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
Leitbild
Blutengel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wir kämpfen für euch
Wir töten,
Wir töten für euch
Wir leiden,
Wir leiden für euch
Wir sterben,
Wir sterben für euch
Nein! Nein!
So kann es für uns nicht weitergehen
Nein! Nein!
Wir sprengen unsere Ketten
Nein! Nein!
Wir werden nicht mehr weitergehen
Nein! Nein!
Nicht mehr in eure Richtung
Wir wollen leben, leben so, wie wir sind
Wir folgen keinem selbsternannten Gott
Wir wollen glauben, glauben woran wir wollen
Wir schaffen uns unser eigenes leitbild
Wir folgen
Wir folgen euch nicht
Wir vertrauen
Wir vertrauen euch nicht
Wir glauben
Wir glauben euch nicht
Wir gehorchen,
Wir gehorchen euch nicht
Nein! Nein!
So kann es für uns nicht weitergehen
Nein! Nein!
Wir sprengen unsere Ketten
Nein! Nein!
Wir werden nicht mehr weitergehen
Nein! Nein!
Nicht mehr in eure Richtung
Wir wollen leben, leben so, wie wir sind
Wir folgen keinem selbsternannten Gott
Wir wollen glauben, glauben woran wir wollen
Wir schaffen uns unser eigenes Leitbild
The song "Leitbild" by Blutengel is all about the idea of rebellion against conformity and the desire to create our own path in life. The lyrics are sung from the perspective of someone who is tired of following the norms and expectations set by society and is ready to break free from them. The opening verse speaks of the struggle and sacrifices that are made in the pursuit of something greater than ourselves. The singer talks about fighting, killing, suffering, and dying for the sake of others. However, in the chorus, the singer comes to a realization that this cannot continue. They cannot keep going down this path, blindly following someone else's lead.
The rest of the song focuses on the idea of creating our own set of values and beliefs. The singer talks about wanting to live life on their terms and not following any god or religion. Instead, they want to believe in what they want to believe and create their own definition of what is right or wrong. They want to chart their own path in life, free from the constraints of societal expectations. The song ends with a defiant call to arms, declaring that they will no longer follow the path that others have set for them.
Overall, "Leitbild" is a powerful anthem for anyone who has ever felt trapped by societal norms and expectations. It is a call to action for those who want to break free and forge their own path in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Wir kämpfen,
We fight for a cause
Wir kämpfen für euch
We fight for you
Wir töten,
We kill for a reason
Wir töten für euch
We kill for your sake
Wir leiden,
We suffer for a purpose
Wir leiden für euch
We suffer for you
Wir sterben,
We die for a belief
Wir sterben für euch
We die for you
Nein! Nein!
No! No!
So kann es für uns nicht weitergehen
We cannot continue like this
Wir sprengen unsere Ketten
We break free from our chains
Wir werden nicht mehr weitergehen
We will not move forward anymore
Nicht mehr in eure Richtung
No longer towards your direction
Wir wollen leben, leben so, wie wir sind
We want to live, to be ourselves
Wir folgen keinem selbsternannten Gott
We don't follow any self-proclaimed God
Wir wollen glauben, glauben woran wir wollen
We want to believe, to believe in what we want
Wir schaffen uns unser eigenes leitbild
We create our own guiding principles
Wir folgen
We follow
Wir folgen euch nicht
We don't follow you
Wir vertrauen
We trust
Wir vertrauen euch nicht
We don't trust you
Wir glauben
We believe
Wir glauben euch nicht
We don't believe you
Wir gehorchen,
We obey
Wir gehorchen euch nicht
We don't obey you
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Steve
on In alle Ewigkeit
The reason i listen to Blutengel is to hear Ulricke.