Despairation | de

Three years after their ambitious, 18-track concept album „Music For The Night“ the German band DESPAIRATION returns with „A Requiem In Winter’s Hue“ – an album that is more modest in terms of music and lyrics. The broad musical variety and depth has given way to a new directness, which is now expressed in 11 more or less quiet songs and lyrics that circle around the subject matter ‚farewell’. But the originality of DESPAIRATION is still present in those characteristic playful moments and an artistic aura that dominated the predecessor albums already. In 1994 the band has been formed by guitar player Martin F. Jungkunz, who is the only original member in the present line-up. Two years later the recording of the first mangy demo “Another Spiritworld” took place, followed by the self released debut album “Winter 1945” in 1998. Subsequently they joined forces with Bruno Kramm (Das Ich) to produce the second record “Scenes From A Poetical Playground” (2000), which mainly found favour with the Gothic scene.

This album and the successional longplayer “Songs Of Love And Redemption” (2002) have been released by Moonstorm Records/EFA. This time Scream Silence singer Hardy Fieting served as producer. Afterwards the band took the initiative and produced the huge concept album “Music For The Night” (2004) in their own Winter Solitude Studio. This record, however, has been released by the Italian Avantgarde label My Kingdom Music who are also releasing the current album “A Requiem In Winter’s Hue”– a record that has been produced with the help of e-mail communication, shipped cdrs and modern computer technique since the band members live hundreds of kilometres from each other. Since the foundation back in their teenage years DESPAIRATION went through various styles and weren’t afraid to experiment.

Thus it’s no surprise that also on “A Requiem In Winter’s Hue” a wide range of influences from Alternative, Gothic and Metal to Psychedelic, 70s Rock, Funk and Jazz have been interlaced. However the basis is progressive Rock music in diverse shades, dominated by guitar and piano. This fifth album also invites the listener to a musical journey. Whereas the mood of “Farewell In Blue”, “The One Who Ceased To Breathe”, “Letters From A Coffin”, “Inner Peace” or the re-recording of band’s classic piece “The Shallow Sea” (originally appeared on their debut “Winter 1945”) is quiet and relaxed, the psychedelic “A Lovelorn Requiem” (with a guest appearance from Janne Lounatvuori, keyboarder of the Finnish Psychedelic-Rock-Band Hydria Spacefolk), “Humanity As A Child” or the poppy and catchy “Kiss Of Ashes” are driven by hard guitars. This scope is widened by the Jazz inspired “Cathartic Revelation” and the elaborate 8-minute “Lucid Lullaby” which has become a small epic. Each of the 11 songs reveal loving attention to detail and character, adequately underlined by the guest performances of singer Victoria Trunova and cellist Judith Meyer. DESPAIRATION give us a lot of space for own associations to take along. And open-minded listeners who love bands like Marillion, Porcupine Tree, David Bowie or new Anathema, can surely get warm with the self-contained sound of this German band. So let’s hope DESPAIRATION won’t take the subject matter ‘farewell’ too serious and will provide more albums in the future.
More information:

www.despairation.com .