Empyrium
Empyrium is a German band from the Lower Franconian Hendungen, which until 2002 was active from 1994 and after a reunion since 2010 is active again. As a leading figure behind Empyrium Markus Stock alias acts Ulf Theodor Schwadorf. The music was first coined by influences from various metal sub-genres, such as the ( melodic ) Black Metal, from the third album but all metal influences were largely discarded and the band focused on dark folk music. Lyrically processed Empyrium a romantic - animistic nature picture ( nature mysticism ), and other topics in the area of romance. The lyrics to the songs, with the exception of the last German album held, in part archaic English.
- 2.1 Music
- 2.2 texts
History
Inception, beginnings and origin of the name
The idea of founding a band was born when Markus Stock and Andreas Bach end of 1993, beginning of 1994, got out in the Death Metal band Impurity after Stock wanted more elements of black metal incorporated into the band. But his bandmates imaginary continue to hold on to Death Metal, Bach only supported the idea.
The name Empyrium was elected in the summer of 1994 and the title of the EP Infernus Et Spera Symphonaire inspired Empyrium the British doom metal band My Dying Bride. Empyrean ( hence the name " Fire Sky " ) designated in the geocentric universe, respectively, in the cosmology of the Middle Ages the extreme, fiery sphere of heaven, the seat of God and the angels.
In December 1994, the first demo cassette ... fell like lightning from heaven ... was recorded, the musical, clearly differed from the raw black metal style of the songs that the duo had written before. Through this demo, Martin Koller from that time until the newly founded label Prophecy Productions became aware of Empyrium and offered the band a record contract, which signed them.
The first three albums
The debut album of the band, A winter sunset ..., was recorded in January 1996 and released in June of the same year at Prophecy Productions. Markus floor was at that time 17 years old, and it was also the first album ever to be published Prophecy Productions. On the homepage of the label, this close relationship between the label and Empyrium is particularly emphasized: "The history of EMPYRIUM is therefore the history of Prophecy Productions. EMPYRIUM 's debut " A Winter Sunset", our first release, saw the light of day in 1996 and what the reason for founding Prophecy Productions. "
A year later, in 1997, appeared in the album Songs of Moors and Misty Fields, in turn, on the same label. In February 1999, the third studio and first purely acoustic album Where at Night the Wood Grouse Plays was in Klangschmiede Studio E, a studio opened by floor in November 1998, was added. On this album the first time worked with Thomas helmet, it contributed some vocal lines.
In the same year the official separation of Andreas Bach. One reason for this were differences between him and Markus Stock in the ideas, whither Empyrium should develop. During floor was even more direct the band that was more of a project than a full-fledged band after his statements in a more atmospheric direction, so thought stream to control Empyrium in catchier and rocklastigere tracks. As a replacement for him Thomas helmet became a full member.
On the role of distribution in Empyrium Markus Stock expressed at that time, as Andreas Bach was still a member, in an interview for the Legacy magazine after Where at Night the Wood Grouse Plays had been taken without Bach, as follows: " In EMPYRIUM are clearly limits placed. I want the band does not operate without him [ Andreas Bach ], but he knows very well that I am the main head of the band and it fits well. " On the other hand decided to stick, even during the recording of the album, the project in the future with wanting to Thomas Helm continue.
Stock occurred on Where at Night the Wood Grouse Plays for the first time under his pseudonym " Ulf Theodor Schwadorf " on because he wanted to make a separation between the owner Markus floor and his artistic facet. In another interview he said: "For me it is very important to separate artist and owner of one another. Who cares what I 'm also outside of Empyrium for human? That does not matter in my opinion, because it has nothing to do with my artistic expression. "
Weiland, resolution and unification
At the turn of 2000 to 2001, the fourth and last regular album was recorded. The instrumentation was designed as with Where at Night the Wood Grouse Plays for an acoustic album. In addition, some guest musicians playing instruments such as the bassoon or the violin. In addition to floor also composed some pieces Thomas helmet in this album. Weiland, the name of the album, was released in 2002, but previously an EP has been released with the title Three excerpts from Weiland. After the release of Weiland solved stick on the project Empyrium. The reasons for this he calls in an interview the following: "I think after 8 years of Empyrium and artistic processing of a topic, it's break time for new horizons - quite simply I do not feel any more artistic challenge is at the moment another album that nature mysticism is dedicated to compose. " (Mark Stock: Interview for the Legacy magazine )
In 2006, a musical review of the history of Empyrium appeared under the title A Retrospective .... This CD contains various pieces from the individual albums and two unreleased songs as well as an English- and German -language biography of Empyrium in the booklet.
