Schatten Muse is the bastard child of German and Greek origin and they bring to you their album Vergänglichkeit (translation Transience), which was released 28th of March, 2022. Simon Shelmerdine is a founding member of the Greek project Dark Awake and is Schatten while Sylvia Fürst is the Muse.
Just about the whole album is in German (funny that) and with that in mind, with me not having much of a grasp of the language means not delving too deeply. This is more an overview of what is on offer but being death art, the word tod or death comes up…..a lot. That has to very much on target.
The bells toll in “Zurück“, with emotions growing with the rising synths and rhythm changes. “Enditchkeit” has the dramatic organ. The cover of Goethes Erben’s “Das Schwarze Wesen” is quite delightful in it’s simplicity and I had not realised that it was the 30th anniversary for this track. “Leere” is ominously dark and forbiddingly cold in its classical repose, while “Scherbenwelt” is a whirl of electronics with the vocals echoing through it. Do yourself a favour and check out the track, “Shadowsphere“. It is in English and is a Sopor Aeternus cover in the medieval style that they are so very famous for and it is brilliantly executed..
Done in the style of Neue Deutsche Todeskunst or New German Death Art which became popular starting in the later half 1980s, it spawned such bands as Goethes Erben, Sangius et Cinis and Illuminate but also the mistress of darkness, Anna Varney and her most beloved, Sopor Aeternus. The use of classical/medieval musical styles, with prose from doomed romantic poets and citing the works of critcal thinkers of the human condition, such as Freud, Nietzsche and Lung, all poured into this musical form. Schatten Muse have taken this all on board and created their own Death Art, both beautiful and terrifying, a true gothic experience where all are ruled by death and we can become unhinged by that that very premise alone. All is found and lost, in an album that will show you the love of the divine dance of wonderful madness.
Onyx Music Reviews 