"Covering for Solace", a debut album of a Königsberg-based band "Sunset Wings", is a widely opened window to the world of neo-folk music. Inspired by pearls of English romantic poetry together with traditional ballads of the British isles and the art of Pre-Raphaelites as well, this album takes you to a marvelous journey in the land of children dreams, sweet sorrow and melancholy. Silver strings of acoustic guitars and tender violin, deep cello sounds and warm flute, harmonica, brilliant piano, brightly sparkling percussion and music-boxes create a golden setting for the gems of William Blake, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Rudyard Kipling, Thomas Lovell Beddoes.. Lulled by Kipling's "White Seal" and gentle MacManus' "Softly now the Burn is Rushing", you will be dipped into a sleep together with nature in Rossetti's "Proserpine", feel the inexpressible sorrow of the loss of a lover in his "Death-Parting" and John Gay's "Ballad". Falling leaves and snow cover the earth, waving trees speak with a breeze. Would the echo sigh Farewell? Whom should we pray now? And should we?
But nevertheless the flowers are dying, pure souls are on their path to the immortal light, and melancholy is perceived as a possibility to create a beauty around us. Despite the sorrow of lyrics the music of this album more often is rather bright and fulfilled with sweet nostalgic melancholy, it should bring solace and serenity to the tired hearts. "Covering for Solace" is a river of caressing tenderness, the river of enchanting melodies that flows "amid the beaming of love's stars" to the sea of Harmony under the eastern sky..
With it's particular sound and temper, "Sunset Wings" will definitely take it's place among famous Russian dark-folk bands, such as "Neutral" and "Romowe Rikoito" (some of "Romowe Rikoito" musicians were invited to take part in this record). All the fans enchanted by the musical craft of Mr. Michael Cashmore won't be dissapointed as well.
Comes in a 4 panel Digipack with 12 pages booklet including all the lyrics and charming paintings by Natalia Krutcina.
Released by Wrotycz Records.

„Ostrakon“ (Tonscherbe) ist bereits das zweite Album der Neofolk-Band aus Leipzig innerhalb eines Jahres, womit das Duo um Wynia und KAPO zu den veröffentlichungsfreudigsten Formationen dieser Szene zählt, ohne dabei an Klasse und songschreiberischen Fähigkeiten zu verlieren. Dabei war die Meßlatte, die In Scherben sich mit „Erlenkönige“ selbst gesetzt haben, schon extrem hoch. Auch „Ostrakon“ ist ein Album, das den Geist der deutschen Aufbruchstimmung des deutschen Neofolk und Bands wie Dies Natalis, Darkwood und Forseti verbreitet, dabei aber mittlerweile einen eigenen Charakter gefunden hat. Dies liegt zum einen an der weiblichen Stimme Wynias, die eine zusätzliche Klangfarbe ins Spiel bringt, aber auch an den vollkommen unpolitischen Texten des Duos, die sich vielmehr mit den Themen des Aufbruchs zu einer besseren Gesellschaft, der Natur, der Literatur und der inneren Selbstfindung beschäftigen. Wie weit In Scherben den Begriff des Neofolk fassen, zeigt dann auch ein Stück wie „Theatrum Europaeum Introitus“ von Deutsch-Südost, die vor geraumer Zeit den linkspolitischen Teil der Myspace-Community mit Witz und scharfer Zunge gehörig aufgemischt haben. Lieder wie „Spiegel“, „Sturm und Sterben“ oder „Heimweh“ sind zeitlose Neofolkhymnen und werden sicher auf offene Ohren stossen. Die CD ist limitiert auf 100 Exemplare und kann über
bezogen werden.

Label: Antica Fonografia Il Levriero
Catalog#: LEV05
Format: CD, Album, Digibook
Country: Italy
Released: Jun 2009
Genre: Electronic, Rock
Style: Folk Rock, Prog Rock, Neofolk
Credits: Bass - Azoth
Cello, Double Bass - Stefania P.
Music By, Arranged By, Choir, Guitar [Classic] - Fabio Gremo
Music By, Choir, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar - Fabio Carfagna
Percussion, Choir, Accordion - Davide La Rosa
Piano, Choir - Giuseppe Spanò
Recorded By, Mixed By, Percussion, Programmed By, Music By - Francesco La Rosa
Trumpet - Roby Nappi Calcagno
Viola - Tommaso F.
Violin [First & Second] - Fabio P.*
Vocals, Lyrics By, Music By - Stefania T. D'Alterio
Vocals, Lyrics By, Music By, Arranged By, Choir, Other [Concept] - Mercy (5)
Notes: Packaged in a 28-page oversize digibook with hardback cover.

