Naming your band after such a ghastly fairy-tale creature as NOEKK, who beguiles young men and women and lures them into the abyss, you're surely not in for something good ... or are you?

After all, Yugoth and Baldachin (better known under their former names Schwadorf and Helm) were smiling ambiguously when they signed their contract with Prophecy in 2005. In contrast to Empyrium, Baldachin is now in charge of things, although the atmosphere is still one of Nature mysticism. Still, NOEKK definitely is no smooth transition from EMPYRIUM but rather a band of its own, thanks to the new approach and Baldachin's distinct fondness of good old Prog and Hard Rock - a band keen on sweeping along their audience, in compliance with the old legend. So what is it that makes the music of NOEKK so irresistible? "Maybe it's about the spontaneous nature of the recordings," Baldachin guesses. "There were no rehearsals, no fragments of ideas sent from one place to another, we just put my ideas through the mill and recorded it - it was great!"

Apart from his enthusiasm for down-to-earth Rock music, the restless composer and experienced live musician makes no bones about what he considers strong vocals: "In each of our tracks, I have striven for an individual timbre, and in general I believe that a dramatic expression is essential in music." He adds smiling, "... and if that is antiquated, so let us be antiquated!"

But NOEKK aren't antiquated at all, they're simply amazingly strong and direct, and on the other hand they're mystical and unforeseeable. The comparisons they've earned so far - Landberk, King Crimson, and last but not least EMPYRIUM of course - hint at the timeless quality of their music and point out the many facets of this band.