Jul 8
Pictured here is Sturmpercht "Geister im Waldgebirg". In my view, it stands among the strongest neofolk releases of the post 2000 era, capturing Alpine traditions and atmosphere like few bands have. The album incorporates poems by several known writers/poets (Hielscher, Trakl, etc) as well as featuring musical contributions from Markus Wolff of Waldteufel, Gerhard of Allerseelen and Sangre Cavallum.
The cover depicts an image of Zapfenmandl (“pinecone man”). In the book "The Krampus and the Old, Dark Christmas", Al Ridenour explains that a Zapfenmandl “presence is intended to bestow symbolic protection upon woodcutters and forest workers, and guard their trees from fire, wind, disease, and infestations.” (P. 210)
