The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
  • Reviews
    • Album Reviews
    • Features
    • Live Reviews
    • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • Headlines
    • News
    • Contests
    • Events
    • Entertainment Headlines
    • Concert Listings
    • Toronto Concert Venues
  • New Music
    • Premieres
    • TOTD
  • Books + Movies
  • Scene Unseen
  • About
15
new
SPILL ALBUM PREMIERE: ELECTRONIC THE DUCK – EP1
SPILL NEW MUSIC: MAX FOREMAN – “SECOND TIME AROUND”
SPILL NEW MUSIC: ISLANDS ANNOUNCE FIRST ALBUM IN FIVE YEARS ‘ISLOMANIA’ + SHARE “(WE LIKE TO) DO IT WITH THE LIGHTS ON” VIA ROYAL MOUNTAIN RECORDS
SPILL NEW MUSIC: PAUL WELLER ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM ‘FAT POP (VOLUME 1)’ SET TO BE RELEASED MAY 14 ON POLYDOR RECORDS | NEW SONG + VIDEO FOR “COSMIC FRINGES” OUT NOW
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: SWALLOWS – “IN THE SHADOW OF THE SEVEN STARS”
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: MONOWHALES – DAYTONA BLEACH
SPILL NEWS: GREG KEELOR ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM ‘SHARE THE LOVE’ WITH VIDEO FOR THE FIRST SINGLE “WONDER”
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: BARA HARI – “WEAPON”
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: ELSKA – “ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS”
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: CAPTAIN DANGER – “HOLLY”
SPILL CONTEST: MANNEQUIN VANITY RECORDS GIVEAWAY – ENTER TO WIN A GIANT MVR PRIZE PACK!
SPILL ALBUM PREMIERE: CHARLIE NIELAND – DIVISIONS
SPILL FEATURE: NEW HIGHS, NEW LOWS – A CONVERSATION WITH WE WERE SHARKS
SPILL MUSIC PREMIERE: CITYLIGHTZ – “MY LIFE”
SPILL NEW MUSIC: CLOUD NOTHINGS’ “NOTHING WITHOUT YOU” FROM THE BAND’S EIGHTH STUDIO ALBUM ‘THE SHADOW I REMEMBER’ OUT NOW VIA CARPARK RECORDS
  • MORE
  • Reviews
    • Album Reviews
    • Features
    • Live Reviews
    • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • Headlines
    • News
    • Contests
    • Events
    • Entertainment Headlines
    • Concert Listings
    • Toronto Concert Venues
  • New Music
    • Premieres
    • TOTD
  • Books + Movies
  • Scene Unseen
  • About
  • Spill Menu
    • Reviews
      • Album Reviews
      • Features
      • Live Reviews
      • Festivals
    • Portraits
    • Headlines
      • News
      • Contests
      • Events
      • Entertainment Headlines
      • Concert Listings
      • Toronto Concert Venues
    • New Music
      • Premieres
      • TOTD
    • Books + Movies
    • Scene Unseen
    • About
Album Reviews
0
585
previous article
SPILL LIVE REVIEW: JANE'S PARTY w/ FRANKIIE & SIDE HUSTLE @ THE HORSESHOE TAVERN, TORONTO
next article
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: FERGUS HAMBLETON - NEIGHBOURHOODS

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BLUTENGEL – DAMOKLES

Blutengel

Blutengel
Damokles
Out Of Line Music

Twenty years into their career and Germany’s Blutengel are still going strong. This year, the darkwave duo have released not one but two albums: Un:Gott earlier this year, and now mini-album Damokles. It is named after the Sword of Damocles in Greek mythology and refers to the feeling of constant and immediate peril felt by those in power.

Like other works from Blutengel, this collection of tracks features lyrics in both English and their native German. Lead vocalist Chris Pohl has stated that the lyrics here dive deeper into his inner psyche having him confront his own demons and his relationship with death. What’s evident here is that their writing of English songs has definitely grown, in particular with songs like “Disobedience” and “Strong”.

What’s also noticeable on this album is their throwback to ‘80s influenced synths and drum machines that pairs with their retro album artwork. You can hear this throughout “The Search” and “Fire and Ice”, the latter of which sounds eerily similar to the theme from Halloween. This album also includes a couple of remixes including one of “Strong” by Caisaron with the eerie backing vocals feeling exceptionally nostalgic.

Admittedly so, though Damokles is a decent album filled with great songs that are sure to grow on you, there aren’t any immediate runaway hits here as I would hope. There isn’t anything immediately noteworthy the way “Reich Mir Dir Hand” was. This album will definitely grow on you however, and the more you listen, the more the songs will stay with you. The title track “Damokles”, “Briefe an Dich”, and “Another Dream” are ones I currently have on repeat.

Damokles is a solid album on its own but pairs better as a compendium to Un:Gott for a complete listening experience.



