Werkraum "Unsere Feuer Brennen!" CD
[Cold Spring]
This is the debut full-length from this German solo project (here with help from a few additional contributors on vocals and guitars, as well as collaborations on a few tracks with Lady Morphia and Harvest Rain) who has apparently created quite a stir based on the strengths of previous compilation appearances. The tracks are largely based around bright acoustic guitars, some subtle electronics and percussion, and softly sung vocals (in German) - basically those styles often referred to as martial industrial, neofolk, and so forth. Averaging around four minutes each, give or take, the song structures are generally very repetitive, basing themselves around variations on one or two basic chord progressions or soundscapes. I'm personally usually not a fan of German vocals, especially when the singing is of a discernible nature such as this, but I actually get quite accustomed to it in a short period of time, notably in pieces like "Chanson de la Plus Haute Tour" and "Hohezeit" where the focus on female singing is quite beautiful and memorable (the latter of which has more of a classical edge to the guitar playing). "Einsamernie" builds upon melodic loops and textures against deep, chant-like vocal samples and a looser, more "experimental" sort of feel (similarly to that of the slightly more ethereal and sinister "Dignitas Dei"), whereas a few track such as "Legion" more literally combine the acoustic and electronic elements. There are of course some weak tracks, namely "Steh auf, Nordwind!" with its prominent and somewhat irritatingly bland vocal delivery, or the cheesy electronic smatterings and percussive accents in "Heilige Krieg" - both of which suffer from elements that really dismantle the flowing atmospheres that make Werkraum's material so nice at its finest points. The medieval-ish atmospheres and weak percussive rhythms in the eight-minute "Civitas Dei" are also on the flimsy side, but some of the other aspects of the composition do help carry it along in some ways. The disc comes in an excellent white digipack with metallic gold printing, looking quite minimal with little text and bold, iconic visuals. Oddly enough the album title (which translates to "Our Fires Burning!") appears nowhere on the packaging (just on the disc face), and the project's name only appears in the credits. Very strange. This is a nice release overall, though. I'm not blown away, and I'm only minimally familiar with this genre (I'm trying to get deeper into it), but I can say that I've heard worse than this, and can understand (based not only on the quality of the music but the aesthetics surrounding it) why this project seems to be getting a bit of attention from numerous listeners. There's absolutely no doubt that the tracks based around acoustic guitars are the strongest, preferably when the singing is more emotive and percussion is kept to a minimum (though the more resonant percussion in "Legion" is superb). Some of the less musical arrangements are also strong, it's just a matter how the synths are handled, which makes a huge difference. Curious work. It could indeed be stronger, but I'd be interested in following the project's future work at this point. (7/10)
Running time - 50:02, Tracks: 11
[Notable tracks: Chanson de la Plus Haute Tour, Legion, Hohezeit]
Werkraum - http://www.werkraum-heimat.net

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