Nachtgeschrei – Ardeo (2010)

One of our favorite Folk Metal/Rock bands has returned with “Ardeo” and the only thing we can’t think is that 3 albums in 3 years definitely take a toll on a band’s creativity. In this release the band deliver 49 minutes of exactly the same as on “Am Rande der Welt” and “Hoffnungsschimmer”.

We don’t really care if a band does the same album 5 different ways as long as it is appealing and engaging. “Ardeo” is half and half in both departments, the band’s sound is as appealing as ever, but it sounds exactly the same as on their previous release. In terms of the appeal, there are great moments for sure, but they are drowned by uninspired repetition.

In the course of 11 tracks the band manages to go from Folk Rock pieces to Folk Metal songs, which maybe indicate that they will be shifting to a more Rock based approach in the future. While there are solid instrumentals like “Ad Astra”, the band’s rich instrumentation seems to be under utilized. Other tracks like “An Mein Ende” and “Ich Hoer Nichts Mehr” keep the older sound alive but hanging by a thread.

While we loved the band’s previous releases, “Ardeo” feels like more of the same and that is the main problem we have with this release. Tracks like “Herbst”, “Lichtshimmer” and “Der Reisende” are the most appealing for us since they are shaped like ballads with Folk elements and the characteristic vocals of Holger Franz but with a darker and more melancholic feeling.

In general terms, “Ardeo” is not a bad album at all. While there are some uninspired sections and the déjà vu feeling is always present, the band makes up for it with a few good songs and rich instrumentation (sometimes). We hope the band takes a longer break between this release and their next one to re-focus their sound and come up with more inspired tracks.

Release: November 26th, 2010

Country: Germany