SIEGFRIED “Nibelung” (NAPALM RECORDS, 2009)

(not available)
(not available)

INFO

The fascination for epic heavy metal and the complex and symbolic characters of the Nibelungen gave birth to Siegfried at the end of the nineties. Guitarist and songwriter Bachmaier (ex Sarcasm Syndrome), alias Ortwin, and vocalist/lyricist Bruder Cle (Angry Angels), alias Hagen, came together and wrote the first songs. The original idea was to write concept albums based on the Nibelungen and similar topics by using three different vocalists, each portraying a character. From the very beginnings, Bruder Cle has been responsible for the dark, aggressive and pagan vocals, thus portraying the character of Hagen. His counterpart is Werner Bialek (ex Subacid, now Ictus Mortis), who is perfect for the character of Siegfried, the young and cheerful warrior. The interpretation of the female voices, in particular the character of Kriemhield, is left to the extraordinary Sandra Schleret (Elis, ex Dreams of Sanity). Keyboarder Johannes Krause (Ictus Mortis) supports Daniel Bachmaier (alias Ortwin) when it comes to the songwriting. With session musicians on drums and bass, Siegfried produced their first album “Drachenherz” in Mirror Production Studio, Innsbruck. The debut album received much praise and sold a respectable amount of copies. In 2003, the second album “Eisenwinter” was released and welcomed with open arms by the dedicated fan base. First concerts followed right after the release (e.g., Skeleton Bash Festival).

Although the band’s future looked bright, the curse of the Nibelungen took hold of vocalist Sandra Schleret, as she had to face a personal battle with a life-threatening illness. Thanks to her courage and will to live, she left the battlefield victoriously and thus, enchants listeners with her breathtaking performance on the new album “Nibelung”. “Where there are shadows, there’s also light“ is a saying that also holds true when it comes to Siegfried. The band used the long break to forge 9 jewels of epic metallic musical art that will stand the test of time. “Nibelung” was recorded with a brand new rhythm section. Art of Fear veteran Johannes Leierer on bass and Patrick Schrittwieser (Divine Temptation) on drums bring a whole new dynamic to the sound of Siegfried. The album was recorded by Alex Krull (Atrocity, Leaves’ Eyes) at the famous Mastersound Studios. It was coproduced by Alex’ colleagues Todde and Matze, who helped in achieving the right sound to emphasize the album’s musical diversity featuring metallic battle hymns (“Sachsensturm”), melodic ballads (“Götterdämmerung”) , and driving, choir-clad full metal classics (“Der Todesmarsch”). The interaction of the three different voices, heavy riffs, mighty choirs and soundtrack-like melodies creates images of blood drenched battlefields, bleak cathedrals

and endless forests in the mind of the listener. Although the structures of the songs are very versatile, the band made sure that they have catchy refrains and sweeping melodies – making sure that the listener can easily tune into the fantastic world of the Nibelungen. The lyrics focus on the destiny of the Nibelungen, who have to face the twilight of the gods and thus, their horrible demise. This is also the red thread that runs through the songs and that talks about the curse of the gold of the Nibelungen (“Der Ring der Nibelungen”), the wrath of heathen characters (“Fafnir”, “Alberich”, “Brunhild”), the triumph of Siegfried (“Sachsensturm”) and the tragic last chapter of the story („Totenwacht“, „Der Todesmarsch“ and „Götterdämmerung“). The lyrics are more than just telling stories, but are filled with ambiguity, as they can be read as personal reflections about destiny, love, hate and death. To cut a long story short, “Nibelung” is the definite masterpiece of the band that originates from the country, in which the cradle of the Nibelungen can be found.

Napalm Records Releases:
Drachenherz (2001)
Eisenwinter (2003)
Nibelung (2009)