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
Stay
Blutengel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You walk away and set my world on fire
Let me be the one for you
Don't leave me this way
Give me a chance to understand
Don't go away now
Stay with me, don't break my heart
Stay with me, don't tear us apart
And I will hold your hand
These feelings deep inside are fading away
Like a ray of light
Memories inside my heart
Like shadows in a nightmare
Eternity is waiting for me
And I'm standing in the front of the abyss
Just one step until the end of my life
Stay with me, don't break my heart
Don't let this be the end
Stay with me, don't tear us apart
And I will hold your hand
Now you see the night is gone
A new day dawns, I'm still strong
The years have passed and we are standing here
These hearts so full of hate and full of fear
The lyrics to Blutengel's song Stay speak of a plea to a lover to stay with the singer, to give them a chance to understand and not to leave them. The song starts with the singer talking about how the lover sets their world on fire every time they turn around and how they want to be the one for them. The singer begs them not to leave and to stay with them, promising to hold their hand and not to tear them apart.
The second half of the song speaks of the passage of time and how the feelings inside the singer are fading away. Memories of the past are likened to shadows in a nightmare. Eternity is waiting for the singer and they stand in front of the abyss, ready to take the final step. However, they are still pleading with their lover to stay with them, not to break their heart, and to hold their hand through everything.
The lyrics evoke a sense of desperation and hopelessness, but also love and devotion. The singer wants nothing more than to be with their lover and is willing to do whatever it takes to keep them by their side.
Line by Line Meaning
In just seconds you turn around
You’re causing a significant change in my world in a matter of seconds
You walk away and set my world on fire
You’re walking away, but your absence is causing me pain and chaos emotionally
Let me be the one for you
Allow me the opportunity to be the one for you
Don't leave me this way
Please don't depart from my life the way you have been,
Give me a chance to understand
Please provide me with an opportunity to understand you better,
Don't go away now
Please don't go away from me just now,
Stay with me, don't break my heart
Stay with me, I’m pleading with you, don’t shatter my feelings by leaving me,
Don't let this be the end
Please don't end this relationship
Stay with me, don't tear us apart
Please stay, don’t destroy the connection that we share,
And I will hold your hand
Let me provide you with comfort and support in our relationship
These feelings deep inside are fading away
The emotions I have for you are slowly disappearing
Like a ray of light
It’s moving away softly, slowly, like beams of sunshine fading into the dark skies
Memories inside my heart
Memories of you still remain deep in my heart
Like shadows in a nightmare
Just like shadows in a dream, they seem intangible and cease to exist.
Eternity is waiting for me
I’m waiting for eternity, to be immortalized by the bond we have together
And I'm standing in the front of the abyss
I’m in front of The Abyss, an entity that opens the gateway to the Netherworld
Just one step until the end of my life
Only one step remains from the end of my life
Now you see the night is gone
The remnants of the night are fading as the daybreaks
A new day dawns, I'm still strong
A new day begins, and I still have the intensity to go through it
The years have passed and we are standing here
We have been together for years, and despite it all, it appears like we’ll still hold on tight to our relationship,
These hearts so full of hate and full of fear
Our hearts are filled with fear and so much hatred, despite our years of togetherness
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: CHRISTIAN CHRIS POHL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Morgareyne
This is beyond awesome! Gave me chills. Been one of my fave songs for many years and I am so glad I came across this version!
Bruno Chocolat
La cancion es muy hermosa me gusta mucho la melodía
-={Q}=-
They say that you can't beat the original and I think this is true, but damn this comes so close!
Sam Callis Fanpage
I love BlutEngel. And I absolutely love this. My favourite part is when Chris starts singing, brilliant little touch. 3
Dennis Wilson
What a beautiful twist on the original, i love it! You have taken Shakespeare’s Sister to the next level and you made it your own!!
Iza Carvalho Personal Organizer
Eu amo Blutengel.... mas esse som é extraordinário.... <3
Pedro Moreno
Muito música
John Walker II
I have the version by Shakespears sister, but this version puts a whole new spin on it that sent goose bumps up my arm, especially at 2:27. Dunno, it didn't seem to have as much of an emotional impact though...
Rotten Banshee
There are so many remakes of this song that I've heard. Shakespear's Sister is one of my favorite bands as well as Blutengel. I love this version just as much as I love the original this sounds so beautiful and elegant!
BloodLustOfARaven
Her voice is so beautiful.