Saltatio Mortis - Licht & Schatten! Best of 2000-2014 (Napalm Records)

English:CD-review
  Van Muylem    4 juli 2016

I saw Saltatio Mortis years ago as headliner during the great festival in Mons called Trolls et Légendes. A leg injury of the singer (Alea der Bescheidene) almost called in a cancellation, but even with this injury we got the most energetic gig of the festival! It was simply unbelievable how much pain was endured to give us such a great and powerful show where the crowd only stopped jumping up and down and stopped waving because they left stage and the lights were turned on after a series of encores!


This gig was many years ago and I still remember it as the most powerful gigs so far, from the first note until the last encore! Getting their best of is another great thing! They deliver us tracks from 2000 until 2014 (nicely remixed and remastered) and 3 bonus tracks especially recorded for this best of. It’s with their live sets in my mind that I listen again to this great one!

It all starts with the incredible track Fruer War Alles Besser! It sounds pretty cynical but it’s the best possible opening track for this impressive best of! Looking back at the time where books were still made of paper, were you use real money and not something made of plastic, bear with alcohol, banking was really banking … Music wise we hear their typical guitar versus bagpipe sound. I cherish the melancholic and catchy feel! It feels like party time! It’s pretty funny to see that this track is actually from 2013 (from the album Das Schwarze Einmaleins). Prometheus (2007, from Aus Der Asche) starts with an acoustic sound before it explodes with the bagpipes and guitars. You can feel the fire and the passion! It feels as written especially for live shows! Don’t forget to jump up and down and clap your hands! Habgier und Tod (2011, Sturm Aufs Paradies) is a real party track, that reminds me strongly of their great live shows! If you listen to the vocals you get the best proof that we are dealing with one of the best singers on earth (screaming, singing, going high and low)! Wachstum Ueber Alles (Das schwarze Einmaleins) starts with heavy guitars and a loud bass. It’s the wave with your arms moment whilst jumping up and down! This goes more into heavy metal/doom than any other track and I love it (but hey: there are no fillers)! Another cool thing is the darkness within the lyrics and melodic touch. Hochzeitstanz (also from Sturm Aufs Paradies ) feels a bit like a metal version of Cobalt 60 mixed with bagpipes and new vocals. The storytelling plays an important role, just as the cool down moments. It has a cool epic feel. Nichts Bleibt Mehr (Aus Der Asche) is the perfect ballad, but be ready to shed a tear. The acoustic guitar gives it the right touch, just as the broken voice (filled with sadness).

It shows off that they can do more than just launch a party and keep it going on until the lights go on. Satans Fall (Das schwarze Einmaleins), well some people might know this song as a song from Merciful Fate & Lord of The Lost, here we hear a different version: the perfect live track (played in the studio): raging and on fire! You can almost feel the fans move during the whole track, setting the roof on fire! Salome (2008, Wer Wind Sät) feat. Doro Pesch is the perfect duet! It’s very clear that they can perform it this way! Another great thing are the Arabic influences! Suendenfall (Sturm Aufs Paradies) is a raging track, fueled by the guitars and the bagpipes and ready to make the crowd explode! Ebenbild (Wer Wind Sät) is very catchy with a sweet chorus. Tritt Ein (2005, Des Königs Henker) has a funky sound, pimped by guitars (acoustic and electric) and with a catchy chorus. It’s an earworm and impossible to stand still! Falsche Freunde (2004, Erwachen) has a retro 80’s guitar sound and keeps the catchiness and typical sound. Spielmansschwur (Aus Der Asche) is the last track for this first part of the best of, throwing one last battle cry and putting gasoline around the already burning roof! The backings sound pretty much into punk, but I adore this little change! Be ready to sing a long!

More rock’n roll comes with Ode an Die Feindschaft (Sturm Aufs Die Paradies), it swings and it rocks, just perfect for gigs! Let the party animal in yourself go! The lyrics are nice and it all sounds very real and catchy. Idol (Das schwarze Einmaleins) starts with bagpipes but get rocked on by the guitars. It’s hot and steamy! Krieg Kent Keine Sieger (Das schwarze Einmaleins) has a nice title, the truth hits us hard, whilst the music burns. Heavy metal reigns! Another catchy track is Eulenspiegel (Sturm Aufs Paradies): again it’s party time and be ready to sing a long! Wave with your arms and jump up and down! The Nananana moment is the perfect live feel moment! Schloss Duwisib (2013, Das Schwarze IXI, bonus track) is softer, but very catchy and a great sing a long moment! Freiheit (bonus track on Wer Wind Sät) is a nice and very into throwing a party track, like so many tracks on this best of. Salz Der Ende (Des Königs Henker) is a raw rocker with a cool twinkeling guitar. Koma is also pretty raw& heavy metal orientated! The guitars and bagpipes are perfectly balanced. It feels a bit like Rammstein meets bagpipes! Letzte Worte (Wer Sind Sät): acoustic guitar and a flute renders perfectly the melancholic feel. It has something bitter sweet and yet o so catchy. This is once again the proof that they can also compose softer songs. This one ends the regular double CD in beauty.

Schoene Neue Welt (Bonus) is the first extra track, somehow I want to call it an encore as Saltatio Mortis is for me THE live band! This one puts up hope for the future whilst they just rock off your socks! I’m pretty sure this one will be a major hit on stage!

Fatum (Bonus) is a bit softer, with a warm sound. I hear a lot of sweetness, the backings gives it a touch of glue so that it stays attached to you. Fatum is sweet superglue.

Weiss Wie Schnee (Bonus) is the very last track of this impressive double album. The backings gives it sweetness and catchiness. It’s the perfect earworm and perfect end track for any album!

It was worth it, even if it took me two weeks to finish this review, it was a major favor that I could review it and enjoyed every note of it! I hope to see them back on stage and why not again at the magical festival in Mons called Trolls et Légendes!