FRYHEIT (OST)

Ougenweide's fifth studio (sixth in all) Frÿheit (freedom) continues what the first four albums had started to do, but there is an attempt at rocking it up in certain songs. Don't get me wrong, this is still the same Ougenweide and there is plenty of nearly authentic material, but the slight tendency to go more rock on some tracks is not shocking at all. Let's just sayu that on some of these tracks they go one step further than Fairport, Steeleye, Malicorne or Parzival and get closes tosome Tull tracks that would sit on Songs From The Woods. Great artwork representing an ancient poster almost advocating revolution on some street wall.

You might be startled a bit as the needle hits the wax, if Ougenweide had suddenly turned to Brittany for its music as the bagpipes of Die Bauern have a Stivell/Ar Bras flavour, despite the higher German dialect. Drums, electric guitars and bass, as well dramatic vocals give plenty of "rockier" interest to the proghead, while the following two short ditties go back to more realistic ancient pre-classical folk music. They even add some synth in Ich Denke Hind Un Her or electric piano in Friedenstaube to the rock instruments. Zittert Blode Toren and Schwarz Rot Gold are even sounding a bit like Jethro Tull, the flute helping somewhat.

But there are still the usual tracks that tend to remain as authentic as possible, including the haunting dronal Mann Ross Wagen, Brigittenau (this comes closest to being the title track) and plenty others are there for the trad fans. Just another typical Ougenweide album, albeit a bit rockier, but certainly just as constantly good as the previous ones and no worse than the coming Ousflug, making it difficult to name one as a starting point, though!!