1.这是Sol Invictus 最经典的专辑(没有之一),从此她成为新民谣的样板教科书。由这张专辑开始，Sol Invictus的“管弦乐团小分队”成为了新潮流，这种逐渐淡化吉他、加重其他弦乐比例的作法直到现在依然是Neo-folk不二法门。专辑中的Stay、Fall Like Rain、An English Garden等都是Sol Invictus巡唱必备曲目。
2.此时是Sol Invictus阵容最整齐的时刻，Karl Blake、Eric Roger、Nick Hall及David Mellor。Tony Wakeford动用了两台小提琴，专辑插画由美国著名艺术家Tor Lundvall完成，这也是其第一次以唱片专辑为主题创作，而此后Eric Roger、Karl Blake逐渐淡出Sol Invictus,前者专注于自己的新团Gaë Bolg,后者和David Mellor转向Tursa和Durtro(分别是Tony Wakeford和David Tibet个人的厂牌)的幕后工作。
3.专辑词曲由Tony Wakeford一手包办，这是一张献给爱的恋曲，是身在英伦雨季伤感的人心路历程的独白。Tony Wakeford自比为漂浮在空气中的灰尘，没有爱情将会失去自己的灵魂，而只有在雨中，才能得到滋润体现自己，但也仅仅是倏忽之间的快感。专辑起承很大，Tony Wakeford用时而平静，时而阴沉绝望的嗓音为自己的爱情歌唱，就像‘In the Rain’讲述恋爱关系；‘Fall like rain’ 探讨人类；‘Oh what Fun’ 对自杀的理解，围绕着爱与背叛的主题而完成一部伟大的雨中街头剧。
4.这张专辑自1995年发行后，先后被各个大小厂牌不停的remastered，比如俄罗斯的Infinite Fog、德国的Dark Vinyl等，每年都会传出再版的消息，但各路厂牌甚至听众依然乐此不疲。
这就是前无古人后无来者、死亡民谣史上的奇葩——Sol Invictus的IN THE RAIN。

Forseti 是德国的neo folk乐队。在德国的神话传说里, Forseti是维护公平与正义的神. 他从他的父亲Balder那里继承了正义与果断。为了这个原因, Asen让他成为最高的执法者。任何需要寻求解决争议, 或者希望得到明智判决的人都会来到位于一座辉煌宫殿的金色大厅里的Forseti的座下。没有人会带着不公平的决断离开Forseti的辉煌的神殿。每个人都会对得到的判决很满意, 因为这位神的裁决者会用明智的言辞彬彬有礼地解决人类的争端。所以, 有人说, 无论对人类还是对神族, 这都是最好的法庭。无论在舞台上还是录音室里, Forseti都不会使用电声设备。纯粹的原声音乐会给人温暖和情感。他们受到了德国浪漫主义和关于天然世界的诗歌--"大自然的歌词"的影响, 大自然在我的生命中扮演了重要的角色, 尤其是在现代的一切为消费者服务的宗旨和普通的社会给我们巨大的压力的时候。传统和文化的影响力越来越淡, 生命的体验和与生俱来的自由变得越来越压抑,这一点尤其体现在德国这个越来越难以探索你自己的神奇历史的国度。Forseti他们自己亦不讳言越来越对东方的魔法, 异教, 北方的传说和古代文明感兴趣. 这些影响被在写进了歌词里, 但无论如何Forseti不会对在歌曲里表达政治观点。

Three years after their first album "Vergessene Pfade," Neun Welten again elicit their natural folk sounds out of the dark depths of the forests and into the light of the music world. It now becomes clear that the mythologically named band's decision to take their time to work on "Destrunken" — the successor to their highly acclaimed debut — was more than right. With "Destrunken" — an imaginary word solely designed to inspire multiple associations and emotions —, these nature mystics offer a sophomore of impressive coherence and characteristic compositions, delighting and enchanting their listeners once more with mystical and melancholic folk odes.
With its elegiac chords, 'Frosthauch' introduces the new album, which by virtue of its emotional depth could manage to bridge the gap left by Empyrium. Like this project that unfortunately called it a day, Neun Welten base their compositions on primordial folk roots, but complete their melancholic, crepuscular song material with numerous details, ideas, and unexpected turns, thus weaving an atmospheric density that simply renders it impossible to not take notice. A prime example for that is the two-part title track many will know from their tours with Tenhi and Dornenreich: 'Destrunken I & II' offer a dramatic build-up and oppressive intensity you rarely find in other folk bands.
"Destrunken" is topped of by a masterful artwork courtesy of Fursy Teyssier (Alcest, Les Discrets, Amesoeurs), designed on the basis of the music to perfectly complement the album's various moods on the visual level.
Empyrium may have left a legacy that's hard to match, yet "Destrunken" proves that their loss is not irretrievable, despite the sheer genius of the creators of Empyrium — this album is a sophomore somewhere between folk, classical music, and wonderful settings of nature, raising a worthy monument to the world beyond the cities. An acoustic hike through the forest you won't forget. In perpetuity woods.

