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
The End
Blutengel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Waiting for the night.
Where is my heaven?
Suddenly there's a light.
I wake from a nightmare.
Every night's the same.
A garden of pleasures.
I see my soul in flames
Searching for silence.
Searching for the night.
Dreams of salvation.
I'm determined to give up.
I pray for an answer.
Every night's the same.
A tear for my memories.
My life is passing by.
In silent moments, lost in dreams,
So tired of this endless pain.
Where is my sun, where is the light?
A stranger is always by me side.
He kills my heart, my inner flame.
Is this the end? I wanna die.
I hear the angels call my name.
I spread my wings and try to fly.
In Blutengel's song "The End," the lyrics depict a person who is deeply struggling with their hardships and is looking for an escape into the unknown. The song speaks of a night where the singer is searching for silence, waiting for the night to overtake them, and longing for heaven. Suddenly, there is a light, and the singer wakes up from a nightmare. However, the nightmares are a recurring pattern, and every night, the singer sees a garden of pleasures but is consumed by their flaming soul.
The singer is in search of salvation, trying to give up, and praying for an answer to their struggles. They see their life passing by and shed tears for their memories. The singer is lost in dreams and is tired of their endless pain, looking for sunlight and light. They are accompanied by a stranger who kills their inner flame and heart, and the singer begins to contemplate if this is the end. They crave death, and the only solace they find is in hearing the angels call their name, hoping to spread their wings and fly away from the pain.
The song's lyrics are powerful, evoking a deep sense of pain and longing, and the singer's struggle resonates with the listener. The song's haunting melody further reinforces the despair that the singer feels and their search for an end to their troubles.
Line by Line Meaning
Waiting for Silence.
I am anticipating a peaceful moment in which there is no noise around me.
Waiting for the night.
I am hoping for darkness to arrive so that I can hide and escape from the chaos of the daytime.
Where is my heaven?
I am searching for a place of perfect happiness and bliss, but it seems to be out of reach.
Suddenly there's a light.
Unexpectedly, a ray of hope shines through the darkness and I can see a bit of brightness in my life.
I wake from a nightmare.
I am disturbed by terrible visions and unsettling dreams every time I sleep.
Every night's the same.
I am trapped in a cycle of repetitive experiences that offer me no relief or escape.
A garden of pleasures.
I am tempted by all sorts of vices and sinful indulgences that may provide me with temporary pleasure, but do not satisfy my true desires.
I see my soul in flames
I feel as though my inner essence is being destroyed by my wicked deeds and the consequences of my choices.
Searching for silence.
I am desperately looking for peace and tranquility that can calm down my cluttered thoughts and emotions.
Searching for the night.
I am seeking refuge in the darkness from the harshness and cruelty of the day.
Dreams of salvation.
I am imagining scenarios where I can be saved from my miserable existence and start anew.
I'm determined to give up.
I have made up my mind to surrender to the inevitability of my fate and accept my destiny without resistance.
I pray for an answer.
I am beseeching a higher power to provide me with guidance and direction in my life.
A tear for my memories.
I am lamenting the past and mourning the loss of things that I can never have again.
My life is passing by.
I am aware of the fleeting nature of time and the fact that my existence is temporary and transitory.
In silent moments, lost in dreams,
During quiet times when my mind drifts off into unconsciousness,
So tired of this endless pain.
I am exhausted by the unrelenting agony and anguish that pervades my existence.
Where is my sun, where is the light?
I am wondering where the source of hope and optimism is in my life and why it seems to be absent.
A stranger is always by me side.
I feel as though I am never truly alone, but the constant companionship of an unknown entity is eerie and unsettling.
He kills my heart, my inner flame.
The mysterious person who is with me extinguishes the fire of passion and vitality that I once possessed.
Is this the end? I wanna die.
I am contemplating whether or not my life has reached its conclusion and if death would be a desirable alternative.
I hear the angels call my name.
I am perceiving divine beings beckoning me towards some kind of spiritual resolution or enlightenment.
I spread my wings and try to fly.
I metaphorically attempt to transcend my current state of being and rise above the difficulties and challenges that confront me.
Contributed by Lincoln S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Steve
on In alle Ewigkeit
The reason i listen to Blutengel is to hear Ulricke.