Dornenreich are an Austrian band that combines some really well done folk style music with some faster black metal passages as well. Being on Prophecy, I was excited to hear this album and see what this group has to offer. While not the most "metal" album I've ever heard, this album has some really good songs, and it a very enjoyable listen.

The album starts of (for the first three tracks) with an all cleanly sung, folk style. The songs are catchy, and honestly quite surprising if You are not expecting it. The song writing is strong, and despite the lyrics being all Austrian (Which I do not know), you can still feel there is some passion and meaning behind the words. Im Ersten Aller Spiele is a great first track, and really sets off the album. The melody during the song is very memorable, and something that goes trough my head even when not listening to the album. The next couple of tracks follow the same style, but track 2, Von Kraft und Wunsch und Jungen Federn has a darker sound to it, and the vocals do get a little more angry sounding, adding a nice dimension to the song and album.

By track 3, the style starts to seem a little predictable, but luckily, track 4, Das Licht Vertraut Der Nacht is our first introduction to a harsher vocal, and faster, metal sound. Electric guitars, deep bass, and some nice, albeit low in the mix drumming. The drumming a little low in the mix, but it adds a good atmosphere and sound to the record. The vocals are not "typical" black metal vocals as they are not really high pitched or even really a shriek. Instead we get a harsher, midrange scream closer to a bark than a scream or growl. They still sound clean but with more anger behind them. Track 5 continues the harsh sound on the record, and is a bit faster than the prior track. The band still manages to incorporate the folk sound in the songs as well, making the songs have a great sound you don't hear too often. Im Fluss Die Flammen takes us back to the softer folk style of the band, as we get away from the harsher sounds. The vocals on these folk songs can go from a singing vocal, to a whisper style, which I think fits really well.

Penultimate track, Traumestraum brings in some of the elements we would hear in the harsh songs, with the electric instruments and drums, but stays a folk song, with no real "Metal" section. It gets heavier near the end of the track, but again, it sounds more folk than metal and the vocals never get to the harsh sound from earlier in the album. The final track, Blume Der Stille is also the longest on the album, clocking in at a little over 8 minutes. The first 5 minutes are instrumental, and not quite as interesting to me as some of the prior tracks, but after the 5 minute mark, the music becomes a bit darker sounding, and the track picks up steam, even if there isn't a major difference in the overall sound.

I did not know really what to expect when listening to this album, but this was not it. However, I walked away very satisfied with the outcome. The song writing, the pacing of the album/layout of the tracks keep things from getting too stale or boring, and the songs are catchy and enjoyable enough to listen to more than once, and as a nice palate cleanser of sorts in between listening to a lot of metal albums. Feel free to check out the trailer from this album, on the Prophecy Youtube Page.