STELLA SPLENDENS

Yeah, I’m not really sure I get this band much. I already admitted in a review of their ‘Schlaraffenland’ CD a while back that the only reason I even bought that was because the group’s hurdy-gurdyier (gurdiest?) and vocalist Konstanze Kulinsky is pretty hot. Well once I got exposed to them through that record it was inevitable I would eventually get back around to the A’s in my record collection and give them some attention again. Turns out that took almost two years, but here we are.

This is the band’s debut album, released in 1999 on the Akkudisc label. Like ‘Schlaraffenland’ this one is all over the place musically, although the lyrics and at least the acoustic instruments marginally qualify them as a progressive folk band. If “Mariam Matrem” (the radio edit version) were the first song you ever heard though, you’d probably write them off as a 90’s dance rock act with a bit of a medieval vibe. A lot of their stuff would support such a judgment; songs like the rocking “Ave Maria” (no, not the song you’re thinking of) go even further, almost into Nightwish / Stream of Passion territory.

But much of the album is heavily steeped in stilting, hard-driving acoustic German folk interlaced with plenty of modern rock trappings. Besides the whining drone of hurdy-gurdy the band employs more and more bagpipe as the album progresses, as well reed and woodwind instruments like crumhorn, recorder and Spanish shawm. Most of these are played by the other lead vocalist Christoph Pelgen, who also plucks away on his bouzouki from time to time.

The lyrics are German, or some form of that language, and pretty much every song has vocals. At times the band gets cheesy with spoken-word vocals such as on the almost danceable “Fremosos Miragres”, and for the most part they come off as a group that seems like they’d be more at home on a stage than in the studio. Almost every track has the feel of a stadium rocker at least in part, and I imagine the band has a pretty visual live show.

The closing “Desire” is the most progressive track with several tempo shifts, some pleasant instrumental breaks and a whiney closing guitar riff that makes for a good ending. I can’t say as this band does much for me, but props to all of them for great proficiency in a wide variety of instruments, and for an energetic performance. Three stars for those things, and mildly recommended to Krautrock and possibly some open-minded prog metal fans.

peace