HEKATE - Totentanz 2LP white (2018)

2LP in gatefold cover (white 180g vinyl), incl. 5 bonus songs, padded inner sleeves and protective cover Lim200

In Greek mythology, Hecate is the goddess of sorcery and a mediator between this world and the hereafter. The band Hekate was founded in 1991 and is now one of the protagonists of the German neofolk scene. Over the course of five albums, the group has fused folk, medieval and classical music, striking percussion and electronic elements into an unmistakably unique style, which reaches a temporary climax on their sixth album “Totentanz”.

Seven years after “Die Welt der dunklen Gärten”, Hekate present their most compositionally mature album to date, which is characterized by traditionally catchy neofolk songs on the one hand and hypnotic pieces on the other. The group succeeds in capturing the atmosphere of the apocalyptic folk of the early 1990s without appearing anachronistic. The music, enriched with weightless synthesizer and drum arrangements, reflects the overarching theme of the lyrics of “Totentanz”: the confrontation with one's own mortality in the sense of “Memento Mori”.
In this context, the ensemble's haunting interpretation of Joseph von Eichendorff's “Mondnacht” does justice to its penchant for Romanticism, while the album cover is adorned with a previously unpublished painting from the series of the same name by German symbolist and Art Nouveau artist Franz Stassen. Equally exclusive: the design of the limited edition book with previously unpublished ink drawings from the “Apocalyptic Landscapes” series by Hermann Wöhler, a painter influenced by Magical Realism who only drew in secret and whose work is only now being discovered posthumously by the art world. All the pictures come from Hekate singer Axel Menz's personal art collection.

Tracklist:

Genre: Modern Classical, Neofolk , Apocalyptic Pop
Like: Strydwolf, Darkwood, Derniere Volonte, Orplid, Blood Axis, Der Feuerkreiner