Every Morgenstern song I’ve heard prior to this CD has never really caught my attention. Typically I enjoy Folk influenced Metal quite a bit, but Morgenstern just seemed boring and unimaginative. Unfortunately, the band could still do a lot more with their sound than what they are currently doing, however, this time they did manage to put together a catchy, if not simple, at times, release. Essentially the band combines some Folk melodies using flutes and clarinets with crunchy, dark sounding guitars. It’s a weird combination and maybe that’s part of the bands problems or maybe that's the appeal.

All the guitars are relatively straightforward, with even the song writing not getting very complicated. The vocals are in German, which I happen to really like. I only know a bit of German but I’ve always liked how the language sounds in Metal music so I think this is one thing the band has going for them. The main vocalist uses a couple of different tones, and has the ability to sing with a good amount of emotion, which adds to atmosphere of the band. The songs have varied tempos; most are mid-paced, but there are some slower, darker songs/passages. Also present are more upbeat tempos, however, the band definitely could improve their style with more upbeat tempos more often. To their credit, Morgenstern do create some rich textures and catchy melodies with the folk instruments, which as their best, do blend well with the guitars. Moreover, the occasional acoustic section is well-done, further adding to the atmosphere; in fact they probably could have benefited from more of that as well.

The first track, Sie Liebt Mich, has some good moments, but is a tad bland compared to the next 4 tracks, which are probably the strongest on this release, with the highlights being Engel and Gift. Gift is especially notable because a female handles the lead vocals. This works very well and the actual music, while slighty simple, creates a good atmosphere and ends up being immediately appealing and memorable. If they included the female lead vocals in more songs and mixed them with the male vocals, it could have added a much-needed dimension to the band. The last tracks, the best being Vogelfrei are more of the same but slighty different somehow. The melodies produced by the folk instruments continue to be pleasing if you’re into that type of stuff and the vocals continue to be well done, but once again, why not use more of the female vocals?

Even though the band could do a lot more, and the aforementioned low points hold the songs back somewhat, overall this is still an enjoyable release for fans of Folk Metal. I personally enjoyed almost every song and will probably listen to this release many more times, as the melodies stuck right away in all songs, which is always a good sign. So despite the low points, I can’t help but like this CD, it’s kind of like a guilty pleasure. You know it’s not the greatest thing in the world, but you still get caught humming along, head banging along, or attempting to sing along (I say attempting because well, my first language isn’t German hehe)… at least that is what happened to me and in the end that is what counts.