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 Oxidising Angel
Blutengel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He comes out of the shadows
He wants to finish what he began
Thousand years ago
He starts the engine of his machines
He puts her body on a table
He looks into her broken eyes
Where am I? What's happening to me?
Everything so cold... everything so dark...
What is this pain I feel? Why does it hurt?
Please no--let me die!
She's a creation made by evil hands
She slept in her grave for thousand years
But in this night of iron tears
He brought her back to life again
He created an angel just for himself
He gave her beauty, he gave her life
But she could not live without a soul
So she fades away again
He's so fascinated
By her pale white skin
He starts to kiss her body
All over again
They belong together
That's what he has in mind
She kills him with a kiss
Forever joined in death...
The Oxidising Angel by Blutengel is a haunting song that explores the eternal obsession of a scientist who creates an angel and tries to bring her back to life again. The lyrics suggest the context of a dark and rainy night when the scientist comes out from the shadows to finish what he began thousand years ago. The opening verses of the song describe how the scientist starts operating his machines and puts the body of his angel on a table. As he looks into her broken eyes, he kisses her, and the scene becomes ominous and morbid.
The second verse of the song delves deeper into the creation of the angel, who slept in the grave for a thousand years. The scientist brings her back to life again, and she becomes a creation of evil hands. However, the beauty of the angel mesmerizes the scientist, and he kisses her all over again. Although he created an angel just for himself, he realizes that she couldn't live without a soul, leading her to fade away, only to embrace death in each other's arms.
The song has a gothic and gloomy tone that highlights the scientist's obsession with his creation. The lyrics suggest that the scientist's infatuation with beauty leads him to create a lifeless angel, and his attempts to revive her end in a morbid realization. Overall, the song's lyrics and music are a powerful representation of the eternal quest of humans for immortality and beauty.
Line by Line Meaning
In this dark and rainy night
The setting is ominous and foreboding, with the suggestion of something terrible about to happen.
He comes out of the shadows
The character enters the scene unnoticed and with a sense of danger.
He wants to finish what he began
He has a specific objective, possibly something he has been working on for some time.
Thousand years ago
The mission or project likely dates back centuries and may have mystical, supernatural or metaphysical value.
He starts the engine of his machines
Technology is part of this plan or experiment in some way, and he is now activating it.
He puts her body on a table
There is a human (or semi-human) figure who may be the subject or object of this project, and it is now a physical presence.
He looks into her broken eyes
The person or body on the table is not healthy, possibly injured or mutilated in some way.
And he seals it with a kiss
Adding an element of romantic or erotic desire to this potentially macabre scenario, the artist is not repelled but attracted to the figure on the table.
Where am I? What's happening to me?
As the story shifts between points of view, the person on the table (now becoming sentient) is confused and disoriented.
Everything so cold... everything so dark...
The person on the table is the victim of a potentially cruel and heartless experience, with no warmth or light.
What is this pain I feel? Why does it hurt?
The newly conscious figure is in agony, with no understanding of why it is suffering so much.
Please no--let me die!
The person on the table may feel doomed or cursed, and prefers to die rather than continue in this state.
She's a creation made by evil hands
The singer appears to have a malevolent or sinister aspect, and the person on the table is made with this same energy or intent.
She slept in her grave for thousand years
The person on the table has a supernatural or undead quality, with a longer history than the typical human lifespan.
But in this night of iron tears
The setting is still ominous and frightening, with an almost apocalyptic mood.
He brought her back to life again
The artist has an incredible power or technology, able to animate and transform even the dead.
He created an angel just for himself
The artist has a god-like quality, able to make a being who is both beautiful and subservient to him.
He gave her beauty, he gave her life
The person on the table is transformed beyond what she was before, now an object of desire and power for the singer.
But she could not live without a soul
Despite her beauty and animation, the person on the table lacks a crucial element that cannot be replaced or replicated.
So she fades away again
The person on the table cannot sustain her own existence without the soul, and is slowly dying once more.
He's so fascinated
Despite the danger and cruelty of his actions, the artist is deeply invested in this experiment or project, and will go to any lengths to see it through.
By her pale white skin
The person on the table has an unearthly beauty, enhanced by her animated state.
He starts to kiss her body
The singer again demonstrates his desire or attraction to the figure on the table, in a somewhat disturbing manner.
All over again
This cycle of creation, destruction, and rebirth may be repeated many times in the longer span of the story.
They belong together
The singer sees himself and the person on the table as possibly fated or linked in some way, perhaps romantically or spiritually.
That's what he has in mind
Regardless of the ethical, moral or even practical implications of his actions, the singer is focused on this goal or objective to the exclusion of anything else.
She kills him with a kiss
As the cycle of life, death and rebirth continues, the person on the table may have some kind of power or quality that can turn against the singer.
Forever joined in death...
Ultimately, despite his incredible power and technological prowess, the artist is subject to the same limitations as any mortal human-being, and is eventually subject to death.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTIAN CHRIS POHL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
jayce147 147
25 years of fantastic music! Thanks Blutengel!
Fanor Castilho
Blutengel com suas composições sombrias e emocionantes faz parte de minha playlist há um tempo considerável. Continue assim! Continue f***!
kemo allam
Your song gives to me huge motivation for counting this disgusting life we're in it
Really I'm so proud because I was followed you since 2018 ❤❤❤🦇
Tertius Scipio
I adore you since 2005. Please don't ever stop.
Linlinnmochii ♡
My mother made me listen to this song when I was little, now I am 12 years old and I still listen to it :-)
LakeGuy2010
Your mom sounds awesome tbh
Zombie Mumbles
I'm 30. Im here making my 13 year old bahaha
Linlinnmochii ♡
@Zombie Mumbles Memories are never forgotten
Linlinnmochii ♡
@LakeGuy2010 It is °^°
peacemakers anonymous
I love all of your songs ,been a fan for as more years than I can count, keep up the good work and indeed your amazing,