Industrial/Electronic Realms : Qntal – “Purpurea” (2008)

Label : E-Wave Records/Drakkar Records

Review by Tony Cannella

To say that Germany’s Qntal are a difficult band to describe is an understatement to say the least. The band have been around since the early 90’s and they play electronic, dark wave, ambient, Celtic, folk, avant-garde music, whew, that’s a mouthful. Actually, different people may have different ideas about what genre Qntal lies in. Who’s to say, but I do know that they are a definitely unique band and listening to them is quite the experience. The band have already released six studio albums and with this release “Purpurea” Qntal have put out a compilation of their previous releases, but this is so much more than just a normal compilation. This collection features plenty of music – over 2-hours of music to be precise – spread out over 2-discs. The first disc features 14-tracks of some of the bands best, most groundbreaking songs and the disc 2 is 13-songs worth of various re-mixes and alternate versions of some of their songs. Let’s begin…  “All For One” kicks things off and right away the listener is swept away with the pretty vocals of Syrah. It is also quite obvious that there is something different going on with this band musically. There is a certain aura and atmosphere about this track that makes it an immediate favorite. “Sumer” continues where the first track left off and is a strong continuation. The beat here is a little bit more up-tempo and (dare I say) danceable, but this is another strong track. The next two “Palastinalied” and “Ad Mortem Festinamus” add to the already strong material that can be heard on this collection. “Flamma”, “Nihil” and “Levis” are some more highlights, with the excellent track “Unter Den Linden” bringing disc one to a close. As you can tell by the song titles, many of the Qntal‘s lyrics are sung in their native German language. Disc 2 is an excellent companion to disc 1. It features 13-tracks worth of rare, unreleased and re-mixed material from this ground breaking band. It is really a must for this bands die-hard fans. Some of the tracks featured on disc 2 are: “292 (A Darker Shape Mix)”, “Lasse Grand Doucer”, “Unmaere”, “Rose In The Mor” and “Rot”. Overall disc 2 features over 70-minutes worth of music.  When you come right down to it Qntal are a band that may be an acquired taste for some, to be honest, but there is no denying that the band are quite innovative and adventurous. The band have also become quite influential over the years, as evidenced by some of the quotes from their peers that can be found in the CD booklet. Qntal have become an inspiration for musicians who are not afraid to think outside the box when it comes to creating music that is both interesting and different. If nothing else, Qntal are a band to be admired and respected. It is easy to see why they have endured for this one and have acquired such a dedicated fan base.