Totenheer writes history.... More precisely: Totenheer set the novella "The Black Spider" by Jeremias Gotthelf from 1842 to music with 14 songs. The story tells of farmers in slavery in the 13th century in the Emmental. Under the threat of death, the tyrannical bailiff forces them to plant a hundred full-grown beech trees on the castle hill in no time at all. In their distress, they gave the order to the devil. As a reward, the devil desires nothing much, nothing more and nothing less than an unbaptized child. In a wild and stormy night, the devil fulfills the order. The peasants, however, try to trick him and cheat him out of his wages. But his revenge is terrible: the devil sends them the black spider, a symbol of the plague. The 74-minute concept album begins with dulcimer sounds that underline the scene as unison. This finally changes the mood ominously. The album offers powerful, brute and dark sounds to a primal human fear. Old legends of the past are transformed into a parable-like narrative about Christian-humanistic ideas of good and evil.
Includes unlimited streaming of Die schwarze Spinne
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
ships out within 10 days
18CHFor more
Record/Vinyl + Digital Album
Totenheer writes history.... More precisely: Totenheer set the novella "The Black Spider" by Jeremias Gotthelf from 1842 to music with 14 songs. The story tells of farmers in slavery in the 13th century in the Emmental. Under the threat of death, the tyrannical bailiff forces them to plant a hundred full-grown beech trees on the castle hill in no time at all. In their distress, they gave the order to the devil. As a reward, the devil desires nothing much, nothing more and nothing less than an unbaptized child. In a wild and stormy night, the devil fulfills the order. The peasants, however, try to trick him and cheat him out of his wages. But his revenge is terrible: the devil sends them the black spider, a symbol of the plague. The 74-minute concept album begins with dulcimer sounds that underline the scene as unison. This finally changes the mood ominously. The album offers powerful, brute and dark sounds to a primal human fear. Old legends of the past are transformed into a parable-like narrative about Christian-humanistic ideas of good and evil.
Includes unlimited streaming of Die schwarze Spinne
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
ships out within 10 days
38CHFor more
T-Shirt/Apparel
Printed on Fruit of the Loom Original T.
S - XXL available
ships out within 10 days
20CHFor more
lyrics
Ein einziges Haus hatte das Untier bis dahin verschont
und war nie in demselben erschienen;
das Haus, aus welchem Christine das Kindlein geraubet.
Das fromme Weibchen war genesen.
Sie bohrte ein Loch in das Bystal, rüstete einen Zapfen,
der scharf ins Loch passte, weihte ihn mit geheiligtem Wasser,
legte einen Hammer zurecht
und betete nun Tag
und Nacht zu Gott um Kraft zur Tat.
So hatte sie auch einmal nach strengem Wachen der Schlaf überwältigt
und später aber wie sie die schweren Augenlider mühsam erhob,
sah sie langsam, giftgeschwollen die Spinne schreiten übers Bettlein hinauf
dem Gesichte ihres Bübchens zu.
Unter tausendfachen Todesschmerzen
drückte sie mit der einen Hand
die Spinne ins bereitete Loch,
mit der andern den Zapfen davor
und schlug mit dem Hammer ihn fest.
Drinnen sauste und brauste es,
wie wenn mit dem Meere die Wirbelwinde streiten,
das Haus wankte in seinen Grundfesten,
fest sass der Zapfen,
gefangen blieb die Spinne.
Die treue Mutter aber freute sich noch,
dass sie ihre Kindlein gerettet,
dann starb sie auch den gleichen Tod wie alle.
Nun war der schwarze Tod zu Ende.
Ruhe und Leben kehrte ins Tal zurück.
Die schwarze Spinne ward nicht mehr gesehen zur selben Zeit,
denn sie sass in jenem Loche gefangen,
wo sie jetzt noch sitzt.
Swiss dark and melancholic black metal band Hån showcasing in their sophomore album well-crafted, raw, blasphemic melodies reminiscent of many Finnish acts that I like so much. This is a bit more repetitive than their latest release, but fans of trad raw Finnish BM should find themselves at home here. Vocals and all instruments are crystal clear, like the water and snow of our Swiss Alps. A great band I really like! sachavonkarl74
The atmosphere of this album is fantastic. Makes you feel like you're knee-deep in the trenches drenched in mud, filth, sweat, and blood. Truly encapsulates the horrors of World War I, and the fact that the lyrics of some of the songs are taken from old war letters really adds to the authenticity.
Favorite Track(s): Die Feuertaufe, Grabenlieder edoerfler
