The name Eïs might say little or nothing to most, but it is actually the new incarnation of Geïst, an excellent German black metal band forced to change its moniker due to a court dispute with a band of the same name. Therefore, this Wetterkreuz constitutes, in fact, their debut full length, although Eïs have already reissued under this name both Patina and Kainsmal, the two best records, as well as the first in chronological order, released under the former label. The voice of the immortal Klaus Kinski introduces Mann Aus Stein, a song with majestic and evocative atmospheres, which immediately makes it clear that that partial tarnish shown with Galeere, Geist’s last discographic delivery, has been nullified by the renewed enthusiasm with which the two survivors of the original line-up, Alboin and Marlek, have launched into this new adventure. Auf Kargen Klippen is another splendid track, perhaps with more Scandinavian appeal than the rest of the album, imbued, on the other hand, with the typical sounds of the German scene whose inevitable points of reference are Lunar Aurora. Both the darker title track and the equally good Am Abgrund go in this direction, while the voice of Herzog’s favorite actor returns to make itself heard in Bei Den Sternen, a track that closes in style, just as it began, an album of considerable depth. As an added value, it should be noted that the digipack version of the CD offers, in addition to a valuable bonus track, Thou Whose Face Hath Felt The Winter’s Wind, a cover of the misunderstood Sun Of The Sleepless (shelved solo project of Schwadorf of The Vision Bleak), also a second diskette containing the five tracks remixed by other musicians (among the most notable are Duncan Patterson – ex-Anathema, ex-Antimatter and The Gentleman and H. H. Bronsdon – A Forest Of Stars) that could prove of definite interest to those who also appreciate the electronic sound. Wetterkreuz deservedly brings Eïs / Geïst back to attention, confirming the goodness of a German scene, which today, perhaps, qualitatively constitutes the true benchmark as far as black metal is concerned.

2012 – Lupus Lounge