SELIGPREISUNG

Popol Vuh was actually an old Mayan set of texts surrounding Mesoamerican mythologies and stories much like the Nordic myths that I was brought up with. Personally I feel this ads a great deal of mysticism and originality to a band that really doesn´t sound as anyone else.

Florian Fricke is the main engine behind this band setting the tone and different temperaments with his soft and gentle piano chords- much like a great conductor in front of a vast orchestra. His playing works like a great rhythm guitarist lurking in the background like a comfortable shadow always following you whether you´re running or smoking a cigarette on the corner.

If I was asked to sum up the music of this record in one word, it would be beautiful - however daft and corny that may sound, but this is truly mesmerising in all of it´s splendour. This is achieved largely by democratic ways with all the musicians involved playing TOGETHER as a whole, rather than a great bulk of solos trying to compete with each other. Fluid like a stream, never turning quite simplistic much due to the different layers of instruments, which swirl vividly around like a red dress on Angelina Jolie. I will admit that there is one musician that stands out from the group, and that is Conny Veit who has got to be one of my favourite guitarists. He plays so effortlessly that at times you could swear you were listening to a rainy cloud caressing the strings with a drop or two. Gently gently without ever reducing himself to a fluffy teddy bear imitating Gilmour with a mouth full of churned butter. If you know this guy from Gila (another great kraut band gazillion of light years away from this outing), you might be in for a surprise, as he seems to have dropped his Jimi Hendrix crush for a more mellow and dreamy sound.

I have always had a certain amount of preservations concerning music, that evolves around religion, which is why I don´t care much for Neal Morse. Seligpreisung is indeed a religious album with its Hallelujas and rather celestial aura, but that doesn´t change the fact that is done with such impeccable craftsmanship and imagination, that you could paste it on to anything remotely resembling spirituality, -meaning whether you are a Christian, Buddhist, Jew, Hindu or you indulge yourself in the darker parts of the woods and call yourself a devil worshipper - you´d be hard pressed to NOT feel some sort of soulful attachment.

Seligpreisung is a record that makes you smile. It oozes out of the speakers like giant swooping waves of soothing music, that almost licks your wounds and scars as only your old Labrador from yesteryear could. So beautiful you wanna tear your teeth out.

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