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Rating:
The death of Albin Julius on May 4, 2022, put an end to all his projects (and also to the controversies about his ideological positions. Nevertheless, the group was banned from Bandcamp) among them the now-psychedelic Der Blutharsch And The Infinite Church Of The Leading Hand. But it is with his old moniker (simply Der Blutharsch) that, in my opinion, he had given his best. In particular, "The Track Of the Hunted" shines with a dark aura that envelops the soul. Having abandoned purely propagandistic trappings, a more intense musicality is embraced. Albin Julius, a devoted follower of Richard Wagner, imprints these compositions with a compelling essence. The cathartic effect of this music is palpable: it's like listening to Wagner immersed in the depths of Martial-industrial darkness!
The first track opens with the sound of a bottle being uncorked, wine flowing into a glass, a toast with obscene and ambiguous overtones. An air-raid siren and an operetta chant transport us directly to the era of World War II, when Berlin was a victim of the destructive fury of the Allied bombings. The strings take command, creating an atmosphere of terror. The fifth track is martial and determined, imbued with anguish in the soul, while the eighth glorifies the Third Reich, and the music explodes into its triumphant march. The ninth track unfolds into a folkloric moment, a Nazi ditty unearthed by Albin Julius in an obscure nostalgia shop. The last track is a genuine delirium, characterized by electronic samples, martial rhythms, post-industrial and "Wagnerian" sounds, wrapped in a gloomy and pastist epic. In the final part, the atmospheres sink into the darkness of ambient. A ghost-track insinuates itself, maintaining the same "mood" of this magnificent album.
The controversies surrounding this project, although understandable, risk overshadowing the musical greatness of Blutharsch. The talent of the late Albin Julius is undeniable, as he brilliantly demonstrated in his collaborations with Death In June on the albums "Take Care and Control" and "Operation Hummingbird". His contribution, in my opinion, represents the last flashes of light in the career of Douglas P., lost in eternal darkness.
Tracklist and Lyrics
02 II (03:39)
(...)
The said the war is over but I don't believe it. No one told me it was over, no one that was in the truth told me it was over. All the liars with down the road said it was over but... no one that I knew that was telling me the truth said it was over. So I guess it's not over as far as I'm concerned.
Fallen wir!
(...) killed though (...) car crash down the (...) garbage down the road (...) trash (...) distant ship (...) don't want to get involved (...) take up a gun (...) I mean (...) all the (...) where did you go along (...) spiritual movement in this world (...) got out of prison (...) they don't have enough (...) last American (...) United States, and the United States can't even forgive their own children, for doing exactly what they raised them up to do?
07 VII (03:30)
But first, let's remind ourselves what the fundamental rights of an independent nation are.
Blood Nation.
Blood Nation.
Arrgh!
Herzum
A Herzum
A Herzum
A Herzum (Forgive my despair)
Light (...) night sky (...)
Dreaing of the ever-night
War we came and war we kept
Wotan unser stand the hill
Herzum
A Herzum (Forgive my despair)
A Herzum (Forgive my despair)
A Herzum (Forgive my despair)
(...) schleben (...)
(...) the World of (...)
(...) play
(...) ist to late.
Herzum
A Herzum (Forgive my despair)
A Herzum (Forgive my despair)
A Herzum (Forgive my despair)
09 IX (02:22)
(...) über klar, das wir lager vergannt erst ist. Aber, wir sind soldaten, ob bleiben oder sterben. Wir mützen for der Gesichter for antworten ob unser plicht erhaben! Junge soldaten, erst einsatz bliegen sehen und wissen. Das unser Batallion nür ein powehrks kennt. Niemehls ein zurück. Unser Batallion kennt nür Kampf!
Kampf, Sieg oder tot!
(...)
(...)
(...) [Sampled from Triumph of the Will]
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Other reviews
By mementomori
"The Track of the Hunted retrieves the compactness of his early works, reinterpreted with increased mastery."
"Julius remains faithful to his intention: to transpose dark war scenarios into music, reinterpreting them romantically, much like a new Wagner in industrial version."
