Reviews:

From Nephilius: (by Joost Hegle)

  Orchestral doom goth. If you look inside the booklet you will find the picture of five very seriously looking group members. The picture, the layout and the music fits as a whole concept. Through 14 tracks with get the opportunity to explore every deep corner of our inner self. German is often said to be a "hard" sounding language, Von Thronstahl is taking advantage of this in every aspect. The tight orchestral arrangements, talking voices and dark music is making this cd a frightening experience, a musical "ordnung", an answer to avoiding a cliche but still sound terribly convincing. Beware this dark lords with mystical aura....

From Compulsion: (by Tony Dickie)

  A rather futile review for those already familiar with the majestic overload of the much maligned Von Thronstahl. Imperium Internum is their first full length CD, which appeared five years after their contribution to VAWS' controversial Riefenstahl compilation. Imperium Internum (along with the compilation E Pluribus Unum) has been reissued by Cold Spring Records in a striking digipak.

None can deny that Von Thronstahl do not have a firm grasp of aesthetics. Red, white and black visuals and text combine to stunning effect. The visuals support Von Thronstahl's desire for an Imperialistic Europe. Their warrior spirit and Eurocentric values are carried over into the music, a collection of industrial neo-classical (or classic neo-industrial??) that ranges from strident symphonic passages to orchestral bombast. Battle field imagery reigns throughout from martial drumming, stoic speeches and tolling bells. Unfortunately much of the text and speeches are delivered in their native Germanic tongue and so much of the message is lost on me. As a consequence this didn't come close to the effect that The Gospel of Humanity from Blood Axis had on me on initial listen. Imperium Internum is both dramatic and stirring although the synthetic melodies do, at times, become irksome and things do become slightly generic. 'Heimaterde, Mutterboden, Vaterland' and 'Turn The Centuries' take an acoustic guitar approach while 'Atlantisches Tief' is a sound collage. I very much enjoyed the mediaeval folk of 'Turn The Centuries' but Imperium Internum will be remembered for its orchestral and symphonic pieces.

E Pluribus Unum gathers together an assortment of compilation tracks, most of which are out-of-print, together with some previously unissued recordings. The inspirations behind a number of the contributions are telling - Leni Reifenstahl, Josef Thorak, T.E. Lawrence, the archangel Michael, Julius Evola, Captain Codreanu and the Iron Guard - further cementing their belief in a secret Europe. In comparison to Imperium Internum, E Pluribus Unum is a much more varied release dipping into a number of musical styles, alongside versions of a number of tracks from Imperium Internum. 'Bells', in fact, displays their more "rock" tendencies while the other tracks feature their stirring symphonic pieces. 'Inthronisation' is a sombre orchestral piece. 'Victoria II' incorporates martial music effectively. The remake of 'Fahnentrager' with spoken prologue and text amidst synthetic strings is unquestionably impressive.

It's spirited and their ideals are romantic, grounded in a desire for an Imperialist Europe, and its less hate-filled (it's actually non-existent) than their detractors would have you believe. I'm aware of the accusations levelled at Von Thronstahl but on an artistic level the compositions created by Von Thronstahl are particulalry effective. And anyway, how dangerous can a group that appropriate tracks from AC/DC., Metallica and E.L.O. be...

From Dark Life: (by Gianfranco Sciacca)

  This is a Cold Spring re-issue of the first and most powerful full-length work by Von Thronstahl, re-proposing the dark and anthemic character of the original (dating back to 2000) in a luxurious digipack format. A vibrant manifesto of pounding orchestrations and unrivalled majesty, Imperium Internum is that sort of album that is so well conceived and executed that has granted itself a unique privileged place in the league of immortal music. From bombastic to quietly imposing to caressing, back to raucous and strident, this is a milestone disc that should have a prominent place in any dark music collection by definition.

From Aural Pressure: (by ANM)

  Does time actually affect memory? I think in my case it does. When "Imperium Internum" was first released I thought that it was possibly one of the greatest debut recordings every released by a group. Having initially played it to death it suddenly became part of history within my collection as my attention was diverted onto other recordings. Fool, fool, fool!! Now re-released in a nice digi-pak I feel it’s time for a fuller reappraisal.

  Firstly you need to know that this re-release offers nothing in the way of bonus material, any re-mastering of the music or even a re-written insert booklet. Which when you think about it makes sense as you can’t improve on perfection. Von Thronstahl, at this time of recording, comprised of Josef K, Raymond P, Mike Morris, and sisters Daniela & Claudia Modolo. The music on "Imperium Internum" is mostly a mixture of Military / Neo Classical & Folk music with additional samples culled from various sources. The songs are sung / spoken in both German & English and go from strident marching anthems to quiet reflective pieces. But this doesn’t tell the whole story. After the initial release came out there came a negative backlash in some quarters stating that Von Thronstahl had a Right Wing bias which they were peddling through their music. These unjust and unfair accusations should rightly be discounted as rumour mongers working overtime and shouldn’t detract from the all important music. They have also been compared to a mixture of Laibach crossed with Death In June which, though not strictly true, isn’t a bad thing in my book. If only either of these groups had produced a recording of this magnitude I would tend to agree more.

