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Blutengel – Fountain of Destiny

Florian Buechting Media Review No Comments

Blutengel - Fountain of Destiny

Blutengel - Fountain of Destiny
4.6

Rating

 4.6/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Very respectful set of ten cover songs
  • Powerful re-interpretations to individual, but also characteristic new versions
  • Great touch in regards of music arrangement

Alphaville, Ultravox and Mike & The Mechanics on one album? Okay, I have to give in that neither of the artists is in fact contributing physically to Fountain of Destiny. But at least, they allowed to cover that album, which has been released on 12th March 2021. With so many songs, which easily deserve a posting in the Songs Of My Life section, I just had to take a listen to Blutengel, who are the artists behind this interesting recording.

 

Blutengel – About The Artists

Blutengel (which literally means “Blood Engel”) have been found in 1998 in Berlin, Germany. They do a mixture of electronic pop / synthpop and dark wave sounds. Today, they act as a trio, Chris Pohl is a singer and does the sound programming, Ulrike Goldmann is doing the female vocals. Pohl is the only founding member of the band. Their list of releases is comparably huge – Wikipedia lists twenty albums before Fountain of Destiny. Already their third release, Angel Dust, listed in the German charts.

Since the 2010’s, the band regularly pops up in the Top 10 of the German charts: while the 2011 album Tränenherz (“Tear Heart”) barely missed that ranking, the 2013 Monument climbed up to the fourth spot. The same placement was reached by Save Us (2015) and Leitbild (2017). The highest album chart ranking in Germany, however, was reached with the 2019 album Un:Gott, which just missed the top of the charts by one spot. Their highest ranked single was the 2007 Lucifer. Their song Reich mir die Hand has been streamed 22 million times on YouTube.

 

Blutengel – Fountain of Destiny – Track by Track

The twelve track album lasts 52 minutes.

1. The Wild Boys

The album is loaded with classics, especially of the 1980’s and 1990’s. The opening track is one of the most energetic tracks of that era, The Wild Boys, originally by Duran Duran. The Blutengel is a bit slower, but also darker. The gives is a bit of an even deeper atmosphere. Overall, the song is close to the original, but with a black touch. Promising.

2. Forever Young

I struggled a bit when I heard the beginning of Forever Young, originally by Alphaville (1984). I struggled a bit with the voice of Pohl and his pronunciation. The more I listen to the single, however, the more I like that additional hard touch. The impressive part of this cover is definitely the fantastic backing melodic element. Almost feels like singing this song in church. Impressive.

3. Hymn

If you regularly follow my blog, you know that Hymn by Ultravox was the very first posting in the Songs of My Life category. It is so hard to give me a version of this legend, which I like even close to the Ultravox version – but Blutengel do it. The rhythm, the dark vocals lead to an amazing atmosphere. Goose pimples guaranteed – fantastic production.

4. Down In The Park

Down In The Park is a 2008 Gary Numan Track. Again I love this new version, which just comes with an additional cover of deep darkness.

5. Alone

Blutengel are going back to the year 1987. Alone was one of the most catching power ballads of the 1980’s, performed by Heart. I feel that again, Blutengel cover this classic with a lot of respect to the original (which is a big contrast to #Schlager by Stereoact I reviewed the same weekend). Important to mention that they still don’t simply re-play the song, but add their own touch. Goldmann is doing a great vocal performance in here.

6. Silent Running

Mike & the Mechanics! I love these guys. Thus (again), I am especially critical how they transformed this track. Silent Running has some very rhythmic, made to dance parts, especially around the chorus. While listening to the verses, I am tempted to paint a pentagram on my work desk. But I do it with a develish smile. Simply enjoy what these guys from Berlin are doing.

7. Nobody’s Diary

I said above that Blutengel are quite close to the original, but still add their very own touch. If you compare the thin and simplistic Nobody’s Diary by Yazoo with the new version of the Germans, the difference is massive. The sound is much wider, much more powerful – and Goldmann is again doing a very pleasing job on the vocal side.

8. Dr. Mabuse

Yes, I have to give in, I was hoping for Dr. Mabuse by Blue System – but having the Propaganda track is also not too bad. I feel Pohl again just did a very precise job – even though I love other songs on this album more (maybe I am just too disappointed about the “other Mabuse”…).

9. The Sun Always Shines On TV

Berlin greets Norway: the start of The Sun Always Shines On TV, Blutengel style, is another highlight of this album.But even after the bombastic beginning, they transformed A-Ha’s one into a powerful, marching wave track. Amazing transformation.

10. Ship Of Fools

With so many electronic pop songs on Fountain of Destiny, the British synthpop gods just have to be on the list. Whenever Erasure want to be carried on a stage in a shimming black palanquin, Blutengel did the perfect soundtrack for that marching in.

11. Unsere Zeit

Das ist unsere Zeit,
Das ist unsere Welt,
Solang das Feuer in uns brennt
geben wir nicht auf

(“This is our time,
this is our time.
As long as the fire is burning in us
We don’t give up”)

This song (which is a Blutengel original) is labeled as a bonus track. The sound perfectly fits to the ten songs. Even if it is not a classic and you know the lyrics anyway, Blutengel do good tunes to sing along with their recordings.

12. Journey To The Edge Of The Night (Instrumental)

No chance to properly sing along with that one – Journey To The Edge Of The Night is a beautiful instrumental. Chris Pohl shows is amazing talent to create music. A nice way to finish the album.

 

Blutengel – Fountain of Destiny – Spotify

Hre is Fountain of Destiny on Spotify:

 

Blutengel – Fountain of Destiny – My View

I really love that week of music on Flyctory.com. A wide range of music – but also coming with a lot of tunes which are really a lot of fun. Blutengel are definitely one part of my postive music experience on and around 12th March 2021. I praised so many of the covers on the album already, so it is not too suprising that this album almost urges me to assign a Top Pick! rating. Well deserved!

 

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