Blutengel was formed in 1998 after Chris Pohl had decided to give up the preceding project, Seelenkrank (which had released two albums), due to contractual problems. Just as its predecessor, Blutengel uses melodious electronic tunes in combination with both male and female voices. The lyrics are primarily in German or English and mixed between male and female vocals paired with electronic sounds and with songs often focusing on all aspects of love, from the tragedy of hopeless romance of vampires (all the way to the more animal aspects of desire) and aspects of death and the afterlife.
The first album Child of Glass was released in early 1999 with Kati Roloff and Nina Bendigkeit as the original female vocalists.
In 2001, the second album Seelenschmerz was released. Nina left to concentrate on photography and eventually form the band Formalin. Gini Martin joined the band as the second female voice alongside Kati. The first Blutengel gig ever took place at the Wave-Gotik-Treffen on June 1, 2001, in Leipzig, in front of 10,000 fans. At the end of 2001, the single Black Roses was released with Constance Rudert as a session singer. The band performed at the Dark Storm Festival where Constance appeared on stage with Kati and Gini. This was the last time the band would play with its original line-up. Kati and Gini left the band days later for personal reasons and founded their own project together, Tristesse de la Lune. Constance, who had originally only been recruited for the single "Black Roses", became a full time member of Blutengel. Eva Pölzing joined soon after as a second vocalist.
Angel Dust was released in 2002, placing 58th on the German Charts.The Angel Dust promotional photo-shoot and booklet was made by Nina Bendigkeit.
In 2004 their fourth album, Demon Kiss, was released, featuring the single "Forever". A DVD release Live Lines and the album-length EP The Oxidising Angel appeared in 2005, the latter of which contained new material as well as a cover of "Cry Little Sister" from The Lost Boys soundtrack. In early October Eva Pölzing decided to leave the band due to other projects. Eva was replaced by Ulrike Goldmann (ex-Say-Y).
For the following two years, the band released a couple of singles with a slightly more "pop-driven" sound until their fifth album, Labyrinth was released in September 2007. It reached 36th in the German charts, and featured the single "Lucifer", and the live favourite "Engelsblut".
In 2009 Blutengel released the album Schwarzes Eis, which featured the single "Dancing in the Light" and accompanying music video to promote the album. An extended edition of this album contained three full CDs, each with its own subtitle (Schwarzes Eis, the instrumental Behind the Mirror and Redemption). The EP Soultaker was released later that year.
In 2010, they performed at the Amphi Festival featuring Anja Milow, Maria Rehfeld and Jenny Haufe who had been hired in 2009 as a dancers for the Schwarzes Eis Tour. Days later, it was announced on the official website that Constance had been replaced by two new singers, Anja Milow and Steffi Weingarten. Both featured on the seventh album Tränenherz, released in 2011 and placed in the German charts at number 12. Two singles "Über den Horizont" & "Reich Mir Die Hand" were released to promote the album, with accompanying music videos the latter featuring Pohl's new girlfriend Viki Scarlet as the "Bloody Girl" in Reich Mir Die Hand who would later become a permanent dancer.
The EP Nachtbringer followed that same year. a music video was released for the title track featuring the complete lineup excluding Jenny for this video. Steffi was fired from the band before they began touring and on her official Facebook page, she wrote a statement claiming that she was not allowed to tour due to legal issues with Constance. Jenny left in 2012, followed by Anja to focus on her job as a model for the clothing label AMF Korsets, continue college studies and work as an independent designer with her label Madone Noire.
Monument and Black Symphonies (2012–2014) Edit
From May 12 to May 20, 2012 Blutengel toured North America for the first time. Playing in Mexico City, New York, San Antonio, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and in Montreal for the Kinetik Festival. After the tour Maria Rehfeld left the band.[citation needed]
The first single from the album Monument, "Save Our Souls", was released in November 2012 while the second single, "You Walk Away", was released in January 2013. The album Monument was released in February 2013 and placed #4 & #96 on the German and Switzerland music charts respectively. "Kinder dieser Stadt" was released on July 19, 2013, as the third single from Monument.
Blutengel released an orchestral compilation album, Black Symphonies (An Orchestral Journey), on February 28, 2014. A single and music video for "Krieger" were released to promote the album.
