Almost five years went by, until the rockers from Liechtenstein appeared with a brand-new album and they fulfilled the high expectation, which laid at WELTENBRAND. Long lasting fans will get their money worth, in spite of a changed line-up and they can add “The End Of The Wizard” to their collection. Album No. 5 connects all the virtues, which you could have expected from the (meanwhile) sextet.
So the new compositions teem with beautiful melodies and bombastic choirs and also lyrically they abutted to the book of sagas from Liechtenstein. This is a combination, which couldn’t be that better and which perfectly into WELTENBRAND’s Image. Above all the exquisite songs, which have of course been worked out by mastermind Oliver Falk, are the gracile singings of Dina Zambelli and the dark, summoning vocals of Ritchie Wenaweser. The change between the pitches of those vocalists makes every single song appear as story brought to music and they take the listener into a world, far away of modern civilisation and daily problems. WELTENBRAND abduct you for more than 50 minutes out of one’s reality and presence and they invite you to dream and relax with them, but they offer enough variety that you won’t fall asleep after the second track. Indeed, the sextet won’t find any new friend at the common Rock and Metal camp, but if you are a friend of dark, romantic and absolutely un-kitschy Dark Gothic sound, your mouth will be watering within a few minutes.
The four years that “The End Of The Wizard” demanded, were used impressively and so you could call WELTENBRAND’s release as a genre’s masterpiece. The acoustic stories, legends and sagas are doubtless searching their peers and you might say that this album is (at least from the musical point) the highlight of their 10 year lasting career. It’s senseless to pick out single tracks, as “The End Of The Wizard” has to be understood as a total piece of art and that’s also how it works. The well-disposed fan or music lover should take some time to dive into the world of those Liechtensteiner. (Online February 14, 2007)
Alex E.
I had been listening to nothing but Extreme Metal on these last weeks and I have to say it was a sweet rest to receive this beautiful Dark Wave piece on the meanwhile. An incredibly calm ambient create this veteran sextet from Liechtenstein and I found on this album a dreamful passage to a quiet state of mind.
Although this album should please a lot fans of (so called) Gothic Metal, specially those who enjoy emotional bands like Leave's Eyes, Dark Sanctuary and L'ame Immortelle, WeltenBrand certainly have not any roots in Metal, but in Darkwave and Gothic Rock, so I confess it's very difficult to find musical references for this as I don't really domine those genres, but the listening of "The End Of The Wizard" had been one of my most pleasant musical experiences in a while.
A simple keyboard constructs the melodic base, while the violins give a fantastic Neo-Classical touch. I specially love the female vocals, because the sweet Dina Zambelli has a very fresh and natural voice, that sounds attached to the earth and calm, far from the overproduced angelical singing that domines the genre. By his side, the male vocalist Ritchie Wenaweser has also a very soft tune and both voices combine rather well. One important element on WeltenBrand's songwriting is the absence of guitars, so between the voices, keayboards and violins is built the whole music. On the other hand, an electronic-sounding drumming gives a very cold touch, blood chilling and making the music far more depressive than what it would be without it.
Somehow I feel that most of the TMO readers will let this album pass, because it is certainly not Metal. On the other hand, fans of highly melancholic music should find this very interesting and let me tell you that I am already looking for earlier material by WeltenBrand. (Online August 27, 2006)
Daniel
Liechtenstein's music scene might not be so well known but bands like WeltenBrand and Elis really make the difference since they have a lot to offer. I'm here to talk about WeltenBrand's latest effort, "The End Of The Wizard", which happens to be their 5th full-length release up to date after a big pause since 2001's "In Gottes Und Des Teufels Namen". Having found shelter under Napalm Records' secure veil, Oliver Falk's musical allurement has come to life once again, travelling you through the misty yet beautiful and devout forests of olden times with the only compass being the musical themes of the past reincarnated in the most appropriate way in the period we're running.
The style of WeltenBrand could be described as dark/neoclassical/medieval music that will haunt you with its serene intensity. The beauty that is being evoken through the 9 compositions of "The End Of The Wizard" will overrun your body and overwhelm your soul with doses of forlorn romance, melancholy, sadness and nightly visions in the most surrounding and magical way, leaving you no other option than drown gently somewhere in a night-lake of euphoria amidst the branches of the weeping trees. Every single instrument partaking in this seducing musical attempt blends together with the other ones so that the final outcome will be a burnt offering crafted in another space and time when everything was darker. Oliver Falk composes 9 mystic tunes that will haunt you for sure and through his utterly atmosphere evoking keyboard melodies he sets the pathway on which the rest of the band will step in order to achieve creating a sphere where every single far-away thought of the listener finally turns to reality.
The piano/keyboard work is just fabulous, never failing to sound tranquil or more imposing in its very own obscure way, sending shivers down your spine with the various sound-approaches Oliver Falk manages to work on. The violin passages are always present, harmonizing in an exceptional manner with the keyboard passages and the vocal lines, enriching the atmosphere even more and adding a more melancholic tone to the compositions. Ritchie Wenaweser and Dina Falk offer their vocal abilities in the most expressive and dramatic way, showing in their own way how qualified and emotional vocalists they are. Ritchie with his chanting and heart-rending interpretation (having a more gothic rock driven edge in terms of singing at times) allures your soul whereas Dina with her ethereal and bittersweet way of singing paints the portrait of your existence with dreary colours bearing a glimpse of the glowing moonlight embittered on the surface of the lake from which your tears come forth, each one of them offers his very own approach but the real magic is when their voices pace together, showing how beautifully they complete each other's exceptional voice! Apart from the atmosphere-evoking role of the aforementioned instruments the rhythm section makes its appearance to lend groove and depth in the sound of the band, although being a bit in the background of the final mix it's not a problem really since WeltenBrand's music is all about atmosphere.
