Various Artists
Wir rufen Deine Wölfe


Released 2004 on Aorta/Ahnstern
Reviewed by Eventyr, 06/09/2005ce


Wir Rufen Deine Wolfe is a new Neofolk compilation that has recently been released by the highly esteemed Aorta Records. Many readers may be familiar with Aorta Records by some of their popular neo-folk artists such as Allerseelen and O Paradis. Gerhard, the man behind Aorta Records and Allerseelen is responsible for the conceptualization and creation of the Wir Rufen Deine Wolfe compilation. This musical anthology published on the winter solstice of 2003 makes a daring attempt to redefine the parameters of the musical compilation. Gerhard created the compilation based upon one sole premise. Each of the seventeen contributing artists was asked to compose a song based upon the lyrics of a Friedrich Hielscher poem titled "Wir Rufen Deine Wolfe." Friedrich Hielscher is an obscure German poet and philosopher
whose writing and poetry is being rediscovered and embraced by radical traditionalists and heathens alike. Gerhard has attempted a very challenging feat by placing faith in the belief that seventeen musicians could individually interpreted and deliver original material for a single poem. The Wir Rufen Deine Wolfe compilation stands as its own testament to the accomplishment of this challenging artistic vision.
From beginning to end the Wir Rufen Deine Wolfe compilation takes the
listener on a journey led by some of the best and most well-known musicians in the current pagan/heathen neo-folk music movement. All seventeen artists perform memorable performances each delivering a unique song inspired by Friedrich Hielscher's poem as well as the neo-folk tradition for which many of the bands identify.
Many well-known musicians such as the Lady Morphia, O Padaris, Cawatana, Blood Axis, Belborn, Riharc Smiles, Turbund Sturmwerk, and Allerseelen appear on the compilation. More than just being an interesting compilation the Wir Rufen Deine Wolfe compilation also offers the listener a chance to become familiar with the work of a number of lesser known neo-folk artists such as Sturmpercht, Circe, Graumahd,Erdgeist, and Werkraum. For others who live for new neo-folk acts like I do this introduction of new artists is quite a treat.

Every song on the compilation is sung in the poet's native German tongue. The fact that every song is sung in German is really a double edge sword. If you know German you are then treated to the ability to understand the lyrics easily as they are sung by each band. On the other hand if you do not know German such as me each song tends to sound refreshing and new. But non German-speaking listeners need not fear that the music will become repetitive or that the lyricism will become annoying as it is duplicated from song to song. Quite the contrary each song sounds refreshingly new and while you may remember particular words from a given song, these songs will not become familiar and old overnight unless you're sitting down a reading the English translation.


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