  My only problem with "Imperium Internum" is trying to convey in words just how phenomenal this recording is. I’ve looked in my dictionary and thesaurus and came up with the following which may be helpful: unrivalled, magnificent, grandiose, exhilarating, sepulchral, exquisite, astonishing ,…the list could go on and on. My writing skills aren’t good enough to convey the passions that hearing "Imperium Internum" makes me feel. From the first note that sings forth from track one to the fading last note of track fourteen I now realise just how special to my heart the music had become and how timely this re-release is in reinforcing these views. Forget about "Imperium Internum" as ‘being possibly’ the greatest debuts of all time and consider it as most ‘definitely the greatest‘.

  Those amongst you who never bought "Imperium Internum" first time round have no excuses to miss out again on one of the most talked about releases ever put out on the Cold Spring label. For the converts to the Von Thronstahl sound reading this…don’t let time pass you by. Relive and rejoice in the sheer enjoyment that ‘Imperium Internum’ brings.

From Funprox: (by HD)

  Von Thronstahl uses controversy as a form of art. Therefore Cold Spring, home to diverse cultural terrorists as Grey Wolves, Laibach or Folkstorm, is a suited label to re-release the first two albums of Joseph Klumb's project, "Imperium Internum" and "E Pluribus Unum". Apart from irritating political correct factions, Von Thronstahl also knows how to create impressive music. Their best work in my opinion remains their debut "Imperium Internum".

  Originally released in 2000, the 14 tracks of this album are now available in a digipack format. Musicwise the cd contains mostly martial neo-classic hymns with Eurocentric themes. Von Thronstahl is often compared to the likes of Turbund Sturmwerk, Laibach or Blood Axis. The orchestral tracks, which sound alternatively warlike and romantic, often achieve impressive effects. The accessible synthetic classical melodies are created by Raymond P., also known for Days of the Trumpet Call. Added are heavy percussion, choirs, guitars and deep dramatic vocals. The orchestral pieces are alternated with a few softer folky pieces (for instance 'Heimaterde, Mutterboden, Vaterland') and some harsher tracks with industrial elements (like 'Sturmzeit'). There are also some soundscape-like moments, like 'Atlantisches Tief'. All in all this is a varied and strong album which does not sound dated yet.

From GothicInfo: (by Paul Wiggers)

  Cold Spring Records has decided to re-release the compilation album E Pluribus Unum from the German band Von Thronstahl.

  The album consists of various songs that where previously only released on compilation CDs. It also contains a few remixes from various artists. The album is of the standard high quality that you can expect from a band like Von Thronstahl. Although most of the album is pretty mellow, it is a pleasure to listen to. This album showed me that not all music has to be rough and fast paced to be interesting. It grabs you from the first notes right until the end, without letting go even a single minute. The ability to do something like that makes the difference between great artists like the people of Von Thronstahl and your regular local band.

  Most of the songs on this album have an almost threatening bass and marching rhythms that speaks of upcoming danger and maybe even violence, only to be mellowed down a bit by the melody. Those melodies are also the weak spot of the album, not because they are bad, on the contrary, but because they sound like they come straight out of a twenty-euro-synthesizer. But this is something that will only bother the real critic.

  To the rest of the people I would like to say: this is a must have, so go to your local record vendor and get yourself a copy!

From Heimdallr: (by Ian C.)

  No need to present the controversial German epic martial act Von Thronstahl. This CD is the repress of their first album, originally released by Cold Spring in 2000, presented in a digipak.

  The music, strongly inspired by Laibach, Blood Axis and Turbund Sturmwerk, is a blueprint of the martial symphonic genre. All the classic ingredients are inside; historical speeches, bombastic percussions, rousing symphonic passages, nostalgic acoustic guitars, etc... Although not exactly original music wise, this album clearly shows the project's capacity to blend all these elements into strong, solemn and dynamic hymns to past grandeur. A recipe that has often been copied, but rarely equalled since. A must have for all the trendies in uniform...

From Maelstrom: (by Bastiaan de Vries)

  Von Thronstahl is often described as martial industrial. When we look up martial in the dictionary it says: "Characteristic of or befitting a warrior." Now, I am not a warrior myself, so I have no idea if that statement holds any value or not, but it's a wicked thought none the less. Going to war with a little village, burning all the farms and raping all the townsfolk sure sounds wicked enough but I doubt they'd be able to appreciate or even play this record when the warriors would be knocking on the gate. Let's just say it's the thought that counts.