In September 2010, the reunion of the band was announced. First, the song The Days Before the Fall appeared on the compilation Whom the Moon a Nightsong Sings. In March 2011, Empyrium announced to give a performance at the Wave -Gotik-Treffen in Leipzig, their first concert of the band's history. Empyrium was supported by Allen B. Konstanz ( The Vision Bleak, Ewigheim ), Neige ( Alcest ), Fursy Teyssier (Les Discrets ) Eviga ( Dornenreich ), Christoph Kutzer ( Remember Twilight ) and Aline Deinert ( Nine Worlds, The Chamber). In this occupation was followed by other concerts at Christ Church Bochum (2012), the Passion Church Berlin (2013 ) and the Centrul Cultural Reduta in Brasov ( 2013). 2012, the Dead Winter Ways piece was published, 2013, the DVD / Blu -ray Into the Pantheon, on which a recording of the WGT presentation and documentation is included.
Others
At all studio albums Nadine Floor ( born Mölter ) was involved, the girlfriend of Mark Stock was first and later his wife was. Although over the whole duration of the project Empyrium involved in this, it is only sporadically mentioned as a full member of the band (for example, in the booklet of the album Songs of Moors and Misty Fields), often as a session musician ( for example in the annexed reports of the albums A winter sunset ... and Weiland ).
In addition to Empyrium played or plays Markus Stock in the bands Sun of the Sleepless, NOEKK, The Vision Bleak and Nightmare. While Sun of the Sleepless is a solo project, the musical, among other things based on the Black Metal, keeps working at NOEKK and Nightmare back together with Thomas helmet. In The Vision Bleak, however, acts in addition to floor Tobias Beautiful, alias Allen B. Konstanz, who is also member of the band Ewigheim with. In most of these bands occurs stick back under his pseudonym " Ulf Theodor Schwadorf " on, with the exception of NOEKK, where he led the pseudonym " F. F. Yugoth " carries, while Thomas helmet " called Funghus canopy ".
Style
Music
Originally founded as a Black Metal band, Empyrium developed further in the direction of a more atmospheric, melodic style already with the first album. Thus, on A winter sunset ... to hear acoustic guitars and clean vocals alongside electric guitars and the typical black metal screams. While Songs of Moors and Misty Fields still similar, but technically mature, sounded so took place for the third album Where at Night the Wood Grouse Plays back a change in a purely acoustic direction. A significant influence on this decision, was the acoustic album Kveldssanger the Norwegian band Ulver. Stefan Belda, the author of the biography, cited in this Markus stick to the topic:
" Without Kveldssanger it would certainly have ' been no Empyrium - acoustic album, Markus is now safe."
The last album Weiland was also played an acoustic album. Musically and lyrically it divided, however, in three areas, heath, forest and water that had been instrumented accordingly different depending on which theme combined floor with their respective instruments. To stand in the third chapter of Weiland, water spirits, for example, piano sounds and occasional water sounds in the foreground.
Texts
Lyrically processed Empyrium mainly impressions from the environment of the themes Nature mysticism, legends or fairy tales, melancholy and romantic, especially those from the UK, with representatives such as Mary Shelley and Lord Byron. Other important influences, not only for the texts represent, among other things, the images of the Norwegian painter Theodor Kittelsen, the Black Moor in the Rhön region and the Norwegian and German folklore, especially those from the area of cane home area.
The implementation of this lyrical influences and topics designed differently. There were, for example, the first album, A winter sunset ... the texts are not printed because Markus floor was not satisfied with this, so little can be said about this lyric. An exception to this is the song Autumn Gray views, whose content is looking to connect with the mood of autumn in a melancholy way.
