Hekate

Hekate

Biography:
Hekate, a German band from Koblenz, first came to my attention at the Wave Gotik Treffen in 1998,. They gave an impressive concert at the Parkbuhne, together with Hagalaz Runedance. Spectacular was their powerful use of drums and percussion, reminding a bit of Camerata Mediolanense. After that concert I bought the impressive vinyl only LP Hambach/1848, fully dedicated to and using texts from the era of the revolutions in 1848, an influential period in Europe. What striked me most about the music was the combination of ambient electronic sounds and traditional folky instruments. This was not their first release, in 1996 already a split album was made with Chorea Minor, that sounds mostly electronic.

The Hambach LP was followed by “Sonnentanz”, released by ‘Well of Urd’, a division of the Dutch metal label Hammerheart. With this album the band proves its evolution. The music is a mixture of neo-folk and medieval styles, completed with powerful drumming and use of electronics. Hekate uses a rich instrumentarium and several vocalists (male and female), which makes the songs are pretty varied. Sometimes it sounds bombastic, with martial drums and trumpets, sometimes fragile and melancholic, with female voices, acoustic guitars and strings. In 2001 Hekate released a mini album called Tempeltanze, again very varied, with some surprising songs. This album was promoted by an extensive concert tour.

Discography:

  • The seventh sign (with Chorea Minor, 1996)
  • Hambach/1848 LP (1999)
  • Sonnentanz (Well of Urd, 2000)
  • Tempeltänze (Well of Urd, 2001)