V/A – The Pact 2: … of the Gods

A few years after part I now comes the sequel of this interesting compilation, released by Tesco. This album is mostly filled with top neo-folk bands, and was compiled by Ian Read (Fire & Ice) and Michael Moynihan (Blood Axis), with some unreleased songs on it. After a short intro by Willam Burroughs (‘is this machine recording?’) an acoustic song from veterans Changes follows. Then it is time for a recognizable ritual track from Der Blutharsch, of course untitled. Fire & Ice contributes an excellent song with ‘Harry the Sun’, with the characteristic voice of Ian Read. Speaking of typical voices, next is Ataraxia from Italy, with the nice tune ‘Zelia’. The album continues at a high level with the tracks from Allerseelen and hippy-folkers In Gowan Ring. Blood Axis delivers the atmospheric ‘Der gefallene Engel”. Forseti is present with ‘Heilige Welt’ from their excellent “Jenzig” LP and Ostara with ‘The reckoning’, from their “Secret Homeland” album. Disappointing is the live track von Camerata Mediolanense (“L’homme armee’), mainly though its bad sound quality. Other not so interesting tracks come from Shining Vril, Mee, Dave Lee and Beastianity (again with Burrouhgs). The biggest surprise for me was ‘Wolfsstund’ from Waldteufel, a band that hasn’t released an album so far as I know. They made a long, haunting track that stays in your head for a long time after listening this album. ‘Die Wölve kommen, die Wölve kommen…’