Something really remarkable is the fact that there are times you feel like some heavy guitar riffing will make its appearance and escalate the emotional charge of the songs, but no, the guitars are not needed in "The End Of The Wizard" simply because the use of the instruments was conceived and expressed in such a wonderful manner that they tend to evoke a more powerful atmosphere despite their more fragile nature.
I personally loved "The End Of The Wizard" and every single composition leaves you wounded with a bitter remembrance carved on your skin. I'm pretty sure that you are going to adore and lose yourselves in the heart-rending "The End Of The Wizard" and "The French And The Wine", the intense and groovy "Bewitched Herds Boys", the doleful and ethereal "The Ghost Of New Year's Eve", the surrounding and magical "Question By The Night Ghost", the menacing and nightmarish "Foal In An Egg", the dreamy "Among Them", the gently melancholic "Overheard" and the ending reverie of "Gipsy Magic". Oh wait, did i just mention every composition consisting of "The End Of The Wizard"? Oh well, i think i did, but forgive me, it's WeltenBrand's "fault", they caused me to do this, i swear, i'm innocent, it's just the fact that their music is awesome!
If you're searching for some fabulous neoclassical/medieval oriented music then WeltenBrand should be one of the bands you must check, don't let them pass by, you don't know what you're going to miss and who knows, you may get the chance of finding the answer to the "question of the night ghost"...
DerRozzengarten
WeltenBrand is a remarkable darkwave ensemble hailing from the country of Lichtenstein. They were formed back in 1995 and created five albums since then. I was curious about their music for several years, but for some reason I never got to listen to it and fortunately I do now, as "The end of the wizard" is a very beautiful, atmospheric darkwave album consisting of magnificent, neoclassical compositions originating from synthesizers and violin parts. Also the piano accompaniment is great. Furthermore there are gothic elements, some background electro effects, heavenly female vocals, convincing male vocals and great percussions. "The end of the wizard" is a calm, non-metal album which reminds me of Lacrimosa ("Inferno") and symphonic darkwave acts such as Die Verbannten Kinder Eva's and Encryption, yet WeltenBrand has a distinctive, characterising sound which is both accessible and profound - a desirable combination! Moreover, the production is top-notch, very nice!
The absolute highlights of this album are for me: "The ghost of new year's eve" [2] and "Overheard" [8]. These songs consist of just gorgeous female vocals and enchanting atmospheric, orchestral melodies which really overwhelm me… I'm so impressed by these heavenly, melancholic sounds that I instantly considered these songs the most beautiful darkwave songs I've ever heard!!
The only one reservation I have about this album are some out-of-tune male vocals parts in "The French and the wine" [4] and especially in "The end of the wizard" [5]. These off key vocals are quite odd, while overall the male vocals are very good and stable. Strange. Anyway, let's further focus on the beauty of "The end of the wizard". Besides the mentioned highlights and minus points, this is a delicate opus filled with enchanting melodies and ditto vocals. This album will end up in the top of my favourite albums of 2006 and I'm very curious about WeltenBrand's previous albums. "The end of the wizard" is a must have for fans of symphonic darkwave and because of its accessibility it may appeal to supporters of various metal and non-metal genres.
I urge you to discover the splendid realm of WeltenBrand!
Thijs
A cold draft blows through this musky chamber, under the heavy wooden door and through long halls. This draft tickles the ears and one realizes it is no draft at all… it is music, faint at first, yet it grows ever more. It begins to consume you; one can feel each note in the very fiber of their existence! Every strings vibration, the beat of every drum, the blissful echoes… it becomes the nature of this subtle existence… this is WeltenBrand.
Liechtenstein should be very proud to house this neoclassical-esque darkwave beauty. As I have sit back and indulged in this audio excursion, I have been reminded of a time when I would stay up late and rock out to Danzig's completely underrated and misunderstood album, "Black Aria".
There are only a few things I hold on the same level as that album, and it pleases me to say I can add something new to that cherished handful of beautifully dark music. "The End Of The Wizard" is spilling over with a chamber music undertone. This album haunts with songs full of lush, invoking string parts; deep dark percussion; dreamy atmospheric electronic work; and both male and female vocals to lull the listener into a land of fantastical chimera (in the sense of illusion, not the mythical beast…).
If you are a fan of the previously mentioned "Black Aria" by Danzig, or anything of the likes, such as Qntal, Helium Vola, or even some tracks by Corvus Corax… WeltenBrand is definitely worth a listen. In my opinion, it holds appeal to fans of metal, darkwave, and medieval music, and for those who are fans of all of the above… "The End Of The Wizard" is what you've been waiting for. All I have to say is wow!
The tracks that I keep running back to are "Question By The Night Ghost" and "Gipsy Magic". Both are extremely epic! the whole album has elements to entertain any listener, but these two songs really stand out to me. WeltenBrand is grand to say the least, its mind altering and time warping. I feel as though I should be dressed in robes of crude linen and have a sword around my waist as this album plays. It reminds me of the ever so killer Projekt catalog, in particular Frolic. This album rocks!
Tracy Taylor