  So, they might be a little out of date but if Von Thronstahl would pack instruments and all, jump in a time machine and actually follow some warriors around, playing for them whenever they would slice and dice another town into pieces, then I'm pretty sure the effect would be awesome.

  Sitting in your livingroom on the couch with a drink, the effect of the militaristic marching band music is pretty much lost. But then again if you have a few more drinks, meet up with some friends and play live action D&D in the forest, then I'm pretty sure the effect would once again be awesome.

  I have neither a time machine or friends who play D&D, so the whole martial industrial edge is totally lost on me. What is left is an hour of unquestionably good music that manages to create an old atmosphere with a slight edge. Songs like "The Majestic Return (Die Konigliche Ruckkehr)" and "Under the Mask of Humanity" are amazing in their delivery and perhaps if you try hard enough you still can hear the clashing of swords in the wake of morning.

  Traditional folk elements rise and fall like the winds of war, making this album both a monotonous, but highly rewarding affair. There has been a huge demand of fans to repress Imperium Internum and they are now free to benefit from this lush digipack with beautiful atwork and a booklet filled with pictures lyrics and information. Those who enjoy their industrial with a militaristic edge can also pick up this album, but make sure you try before you buy.

From Blow Up Magazine: (by Paolo Bertoni - Original printed in Italian)

  Opportune reprint for two titles of Von Thronstahl unavailable for a long time. "Imperium internum" is the first album of the Teutonic formation, dated 2000, and is a monumental fresco of orchestral epic, punctually grandiloquent and vibrating, that from the heroic title-track to the chilly martial character of Vorwarts, die Raben der Endzeit, from growing of The Majestic Return to the neoclassic tension of Kristall/Kristur, from a splendid Under The Mask Of Humanity, together sorrowful and nostalgic, to a grinding Sturmzeit, from the crepuscular Noch Bluht Im Geist Verborgen to the superb one, grieved, Pontifex Solis, expresses strong tragic sense in the awareness of an unstoppable decline and a defeat that doesn't even have the means to bring upon itself the honor of the weapons, and it shakes and it drags with the emphasis and the rhetoric that are required to the genre.

From Terrorizer: (by Ciarán Tracey)

  Cold Spring's standards have seldom slipped in supplying the fanatically obsessive apocalyptic folk underground with obscure objects of desire. Fêted as something of a triumphant debut, Von Thronstahl's 'Imperium Internum' (2000) was indeed a hefty statement of intent. Whilst not matching the bombast and apocalyptic might of the genre's best, they nonetheless brought their meld of Puissance, A Challenge Of Honour, Karjalan Sissit and Sanctum to public attention in fine form. Suffering only from a slight want of flow, it remains a highly interesting but not yet essential piece.

From Aquarius Records:

  A long overdue reissue of this miltaristic ambient industrial folk, cinematic masterpiece originally released in 2000. Very much in the vein of Folkstorm, Toroidh, Der Blutharsch and the like, the music of Von Thronstahl was conceived, in the band's own words, with the idea of making "music & art which would be more attached to a real European heritage and not to a freemasonary, anarchic tradition of false liberty, which means lawlessness and rootlessness." Oof. Heavy. Well, no need to agree, or to even understand to dig this record. An expansive, orchestral, dark hued journey through European History, Fascism, War, life and love and loss. Huge sweeping minor key strings, over mournful melodies, plaintive piano, martial percussion, snippets of found sounds, snatches of old songs and speeches, ominous whispered vocals. Very intense and ominous and emotional, and weirdly reminiscent of UK outfit In The Nursery with the big strings and occasional pounding militaristic percussion, and even some once-in-a-while playful gipsy melodies. But the occasional lighthearted vibe aside, Imperium Internum is a raw and harrowing record, majestic and epic, but ultra personal, full of sorrow and misery, darkness and light. So great.

From Transmisiòn: (by Sara & Keni Pérez)

  El sello inglés Cold Spring, especializado en los sonidos oscuros más underground, reedita casi cuatro años después de su publicación este trabajo de los respetados Von Thronstahl. Cuando en 2001 se publicó por primera vez "Imperium Internum" pronto se convirtió en un álbum de referencia gracias a un potente sonido muy variado con elementos orquestales, marciales, industriales, folk y oscuras melodías, siendo muy comparado con grupos como In Slaughter Natives, Der Blutharsch o Blood Axis. Las diferencias entre cada uno de los catorce temas que componen el trabajo son muy acentuadas, lo que demuestra la calidad y la creatividad de la banda. Además es digo de mencionar la magistral utilización de samples en muchos de los temas.

  "Imperium Internum" fue el primer larga duración publicado por Von Thronstahl y muchas opiniones se decantan por señalar este disco como el mejor de toda la carrera de la banda. Cold Spring nos ofrece ahora el aclamado trabajo en un digipack dónde encontramos un extenso libreto con bastantes fotos y un texto que dice ser el manifesto de la banda. No dejes pasar esta oportunidad.