Neun Welten是德国Neofolk的一支新乐队，与最近致力于促Neofolk音乐和艺术的Auerbach Tontrger签约，Neun Welten首次发行了一张名为“Valg”的MCD，有三首歌曲，可以给予听者将这张专辑作为介绍他们的一个机会。
Neun Welten的首张唱片，音乐是如此的迷人和充满才能，我们可能获得更多的想象空间。Neun Welten由两位非常有才能的女歌手和三位将长笛、小提琴、大提琴、单簧管、鼓一起演奏的乐手组成，关于乐队成员的资料是有限，但通过这三首作品我们可能感受到他们初期的音乐训练与丰富的音乐阅历。
Neun Welten的音乐是从自然、北欧与德意志神话中获取灵感的，Neun Welten将自然界神秘力量与在一个时期内人们更接近于这种自然界神秘力量而产生的神话相结合。由于太多的音乐家的出现，进入日耳曼舞台而影响Neofolk音乐是很困难的，但Neun Welten肯定能在未来投入更多精力而最终成为领头军乐队的一员。

Leafblade | Artist*
Beyond, Beyond | Release Title*
Full-length | Release Type*
2009 | Year*
Atmospheric Acoustic Celtic Folk | Style*
England | Country*
Angelic Recordings / Aftermath Music | Label*
MySpace URL:

Accompanied by psychedelic guitar riffs, this album is far more
song-based than their debut album and Seelenlicht follows the
neoclassical path with sophistication and dynamism.
From the social abyss of humanity and bittersweet murder
ballads, to dark rune-prayers and the absurdity and brutality of
World War One upon the bloody fields of Flandersé 'Love and
Murder' also devotes attention to Romantic literature by setting
to music the poetry of Novalis and Percy Bysshe Shelley.
Guests including Dev (While Angels Watch), Josef Klumb (Von
Thronstahl) and Wulf Ingessunu (Woden's Folk) complete the
apocalyptic cocktail of darkfolk and neoclassical.

Label: Cold Spring
Catalog#: CSR86CD
Format: CD, Album, Digipak
Country: UK
Released: Mar 2008
Genre: Electronic
Style: Modern Classical, Neofolk

德国森林金属乐团99年经典专辑

The Essential Leonard Cohen is a career-spanning collection of Leonard Cohen songs released in 2002. It is part of Sony BMG's The Essential series.
The songs are arranged in chronological order; all studio albums released before 2002 are represented, except the 1977 album Death of a Ladies' Man. All tracks were digitally remastered by Leonard Cohen and Bob Ludwig.
The album was re-released in August 2008, as part of The Essential 3.0 series, with an extra disc of previously not included tracks (presented as the selection of "fans' favorite" songs).
Lenoard cohen比beatles和rolling stone早出生近10年，比猫王还要早一年。30几岁的时候他还没出过唱片，不过他已经成为一名小说家和诗人。他在文学上的造诣要远远盛于Bob Dylan，不过在演唱上的吸引力要逊于Dylan。 《The Favorite Game》 (1963) 和《Beautiful Losers》 (1966)这两本小说奠定了他的名誉，他开始写歌，这些早期的歌曲就吸引了人的注意。
民谣天才Judy Collins在60年代的中期崛起，她翻唱Cohen的Suzanne，受到了极大的欢迎。于是她说服Cohen参加她的巡回民谣演唱。他于1967年的夏天在Newport Folk Festival（新港民谣节）初次登台演出，随后在纽约举办个人演唱会，在CBS网络电视台上朗诵他的诗歌。同时男演员/歌手Noel Harrison凭借“Suzanne”打入排行榜。 之后Cohen签约哥伦比亚唱片公司，在1968年的时候发行了他的第一张专辑《The Songs of Leonard Cohen》，也许因为其中忧伤的主题，他立即在民谣界确立地位。并且在大学中赢得了广大的听众群。《The Songs of Leonard Cohen》是Cohen最为贴近听众的一张专辑。他的下一张专辑《Songs from a Room 》(1969)表达了同样的主题，但是没有被广泛的接受。其中“Bird on a Wire” 和“The Story of Isaac”具有同“Suzanne”一样的水准。《Songs of Love and Hate 》(1971)是他的第三张专集，这张专辑中他对于自己的作品松弛的表现，破坏了他过去的形象与地位。尽管“Joan of Arc”和“Famous Blue Raincoat”这两首作品很出色。《 I'm Your Man 》(1988) 也极受欢迎。
从乡村歌手Johnny Cash到另类摇滚R.E.M.，大家都喜欢翻唱他的歌。Cohen是一代又一代不同流派歌手崇拜与模仿的对象。
《The Essential Leonard Cohen》是SONY在2002年发行的精选唱片。