Omen & Nemesis: The Best of & Reworked (2014–2016)
The first single "Asche Zu Asche", from their upcoming album was released on November 14, 2014. The second single, "Sing", was released on January 23, 2015.
Omen was released on February 12, 2015.
The band then embarked on the first leg of the Omen tour in April and spanning through to August. Festival appearances include Wave-Gotik-Treffen, Mera Luna Festival, and Summer Breeze Open Air.
A new EP, In Alle Ewigkeit, was announced via the band's website in early August as well as the tour dates for the second leg of the Omen tour, which began in November and ended in early December. The new EP was released 23 October 2015, and featured a reworking of 'Weg Zu Mir' originally from 'Child of Glass' which served as a preview for the upcoming 'Best of' album.
Chris Pohl recorded guest vocals on Italian industrial group Helalyn Flowers' "Beware of Light" single which was released by Belgian label Alfa Matrix Records in October 2015.
On 26 February 2016, their 'best of' album Nemesis: The Best of & Reworked was released with re-recorded versions of BlutEngel classics. To support this release, they will be playing 'Nemesis - Open Air Festival' in July.
Due to legal issues, Omen was re-released under the title Save Us.
Leitbild & Un:Gott (2016–present) Edit
In early 2016, BlutEngel entered the studio to record a new album, set for a release in February 2017.
"Complete", the first single from the upcoming 10th album, Leitbild, was released on December 2, 2016. it featured two B-sides and a remix by British darkwave act Massive Ego. The second single "Lebe Deinen Traum" was released as a digital single on February 3, 2017.
Leitbild was released on 17 February. The album would be the band's third straight album to chart in the top 5 of the Media Control Charts at number 4. The album would also chart Swiss Music Charts at #49. BlutEngel went on Tour starting in April and ended in May to promote Leitbild, with Massive Ego as their support. On 12 May, they performed an acoustic set which was recorded for release on DVD as, A Special Night Out: Live & Acoustic in Berlin.
After the Leitbild tour ended, Chris teased that he began work on a new Mini Album or EP to be released towards the end of the year. The new Mini Album was later confirmed and entitled Black. The 2nd leg of the Leitbild tour was also announced for October through December, 2017. Live im Wasserschloss Klaffenbach will be released April 2018, with footage from their 'Nemesis - Open Air Festival' from July 2016.
In May, 2018 BlutEngel were back in the studio working on their next album, Un:Gott, which was released 15th February 2019 and was promoted with a tour, that began in February. The tour was once again supported by Massive Ego.
A new Mini Album "Damokles" was released on November 1st, 2019.
During the COVID-19 pandemic three singles were released. The first Wir Sind Unsterblich on 27th March. The second, Obscured, a collaboration with Hocico on 3rd April. The third, Nothing But A Void, a collaboration with Massive Ego was released Friday 13th of November.
Line-up
Current members
Chris Pohl – vocals, lyrics, programming (1998–present)
Ulrike Goldmann – vocals and lyrics (2005–present)
Current dancers
Viki Scarlet – Main Visual Concept (2011–present)
Former members
1998–2000: Nina Bendigkeit (now in Formalin;also female voices on Seelenkrank and Terminal Choice albums) – Vocals and lyrics
1998–2002: Kati Roloff (was in Tristesse de la Lune with Gini but left in late 2006) – Vocals
2000–2002: Gini Martin (now in Tristesse de la Lune) – Vocals and Lyrics
2002–2005: Eva Pölzing – Vocals
2002–2010: Constance Rudert (now in Cinderella Effect)– session singer then Vocals and Visual Concept
2010–2011: Steffi Weingarten – Vocals
2009–2012: Anja Milow – Vocals and Visual Concept
Former dancers
2001–2009: Sonja Semmler (now in Masters of Comedy – Live performance, visual concept (their first official dancer/performance artist to be part of the band)
2009-2012: Jenny Haufe- Visual Concept
2009-2012: Maria Rehfeld- Visual Concept
Albums Edit
1999: Child of Glass
2001: Seelenschmerz
2002: Angel Dust
2004: Demon Kiss
2007: Labyrinth
2009: Schwarzes Eis
2011: Tränenherz
2013: Monument
2015: Omen/Save Us
2017: Leitbild
2019: Un:Gött
Beauty and Delight
Blutengel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You only have to close your eyes
You will see the beauty and delight
Is it real or just a dream?
