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
Second Chance
Blutengel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'm thinking of my past
I'm asking me, what would be
If I could live my life again
Would there be a better now?
Or would everything be the same?
Would you be still in love with me?
Will I feel these feelings for you?
Will I be in love with someone else?
I wish I could change the time
I wish I had a second chance
Take me to the place I was born
Let me see my youth again
I wish that I could start anew
Don't want to make these mistakes again
Let me live my life again
For I could be a better man
Everything I have done wrong
Would no longer exist between us
The lyrics to Blutengel's song Second Chance reflect the introspective thoughts of the singer sitting alone in his room, pondering over his past life and the decisions he's made. He wishes that he could live his life again, to make better choices, and change the outcomes of those choices. He wonders if things in his present would be different if he had done things differently in his past. He contemplates his relationships with others, including his loved ones and whether they would have bettered if he had done things differently. He yearns for a second chance to undo his mistakes and start afresh.
The song reflects the universal human sentiment of regret and the longing for a fresh start. The artist captures the essence of nostalgia, the desire to relive the good times and the yearning to undo the not so good ones. The lyrics evoke a sense of melancholy but also hope, that maybe one day we can start anew and do better. It speaks to us all at a very human level, making us reminisce about the past and what could have been.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm sitting in my room alone
I am alone, lost in thought and deep in contemplation in my room.
And I'm thinking of my past
My mind is occupied with memories and recollections of my past experiences and choices.
I'm asking me, what would be
I am consumed by hypothetical scenarios and theoretical possibilities of what could have been, had I made different choices.
If I could live my life again
If only I could have another opportunity to redo, re-experience and navigate through life once more...
Would there be a better now?
I question whether my present state would be different or more favorable, if I had lived my life differently in the past.
Or would everything be the same?
I also ponder the possibility that, even if given a second chance, everything would still play out the same exact way.
Would you be still in love with me?
I wonder whether the person I care about would still have the same level of affection for me, despite my past mistakes and shortcomings.
Did I hurt you like I did?
I am remorseful, wondering if the pain I caused to the people dearest to me would have been avoided, had circumstances been different.
Will I feel these feelings for you?
I am uncertain whether the depth of my emotions for the ones I cherish will remain the same in the alternative life path that I imagine.
Will I be in love with someone else?
I also wonder if, given another chance at life, my romantic affections would still be directed toward the same person or someone else entirely.
I wish I could change the time
My desire to go back in time and change my choices is profound and consuming, as I imagine the potential improvements to my current life.
I wish I had a second chance
I yearn for a second opportunity to relive my life anew, with the lessons of past failures and mistakes as my guide.
Take me to the place I was born
I long to revisit the very origins of my being and existence, hoping to reconnect with a forgotten sense of innocence and wonderment.
Let me see my youth again
I want to witness and revel in the vibrancy and carefreeness of my younger days, before the weight of adult responsibilities and consequences set in.
I wish that I could start anew
I dream of having a clean slate to work with, without the baggage of past regrets and failures weighing me down.
Don't want to make these mistakes again
I am resolute in my refusal to repeat the same missteps and judgment errors that have haunted me in my past.
Let me live my life again
My plea to the universe is to grant me another chance to live and thrive, unencumbered by the regrets and what-ifs of my past.
For I could be a better man
I am convinced that, with the power of hindsight and experience, I could make choices that would lead me to become a more evolved and improved version of myself.
Everything I have done wrong
I am keenly aware of my past mistakes and shortcomings, which are still affecting my present state of being.
Would no longer exist between us
In my fantasy of living my life again, the negative consequences and baggage of my choices from the past would have vanished, leading to a stronger and more fulfilling relationship with the people I care about.
Contributed by Charlie A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Steve
on In alle Ewigkeit
The reason i listen to Blutengel is to hear Ulricke.