The text of the song Franconian Woods in Winter's Silence was published in the booklet of the best-of- album later. In this song is trying to capture the natural mood of winter. Markus Stock designated this item in the biography than those who interpreted most strongly in the future of Empyrium. In this text we read:
"Above the forest tranquility reigns Just ice cold winds whisper to me As if a velvet robe would wrap my bleeding heart a gentle breeze of synthesis winds and all grief if apart "
" Above the forest is quiet Only ice cold winds whisper to me As if a velvet robe wrapped my bleeding heart a gentle breeze of these winds and all my sorrow drops "
The factor of human emotions, but especially the melancholy is treated, for example, in the song Mourners, which attempts to connect the mood of nature with human emotions. So it says about:
" Meager trees in the shrouds, as olde as the stones .... Mourners of abandon'd love, forever Their woes Shall grow silent. "
" Lean trees in shrouds, old as the stones .... Mourners of abandoned love, are forever / be silenced their complaints "
The romance, however, with designs such as longing, love or even melancholy, found for example in the song Ode to Melancholy. The title of the song itself was inspired by the poem Ode on Melancholy by John Keats. An example from the lyrics of the song:
" O loss and rueful thought be mine, My soul enhanced, desires ... Melancholy. My heart is thine! "
"Oh, lust and rueful thought be mine, my soul increased, longed for ... melancholy. My heart is yours! "
But the legends and history of the world is present. So the song The Shepherd and the Maiden Ghost tells a little story about a shepherd who hears the song of the spirit of a virgin and this follows. Another example is the song from the album Homeward Weiland, based loudly Stock on a true fact from the 19th century.
The language of the texts is consistently on the first three albums English while Weiland was written in German language. The English texts of the acts sometimes archaic. It has, for example at the inflection of the verb personal endings, which were common in Central and Frühneuenglischen, such as thou didst, where it says did you today. Furthermore, sometimes the old personal pronouns thou, thee, thine be used. An example of such a text is already mentioned above The Shepherd and the Maiden Ghost to find:
"Go whither O shepherd! Do not sadden thine heart Thou canst not help me - not thou who thou art! "
" Go where oh shepherd! Grieve not thy heart You can not help myself - not you, who you are "!
Review and Critique
The works of Empyrium were well received by the press in general and accordingly positive. Meanwhile Empyrium was recorded but no chart positions in the national charts. The range of reviews ranging from praise, to enthusiasm, while negative criticism rare, but is still present. Andrew Wood from the online magazine Vampster writes, for example, in a critique to Songs of Moors & Misty Fields:
"It's a rush that triggers this work, and again and again - even, or perhaps because this music is so simple: Imposing synthesizer carpets, heavy guitar riffs, the once gentle, sometimes irascible singing, wonderful flute and piano sounds ... all the mixes to a melange of pure nostalgia, a big concert of the feelings that can not leave anyone cold, loves the music. Mark, Andrew and Nadine have created a work that has become timeless [ ... ] this melancholy, this romance, this pure honest naturalness that has identified this plant has always and will always make up. "
In this record review evaluated and describes the Rezensist the album personally very positive. In contrast, writes Pedro Azevedo of Chronicles of Chaos significantly negative for CD Where at Night the Wood Grouse Plays. Even if the criticism is needed not entirely negative, some subjective points of criticism are:
" [ ... ] I expected something more consistent overall and therefore better as far as the second half of the album is Concerned. [ ... ] Still, the first half, though not as brilliant as I expected Entirely, is Nevertheless very good and the second not Anything terrible at all, just average; it's just that, coming from Empyrium, I feel did _WaNtWGP_ could have been better. "
A large number of reviews comes to the style, or the atmosphere to speak, that Empyrium trying to convey, with the attributes of " gentle dreamy folk melodies ," about " emotional, melancholic metal" (especially in reference to songs of Moors & Misty Fields), ranging to " versatility, emotion and depth" way. Occasionally there are also comments that describe the works of Empyrium as trend within this genre, or unique. In contrast, Empyrium but known, in some reviews as " insider [ sic] ", respectively " to the musical secrets [ belonging ] ". An example of the importance of Empyrium 's called Rock Hard magazine. It looks in a critique to ... Empyrium A Retrospective acoustic album Where at Night the Wood Grouse Plays ago of the importance on a par with Ulver Kveldssanger:
Furthermore, to find comparisons of Empyrium with Ulver, whose acoustic album Kveldssanger Empyrium had influenced. Thus, Chronicles of Chaos in a critique to Weiland, the thematically divided into three chapters, a reference to the structure of Ulver Bergtatt - Et Eeventyr i 5 Capitler that, its title is accordingly divided into five chapters ago. In the criticism Where at Night the Wood Grouse Plays stated the same magazine that the reviewed album Empyrium not stand away from Kveldssanger. It supports the comparison, or the connection to Ulver that according biography that there Markus Stock quotes, the first component of Stocks pseudonym Ulf - in addition to the importance for Nordic Wolf ( Norwegian called ulv ) - also an allusion to Ulver is.
Discography
Achievements
More than ten years after its first publication, the first three Empyrium albums A Winter Sunset ... Songs of Moors and Misty Fields and Where At Night The Wood Grouse Plays were sold in early 2011 by the independent label association Impala with Silver Awards for each 20,000 units awarded.