NEUN WELTEN

The German band NEUN WELTEN traces its history back to 2001. Over five years of existence (before recording the debut album), the group managed to record a couple of EPs and establish themselves as a notable presence on the German folk scene. The album under review, "Vergessene Pfade," was recorded in 2006, and its title can be translated as "Forgotten Paths." With their music, these German sorcerers reveal to us forgotten corners of nature, among which there are high mountains capped with snow, and dense dark forests where one might encounter anything at all. The album's music was influenced by both the mythology of northern peoples and the undeniable charm of German lands, especially those where human presence is barely perceptible. In style descriptions, a "dark" prefix is almost always added, but I would refrain from such a label. Personally, I sensed no darkness in the Germans' music — it's a very pleasant and relaxed, nearly acoustic journey along untrodden paths. And the fact that the album is 98% instrumental appears to be yet another advantage — when traveling through beautiful corners of nature, you rarely need a commentator. If we were to compare NEUN WELTEN to someone for clarity, it would undoubtedly be late-period Empyrium, which, given the latter's cessation of activity, is something to be glad about.