereal beauty that can only be heard to be believed. Their album, ‘Palingenesis’ comprises six, epic-length tracks which explore a sound that belongs to another world altogether, where nature rather than man has the upper hand and where the ever-encroaching destruction of civilisation has yet to hold its sway. As a result the music is timeless, rooted in classical styles that have resonated down through the centuries and which are here augmented and refined by an act of particular power. Some two years in the making, this is not a commercial enterprise but a labour of love by an act who have clearly put every element of their own being into this remarkable album and the result is, quite honestly, astonishing.
It takes the opening track, ‘Mittwinter’ just a few minutes to permeate through the weary veil of cynicism most of us adopt when faced with a new act and penetrate to the very core of one’s being, utilising an insistent melody which is built up, in a tactic frequently employed by the Swans, via repetition and augmentation until it reaches a stunning climax before fading back into the mists from which it came. It is an awe-inspiring scene setter which speaks of wisdom handed down by the ancients and melodies developed in connection with the very power of nature itself. ‘Polaris’ is no less wondrous, evoking the lush orchestral work of Howard Shore (lord of the rings / the hobbit) who similarly built upon folk and Celtic themes with Oscar-winning success. However, whilst Shore’s work was, perhaps, more effective in tandem with the visuals of the film, the success of Nebelung is the vast expanses which the music evokes in one’s mind and the vocals, where they permeate quietly into the music, are half-whispered laments that leave much to the imagination, the music drawing the listener on an intense, private journey that is shared only with the musicians. It is a mesmerising experience.
Once drawn into Nebelung’s world, you will not want to leave until the album has reached its conclusion. Like reading a good book, the listener is drawn in and retained, always wanting to see what is around the corner. Best appreciated lying back with the lights dimmed low, the music gently laps around the listener’s conscious, soothing frayed edges and whispering gentle, melancholic comfort. ‘Nachtgewalt’ is the album’s third track and, augmented by strings and a subtle beat, it is a work of heart-rending beauty that leaves the listener rent with emotion and rich, vibrant images of a world that has long since ceased to be. ‘Aufgang’ emerges from its predecessor with the rich warm sound of the cello to the fore. A lonely instrument, the cello often adds depth and poignancy to a composition, and here it is used sparingly to craft an atmosphere of longing that is rife with tension and despair before fading into the sound of pouring rain.
The heart of the album is surely the fifteen minute ‘Wandlung’, a track which recalls elements of Mogwai’s post rock beauty amidst its gently picked guitar work. It is impossible, truly, to relate the wealth of emotions and images conjured by this subtle, beguiling, wonderfully rich piece of music and, whether a paragraph or an essay, words fail when it comes to expressing the solemn beauty the band have conjured here.
The album ends with ‘innerlichkeit’, the perfect coda to the overall record and a simple moment of pastoral beauty in its own right. It confirms the initial belief that ‘Palingenesis’ is an album best listened to in full, preferably free from external distraction, as the music ebbs and flows across the six tracks. Music such as this does not belong to any time or even genre. You could call it folk, but there are also classical and post rock elements present and, in truth, the key is that this is music for the heart and soul, enlivening the imagination and painting a portrait of a world free from the crushing constricts of capitalism and construction. Music such as this takes you away from the cold reality of life and shows the world in a different life, the music both mourning what is now long lost and, perhaps, pointing to a glimmer of hope where humanity might regain its soul. Unutterably beautiful, no essay, however long, will ever do this release justice, but perhaps it suffices to say that if you have a passion for music in all its forms then Nebelung’s wondrous masterpiece is an essential piece to be added to your collection.
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