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
Secret Places
Blutengel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm lost in thoughts while I am walking through the rain.
I cannot grasp what has happened in the past.
I feel this coldness deep inside my lonely life.
But I can see a face, those healthy eyes, a heart that will save my soul.
I will follow him - I will follow him
He is the saviour of my broken heart
I feel salvation by his side
But when the day is gone
And the night has come
I wish that he'll never let me go.
He is the saviour of my dying soul,
I see a bright light in his eyes.
He takes my hand and says:
Free your mind
And follow me into my world (into my world).
It's a new dawn and all my nightmares are far away.
I open my eyes and feel a warm breeze on my skin.
And in the distance I hear a never ending call
He is my leader and I will follow him where ever he may go.
Show me places where I've never been before
Secret places where a light shall shine so bright
We'll leave the shadows behind when we'll fly away
This is the sign that I'm waiting for...
The opening lines of the song "Secret Places" by Blutengel begin with the singer lost in thought and walking through the rain, unable to come to terms with events from their past that have left them feeling isolated and alone. Despite this sense of coldness and loneliness, the singer is drawn to a face with "healthy eyes" and a heart that offers the possibility of saving their soul. This person, referred to as "him," is the savior of the singer's broken and dying heart. The bright light in his eyes symbolizes salvation, and he takes the singer's hand and encourages them to free their mind and follow him into his world.
As the song progresses, the singer describes a new dawn breaking, and all their nightmares seem to fade away. There's a warm breeze on their skin, and in the distance, they hear an endless call from the person who has become their leader. The singer resolves to follow this person wherever they may go, even into secret places that they've never seen before. In these secret places, they hope to find a light that will shine brightly, leaving the shadows of their past behind as they fly away together.
Overall, "Secret Places" is a song about finding hope and salvation in a person who is able to lead the singer out of a place of darkness and into a brighter, more promising future. It's a song about taking risks, following your heart, and embracing the unknown in order to find the happiness and fulfillment that you've been missing.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm lost in thoughts while I am walking through the rain.
I am deeply absorbed in my own thoughts as I walk in the rain, trying to understand the things that have happened in the past.
I cannot grasp what has happened in the past.
I am unable to fully comprehend or come to terms with the events that have taken place in my past.
I feel this coldness deep inside my lonely life.
I am consumed by a feeling of emptiness and loneliness that feels like a coldness deep within me.
But I can see a face, those healthy eyes, a heart that will save my soul.
Despite my feelings of sadness and loneliness, I can picture someone in my mind who has a kind heart and who I believe can rescue me from my despair.
He is the saviour of my broken heart
The person I envision is the one who can repair my shattered heart and restore me to wholeness once again.
I feel salvation by his side
When I'm with this person or even just thinking of them, I feel like I am being saved or rescued from my troubles.
But when the day is gone
And the night has come
I wish that he'll never let me go.
Although I feel better when I am with this person, I fear being alone again when they are not with me and I hope they won't leave me.
He is the saviour of my dying soul,
I see a bright light in his eyes.
This person is essential to me and I can see a hope for the future when I'm with him. He brings light into my life where there was once darkness.
He takes my hand and says:
Free your mind
And follow me into my world (into my world).
The person I imagine is not only a savior, but a guide, leading me into a world of freedom and happiness where I can leave all my troubles behind.
It's a new dawn and all my nightmares are far away.
After being led out of my world of sadness by this person, everything looks brighter and better. My fears and worries seem to disappear.
I open my eyes and feel a warm breeze on my skin.
I am now able to appreciate the little things in life like the warmth of the sun or the feel of the breeze on my skin. Everything feels new and fresh.
And in the distance I hear a never ending call
He is my leader and I will follow him where ever he may go.
In the distance, I can hear my savior calling me and I am ready to follow him wherever he leads me.
Show me places where I've never been before
Secret places where a light shall shine so bright
We'll leave the shadows behind when we'll fly away
This is the sign that I'm waiting for...
I am ready to explore new and exciting things with my savior, going to places where I've never been before. We'll leave behind all the darkness and sadness and find a new bright future together. This is the symbol of hope that I've been looking for in my life.
Contributed by Muhammad D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Steve
on In alle Ewigkeit
The reason i listen to Blutengel is to hear Ulricke.