Artist Links

website_flat_2016 facebook_flat_2016 twitter_flat_2016 instagram_flat_2016

Item Reviewed

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BLUTENGEL – DAMOKLES

Author

Samantha Wu

Here's what we think...
Spill Rating
Fan Rating
Rate Here
New Criteria
10
8.5
6.0
Total Spill Rating
8.5
Total Fan Rating
2 ratings
You have rated this
Album Reviews
album reviewalbum reviewsblutengelchris pohldamoklesout of line musiculrike goldmannun:gott
album review, album reviews, blutengel, chris pohl, damokles, out of line music, ulrike goldmann, un:gott
About the Author
Samantha Wu
Samantha Wu
Samantha is both a writer and a fan of the arts and has been able to find numerous ways to pair the two. Eager to dive head first into writing for Spill, Samantha is an avid partaker and reviewer of live art in Toronto serving as an editor at Mooney on Theatre exploring live local theatre, she's a photojournalist for Been Here Done That, a travel, dining and tourism blog that focuses on Toronto and abroad and previously for Lithium Magazine. She's passionate about music, theatre, photography, writing -- not necessarily in that order. She drinks tea more than coffee, prefer ciders over beers, and sings karaoke way too loudly. You can follow her on various social media including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
RELATED ARTICLES
album reviewalbum reviewsblutengel
 
8.0
Monowhales

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: MONOWHALES – DAYTONA BLEACH

by Gerrod Harris on March 5, 2021
MONOWHALES Daytona Bleach Independent Over the years, Toronto’s MONOWHALES have become an essential band among the independent scene known for their impressive alt-pop sound and their [...]
 
8.0
Hysterics

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: HYSTERICS – SLEEP

by Gerrod Harris on February 27, 2021
Hysterics Sleep Tarantula Tapes Returning with their sophomore EP, Sleep, Newmarket, ON- based Hysterics is returning with an unrelenting and uncompromising punk record. Following 2018’s [...]
 
6.0
Melvins
10

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: MELVINS – GLUEY PORCH TREATMENTS (VINYL REISSUE)

by Nathan Pike on February 26, 2021
Melvins Gluey Porch Treatments (Vinyl Reissue) Ipecac Recordings Years ago in the small town of Montesano, WA, a three-piece band was playing with a musical fire they [...]
 
10
NOFX
9.9

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: NOFX – SINGLE ALBUM

by Jake Collier on February 26, 2021
NOFX Single Album Fat Wreck Chords NOFX is still around 40 years since their early beginnings, and what is there left to do when the rest of their era’s punk bands have fallen or sold out? Well, [...]
 
8.0
Alice Cooper

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: ALICE COOPER – DETROIT STORIES

by Gerrod Harris on February 26, 2021
Alice Cooper Detroit Stories earMUSIC For his 28th studio album, Alice Cooper has returned with Detroit Stories, his first record since 2017’s Paranormal. The album features15 tracks – [...]
Latest Album Reviews
View All
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: MONOWHALES – DAYTONA BLEACH
8.0
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: HYSTERICS – SLEEP
8.0
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: MELVINS – GLUEY PORCH TREATMENTS (VINYL R...
6.0
10
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: NOFX – SINGLE ALBUM
10
9.9
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: ALICE COOPER – DETROIT STORIES
8.0
Latest Live Reviews
View All
 
Lord Huron

SPILL LIVE REVIEW: LORD HURON ALIVE FROM WHISPERING PINES: EPISODE 2 OF 4 (VIRTUAL EVENT)

by Robert Defina on February 18, 2021
94
 
Small Town Titans

SPILL LIVE REVIEW: SMALL TOWN TITANS @ SMT HQ, YORK (PA)

by Gerrod Harris on February 6, 2021
37
 
Lord Huron

SPILL LIVE REVIEW: LORD HURON ALIVE FROM WHISPERING PINES: EPISODE 1 OF 4 (VIRTUAL EVENT)

by Robert Defina on January 7, 2021
441
 
Wardruna

SPILL LIVE REVIEW: WARDRUNA – ‘KVITRAVN’ PRESENTATION (ONLINE PERFORMANCE)

by Samantha Wu on December 10, 2020
201
 
Evanescence

SPILL LIVE REVIEW: EVANESCENCE @ ROCK FALCON STUDIO, NASHVILLE (TN)

by Melinda Welsh on December 5, 2020
63
Tweets by @spillmagazine

SPILL MAGAZINE MENU
  • Home | The Spill Magazine
  • Premieres
  • Album Reviews
  • Books + Movies
  • Features
  • Live Reviews
  • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • News
  • Events
  • Entertainment Headlines
  • Concert Listings
  • Toronto Concert Venues
  • About Us
  • Contests
  • New Music
  • Spill Magazine Contributors
  • TOTD
  • Privacy Policy
  • The Scene Unseen
  • Newsletter

Copyright © 2020 | The Spill Magazine
All Rights Reserved.

TRENDING RIGHT NOW
   
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: NOFX – SINGLE ALBUM
1943
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY – MECHANICAL SOUL
683
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: PAUL McCARTNEY – McCARTNEY III
581
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: GUIDED BY VOICES – STYLES WE PAID FOR
564
 
SPILL MUSIC PREMIERE: CHURCH OF TREES FEAT. CAROLE POPE – “WORLD’S A BITCH”
465
 
SPILL LIVE REVIEW: LORD HURON ALIVE FROM WHISPERING PINES: EPISODE 1 OF 4 (VIRTUAL EVENT)
441
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BLACK PISTOL FIRE – LOOK ALIVE
386
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: GEORGE THOROGOOD AND THE DESTROYERS – LIVE IN BOSTON, 1982: THE COMPLETE CONCERT
351
 
SPILL NEW MUSIC: “SHAMELESS” STAR WILLIAM H. MACY RELEASES DEBUT SINGLE “WHISKEY DELL” UNDER “WILLIE CREEKS” MONIKER
333
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE DIRTY NIL – FUCK ART
288
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: CHRIS CORNELL – NO ONE SINGS LIKE YOU ANYMORE
287
 
SPILL FEATURE: TRULY ORCHESTRATING HIS OWN LIFE – A CONVERSATION WITH RICK SPRINGFIELD
281
 
SPILL FEATURE: HIS STORY RIGHT NOW – A CONVERSATION WITH cEvin Key
279
ENTERTAINMENT HEADLINES