Band:	WeltenBrand
Album:	The End Of The Wizard
Style:	Gothic metal
Release date:	2006

01. Bewitched Herds Boys
02. The Ghost Of New Year's Eve
03. Question By The Night Ghost
04. The French And The Wine
05. The End Of The Wizard
06. Among Them
07. Foal In An Egg
08. Overheard
09. Gipsy Magic

Liechtenstein's music scene might not be so well known but bands like WeltenBrand and Elis really make the difference since they have a lot to offer. I'm here to talk about Weltenbrand's latest effort, "The End Of The Wizard", which happens to be their 5th full-length release up to date after a big pause since 2001's "In Gottes Und Des Teufels Namen". Having found shelter under Napalm Records' secure veil, Oliver Falk's musical allurement has come to life once again, travelling you through the misty yet beautiful and devout forests of olden times with the only compass being the musical themes of the past reincarnated in the most appropriate way in the period we're running.

The style of Weltenbrand could be described as dark/neoclassical/medieval music that will haunt you with its serene intensity. The beauty that is being evoken through the 9 compositions of "The End Of The Wizard" will overrun your body and overwhelm your soul with doses of forlorn romance, melancholy, sadness and nightly visions in the most surrounding and magical way, leaving you no other option than drown gently somwhere in a night-lake of euphoria amidst the branches of the weeping trees. Every single instrument partaking in this seducing musical attempt blends together with the other ones so that the final outcome will be a burnt offering crafted in another space and time when everything was darker. Oliver Falk composes 9 mystic tunes that will haunt you for sure and through his utterly atmosphere evoking keyboard melodies he sets the pathway on which the rest of the band will step in order to achieve creating a sphere where every single far-away thought of the listener finally turns to reality.

The piano/keyboard work is just fabulous, never failing to sound tranquil or more imposing in its very own obscure way, sending shivers down your spine with the various sound-approaches Oliver Falk manages to work on. The violin passages are always present, harmonizing in an exceptional manner with the keyboard passages and the vocal lines, enriching the atmosphere even more and adding a more melancholic tone to the compositions. Ritchie Wenaweser and Dina Falk offer their vocal abilities in the most expressive and dramatic way, showing in their own way how qualified and emotional vocalists they are. Ritchie with his chanting and heart-rending interpretation (having a more gothic rock driven edge in terms os singing at times) allures your soul whereas Dina with her ethereal and bittersweet way of singing paints the portrait of your existence with dreary colours bearing a glimpse of the glowing moonlight embittered on the surface of the lake from which your tears come forth, each one of them offers his very own approach but the real magic is when their voices pace together, showing how beautifully they complete each other's exceptional voice! Apart from the atmosphere-evoking role of the aforementioned instruments the rhythm section makes its appearance to lend groove and depth in the sound of the band, although being a bit in the background of the final mix it's not a problem really since Welternbrand's music is all about atmosphere.

Something really remarkable is the fact that there are times you feel like some heavy guitar riffing will make its appearance and escalate the emotional charge of the songs, but no, the guitars are not needed in "The End Of The Wizard" simply because the use of the instruments was conceived and expressed in such a wonderful manner that they tend to evoke a more powerful atmosphere despite their more fragile nature.

I personally loved "The End Of The Wizard" and every single composition leaves you wounded with a bitter remembrance carved on your skin. I'm pretty sure that you are going to adore and lose yourselves in the heart-rending "The End Of The Wizard" and "The French And The Wine", the intense and groovy "Bewitched Herds Boys", the doleful and ethereal "The Ghost Of NewYear's Eve", the surrounding and magical "Question By The Night Ghost", the menacing and nightmarish "Foal In An Egg", the dreamy "Among Them", the gently melancholic "Overheard" and the ending reverie of "Gipsy Magic". Oh wait, did i just mention every composition consisting of "The End Of The Wizard"? Oh well, i think i did, but forgive me, it's Weltenbrand's "fault", they caused me to do this, i swear, i'm innocent, it's just the fact that their music is awesome!

If you're searching for some fabulous neoclassical/medieval oriented music then Weltbrand should be one of the bands you must check, don't let them pass by, you don't know what you're going to miss and who knows, you may get the chance of finding the answer to the "question of the night ghost"...