It’s that time of the year again: it’s getting cold, it’s raining all the time, the days are short, and most importantly, it’s time for a new Untoten album! Every year Greta and David surprise their fans at the end of the year with a new album, and you never know what to expect. In 2003 the band released their first album of the ‘Grabsteinland’ trilogy: three albums telling a story about a special place, Grabsteinland. It was sad that the story ended in 2005 with ‘Herz der Finsternis’, but fans never stopped loving Grabsteinland and its characters. I think the trilogy is one of Untotens’ best works, so when David and Greta announced that Grabsteinland would return this year I was filled with joy! And fortunately now that it’s here, I can say that this fourth episode, ‘Die Schwarze Feder’, is once again everything you (or at least I) ever dreamed of.

‘Die Schwarze Feder’ takes off where Untoten stopped when they wrapped up ‘Herz der Finsternis’, an album filled with catchy yet unique Untoten songs which vary from up-tempo songs (‘Weisst du noch?’) ‘till ballads (‘Dort Wo Giganten Wohnen’). After a more epic, story-telling way of making music on the albums ‘Die Nonnen von Loudun’ and ‘Die Blutgräfin’ the band goes back to making ‘real’ songs which you can’t get out of your head after hearing the album a few times. It sounds like the band upgraded their studio equipment too, since musically the arrangements and the vocals sound more clear then ever before. 

To wrap it al up: ‘Die Schwarze Feder’ is definitely a welcome new chapter to the Grabsteinland story. Untoten succeeded in blending the last few years of their career into one album showing what they’re capable of creating. And for those of you who never heard of the Grabsteinland trilogy: don’t worry,  this album is just as nice without knowing the songs of the first three parts by heart.