Two great bands on this split single, that is not so new (1998), but which I only recently obtained at a record fair. The song ‘Käferlied’ von Allerseelen can also be found on their ‘Stirb und Werde’ album and is dedicated to Ernst Jünger, who was born in 1895 and died in 1998, the year in which this single appeared.

Jünger fought in WWI and published in 1920 his first book ‘The Storm of Steel’. Its glorification of war made it a popular with Germany’s young people who dreamed of gaining revenge after the country’s disastrous defeat in 1918. Jünger studied zoology, geology and botany before becoming a full-time writer. His books included Das Abenteurliche Herz (1929), Der Arbeiter (1932), Blatter und Steine (1934) and On the Marble Cliffs (1939). The work of Ernst Jünger became rather popular with the Nazi party. During WWII he again took part in the German army, but was dismissed when he became too critical about the acts of the SS. In his post-war work Jünger was very critical about Hitler and his totalitarian system. The lyrics to the song (”So fuhrte ihn die heilige Wissenschaft / in die Unterwelt / zum letzten / allerletzten Käfer…”) are printed on the inside of the fold-out cover. The song is in the typical Allerseelen style, hypnotizing and repetitive, moving forward in an elegant rhythm.

On the other side Blood Axis, the great American act around Michael Moynihan can be found, with the Irish traditional ‘The March of Brian Boru’. Probably one of the best tracks they ever made, it can also be found on the live album ‘Blot’. The tension is built up slowly, with the sound of a low bass. Then the percussion joins in, followed by a Joy Division type electric guitar and then the recognizable violin of Annabel Lee, which carries the actual melody. Then the song turns into a infectious, instrumental Irish drink-and-dance song…

By the way, Brian Boru lived from about 940 till 1014 and is an important figure in Irish history: “Brian Boru was no legend although his life deeds were legendary. He was very much a real man and was in fact the last great High King of Ireland and perhaps the greatest military leader the country has ever known.”

Author: HD. Published on: Sunday, December 16th, 2001.
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