Hexentanz - Nekrocrafte

Hexentanz is a collaborative venture forging the talents of members of the medieval outfit Soil Bleeds Black and dark dance industrialists Psychonaut 75 in order to produce a working of The Witches Sabbat, together with themes of medieval necromancy. Given the subject matter Nekrocrafte could easily have slipped into schlock territory but this has been diligently researched and composed using actual period instruments and incorporating authentic arcane chants. It's perhaps not surprising. Michael Ford has authored several titles dealing with witch practices and magic. His latest publication is Luciferian Witchcraft, The Book of the Serpent, based on the practices of Luciferian Sorcery. While the Riddick brothers have been producing medieval music of distinction for a number of years as part of the Soil Bleeds Black.

A real sense of ceremony is summoned through 'Midnight Procession' as medieval strings and bells gives way to processional drums. Ritual drumming provides the main thrust of Nekrocrafte. Electronic shudders, flutes and percussive devices augment them, amidst a maelstrom of witchy howls and hellish shrieks. Voices are whispered sinisterly or electronically processed into malevolent animalistic and demonic entities. 'Bringer of the Luciferian Flame' is particularly effective, and worthy of note as it segues from primal rhythms, augmented by various percussive devices and bells through liturgical chants, vocal incantations and a children's choir.

The music is heavily exaggerated to attain a shadowy dream state where black atmospheres prevail in order for the initiator to invoke primal forces and evoke demons. Housed in a beautiful digipak, Nekrocrafte expertly blends the traditional with modern contemporary sounds to create a chilling ritualistic musick of dark, rhythms with medieval witch practices. It's much better that I could ever have anticipated and doesn't surprise me that Hexentanz have been providing material for horror films. The horned one would have loved it. For more information go to www.fossildungeon.com