This German band explores Ethno-Rock with quotations from gothic vibes , metal and electro-sounds. Modern guitars and keys are accompanied by cello, bagpipes , sacral hurdy-gurdy and bombarde. Minnenspiel (Minneplay) take the listener into the 12th and 13th century world adapting it at the same time to the music context of 21th century. The Middle High German lyrics are sweet and enchanting. Frontwoman Konstanze Kulinsky has her unique playing style on the hurdy-gurdy, performing wah-wah and roto-sound and shows a clear "gothic" voice. Frontman Christoph Pelgen handles the medieval woodwind instruments. On the whole, vivid vocals and instruments played with very good technique form a valuable result, where mystical soundscapes merge in sorrowful modern environment. Love and pain of medieval minstrels (die Minnesänger like Walther von der Vogelweide) are transposed into present days.
On the one hand I find this album too "soft", surely In Extremo are more metal and more aggressive, but, on the other, sometimes it's beautiful to dream on the wave of melodies full of fantasy and magic, remembering our childhood when we believed with innocent mind in fabulous fairy-tales, and middle age was the heroes era, among castles and little villages. . It's important to say that Adaro are doing really historic research both in lyrics and instrumental fields.
By the way dreaming, do you know that "Adaro" is the name of an archaic strange creature, half man and half fish who was believed to visit dreams, coming to Earth by means of rainbows? A sign of them would be rain on a sunny day...
Opener MICH WUNDERT HARTE shows rather catchy, but not irresistible melodies.Not a bad song but too weak as opener in my opinion . Fortunately ICH ZOCH MIR EINEN VALKEN raises at once the attention which then will decline no more! This should have been the opener in my opinion.
Absolutely magic, wonderful MINNENSPIEL, in a ritual and dark atmosphere develops gothic vibes, with a touch of heavy guitars. Without a doubt, it is my fav song . Not by chance it has been chosen to call the whole album.
More in style In Extremo DER SCHALL : speed and "good mooded". More or less same atmosphere in WINNENDEN which reminds to nicer sides and adventures of middle age.
Slow and suggestive, a mix between an ancient ballade and a lullaby , WIGEN WAGEN, where Konstanze's voice gains a mystic aura.
WAHN SI DAHS is absolutely catchy, spanning modern rock context and oriental sounds, powered by harder guitars.
TANDARADEI is a mystical jewel between electro-pop and church songs, with Konstanze's voice in foreground and male chorus in background.
MIN VROUWE IST GUOT presents some playing techniques and soundscapes that remind me of Police. In particular, drums could have been played by Mr Copeland himself .
All instruments merge perfectly and appear in equal measure in OWE DIU MINNE ', beginning as a sorrowful folk-pop song, supported however by lively drums and keys, reaches a heavy "finale" , where modern and medieval instruments burst in perfect In Extremo style.
No wonder if while listening to DO TAGET EZ a tear can appear in your eyes. lLght and gentle; to be heard at candlelight.
Same medieval folk schemes are applied in MUGET IR SCHOUWEN, but with more speed. One can clearly find a touch of "country" in this song. Great work done by chord instruments.
Between ritual and pop SWIE DU WILT, a valuable example of how deep Adaro's synthesis ability can be.
Slow, mostly acoustic with a sad cello ROSEN ROT, the perfect end-song for this album.
Except the first one, all tracks are in my opinion good in their genre and interesting , though not metal at all one can enjoy the atmosphere and the playing ability, enriched by clear vocals. Deep Purple founder Ritchie Blackmore and Candice Night (Blackmore's Night) have found Adaro's music exciting and refreshing. I have found it full of varied expression and mystic enough. A must for everyone loving this musical genre.
