Blutengel
Seelenschmerz

THE REVIEW

Blutengel has been a sound reality in the electro/gothic realm for just under a decade. Led by the "charismatic" Chris Pohl and supported by two sensual ladies: Kati and Gini. I chose to review Seelenschmerz for two simple reasons: the first is that this is the only album they've done that "literally" left me speechless... the second reason is even simpler than the first: after this album, "our" Chris has done nothing but darken and horrify fans who once were "faithful" to this creature. 

Officially released in March 2001 after a rather unhappy debut with "Child of Glass" in 1999 (in 1998, unfortunately, a Chris project called Seelenkrank didn't see the light of day), it was then followed by "Angel Dust" (yes, a good album... but nothing compared to the power and obsessive rhythm of Seelenschmerz) this record rocks... and it really does!!! It's no joke!! Of course, today, defending Blutengel is an outrageous madness since "our" Chris Pohl, over time, has done nothing but "uglify" all the beauty he had done/composed before: in this case, indeed, Seelenschmerz. Sure, some will argue (and I'll put myself in the mix too) that Blutengel has become a shadow of their former selves, or rather, of himself, since the reins of the group belong solely to Chris? (in fact, the band consists of him and just him) Kati and Gini, yes, are backup singers, but more than anything, they're part of the "band" as fetish/lapdancers that make the show a bit more intriguing. For most people, Blutengel is fake-ridiculous-trite and sexist... and that's true!! Just look at one of their concerts (in their homeland, Germany, they are very famous, at the Wave Gothic Treffen of 2003 they played in front of as many as 10,000 people and were headlining the festival) sure... they attract quite a crowd! Whether it's for the songs, for the pseudo-vampiric atmospheres, or especially for the "gothic-fetish-show" put up by the aforementioned two girls.
In reality, Blutengel, or rather Chris, is really tiresome with his diva poses, his Vampire made in Deutchland act, and his swaggering style... because it's true! You can spot a mile away that he's a near-arrogant narcissist sometimes bordering on pathetic... But how can one blame him after all? Just take a look around for a moment to see that he is not the only "character" basking behind this "facade"... it's all part of the show... and the show must go on!

In any case, the tracks on this album are many and almost all of notable "depth." It starts with an intro that is already a whole program: "Welcome to Suicide" (Oh!) A melodious intro that will set the stage for the subsequent songs. I don't want to list one by one the songs contained in this album as it would be pointless, but I can tell you that in there, there are little gems... little masterpieces that once stuck in your head, you can hardly forget... I'm talking about "Der Spiegel" - "Run Away" - "Die with You" and "Bloody Pleasure", a single that was extracted before the album's release and fully deserves the adjective awarded to it! After numerous concerts scattered throughout Europe, Blutengel has managed to be appreciated/disdained by the entire electrogothicsystem, even crossing the ocean. On October 31st last, they held concerts in the United States and Mexico where they achieved notable success. In the end, all my praise goes to the album, to this record... not to the creator who over the years has ridiculed his own creature to the point of making it grotesque. But this is what we are talking about: Seelenschmerz a bastard, sharp, and flashy masterpiece!!! A small humble piece of advice I allow myself to offer: make sure to get this album... once you have it, take the track "Run Away" and pump it into your veins at full volume!!!!! Who knows what might come out...