Bleeding wounds, souls without life
Days are gone and no return
There is nothing to regret
Sleepless nights, a nightmare will win
Burning eyes and bloody lips
Skin so white, see the fact
Immortal life forever
No more light and no more days
Our youth will never die
Night is the only place for us
The beauty lives forever
We're walking through a world of beauty and delight
We're searching for the one who is sharing our life
We're living in the night and we spread our wings to fly
We're suffering in the dark so that no one sees our tears
Come with us, we'll show you lust
Close your eyes and feel this life
Fear is gone and pleasure wins
There is nothing to regret
Time is right to realize
We are creatures of the dark
We feel the same and live our dreams
The opening lines of the song “Beauty and Delight” by Blutengel invite the listener to join the dark side: “Let us change your life / You only have to close your eyes / You will see the beauty and delight”. The band, as experts in the genre of darkwave and gothic rock, illustrates a recurring theme of resistance against the conventional and commercialized society. While the song’s melody and rhythm are in a slow-pacing and sensual style, the lyrics present a Faustian bargain where the listener can experience beauty and pleasure in exchange for joining an eternal night of darkness.
The bittersweet dilemma that the song presents is whether the promised beauty and delight is a tangible reality or a mere illusion. While the lyrics describe the singer’s acceptance of living as a vampire or a similar creature with an immortal life, the song hints at the costs and sacrifices required to maintain such a lifestyle. The lyrics describe the consequences of living without sunlight or humanity, as the singer references “bleeding wounds, souls without life.” The song suggests that the night and the beauty it holds is at the cost of leaving the world behind and accepting a new existence.
Overall, Blutengel’s “Beauty and Delight” is a poetic depiction of the dark and eternal life of a non-human being, highlighting the pleasure and beauty of the night while noting the consequences of an existence without daylight.
Line by Line Meaning
Let us change your life
Blutengel wants to introduce a new lifestyle to the listener
You only have to close your eyes
The listener will need to trust Blutengel and let go of their preconceived notions
You will see the beauty and delight
The new lifestyle will bring happiness and satisfaction
Is it real or just a dream?
The listener may question the legitimacy of the new lifestyle
Bleeding wounds, souls without life
The current lifestyle is painful and unfulfilling
Days are gone and no return
The past cannot be changed
There is nothing to regret
One should not dwell on the past and should move forward
Sleepless nights, a nightmare will win
The current lifestyle causes difficulty sleeping and unpleasant dreams
Burning eyes and bloody lips
The current lifestyle is causing physical harm
Skin so white, see the fact
The physical consequences of the current lifestyle are visible
Immortal life forever
The new lifestyle will bring eternal life
No more light and no more days
The new lifestyle does not involve the daylight hours
Our youth will never die
The new lifestyle will preserve one's youthfulness
Night is the only place for us
The new lifestyle can only be lived in darkness
The beauty lives forever
The new lifestyle brings eternal beauty
We're walking through a world of beauty and delight
The new lifestyle is fulfilling and enjoyable
We're searching for the one who is sharing our life
Blutengel wants the listener to join this new lifestyle
We're living in the night and we spread our wings to fly
The new lifestyle creates a sense of freedom
We're suffering in the dark so that no one sees our tears
The new lifestyle may require hiding one's emotions from others
Come with us, we'll show you lust
Blutengel wants the listener to experience pleasure
Close your eyes and feel this life
The new lifestyle is experienced through all senses, not just sight
Fear is gone and pleasure wins
The new lifestyle brings an end to fear and replaces it with pleasure
Time is right to realize
The listener should take action now
We are creatures of the dark
The new lifestyle revolves around darkness
We feel the same and live our dreams
Those who participate in the new lifestyle share similar desires and goals
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTIAN CHRIS POHL, ULRIKE GOLDMANN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Steve
on In alle Ewigkeit
The reason i listen to Blutengel is to hear Ulricke.