''Set Sail to Mystery'' is the fourth studio album by

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

gothic metal band

The Vision Bleak The Vision Bleak is a German gothic metal duo comprising Ulf Theodor Schwadorf (famous for his work with Empyrium and Noekk) and Allen B. Konstanz. The group's lyrics are noted for their horror themes and heavily allude to works of classic wr ...

, released on 2 April 2010 through

Prophecy Productions Prophecy Productions is an international record label, founded in Germany by Martin Koller in 1996. It proclaims promoting "transcendental ..captivating music".

. A

digipak Optical disc packaging is the packaging that accompanies CDs, DVDs, and other formats of optical discs. Most packaging is rigid or semi-rigid and designed to protect the media from scratches and other types of exposure damage. Jewel case ...

edition containing seven bonus tracks was also released. It counted with a guest appearance by

Niklas Kvarforth Niklas Olsson (born 7 December 1983), better known as Niklas Kvarforth, is a Swedish singer and songwriter. He is the founder, composer, and vocalist of the black metal band Shining. Background As a multi-instrumentalist musician, Kvarforth star ...

of Shining fame.

Track listing

Trivia

* "A Curse of the Grandest Kind" takes its lyrics from an excerpt of

Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and has been regarded as among the ...

's 1817 dramatic poem ''

Manfred ''Manfred: A dramatic poem'' is a closet drama written in 1816–1817 by Lord Byron. It contains supernatural elements, in keeping with the popularity of the ghost story in England at the time. It is a typical example of a Gothic fiction. Byr ...

''. * "Descend into Maelstrom" references both in its title and lyrics

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wid ...

's short story " A Descent into the Maelström". * "I Dined with the Swans" was inspired by the life of German

serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...

Peter Kürten Peter Kürten (; 26 May 1883 – 2 July 1931) was a German serial killer, known as "The Vampire of Düsseldorf" and the "Düsseldorf Monster", who committed a series of murders and sexual assaults between February and November 1929 in the city of ...

. * "A Romance with the Grave" was based upon a poem by Heinrich Heine. * "Mother Nothingness (The Triumph of Ubbo-Sathla)" references the eponymous deity created by Clark Ashton Smith as a part of the Cthulhu Mythos. * "The Foul Within" is based upon the 1973 film ''

The Exorcist ''The Exorcist'' is a 1973 American supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin and written for the screen by William Peter Blatty, based on his 1971 novel of the same name. It stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty ...

''. * "He Who Paints the Black of Night" was inspired by Oscar Wilde's novel ''

The Picture of Dorian Gray ''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' is a philosophical novel by Irish writer Oscar Wilde. A shorter novella-length version was published in the July 1890 issue of the American periodical '' Lippincott's Monthly Magazine''.''The Picture of Dorian G ...

''. * "By the Misery of Fate He Was Haunted" is an English-language adaptation of

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus' Places * Czech, ...

black metal band

Master's Hammer Master's Hammer are a black metal band from the Czech Republic. The band has remained active with several lineup changes between 1987 and 1995, with a reunion from 2009 to the present. It is considered one of the most representative groups of i ...

's song "Já mizérií osudu jsem pronásledován...", originally present on their 1992 album ''

Jilemnický okultista ''Jilemnický okultista'' (English title: ''The Jilemnice Occultist'') is the second studio album by Czech black metal band Master's Hammer, self-released on December 1992 and distributed elsewhere by Osmose Productions in the following year. Self ...

''.

Critical reception

''Sonic Seducer'' lauded the album's mix of hardness and atmosphere, and noted the theatrical style that is typical of The Vision Bleak.

Personnel

The Vision Bleak

* Ulf Theodor Schwadorf (Markus Stock) – vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards * Allen B. Konstanz (Tobias Schönemann) – vocals, drums, keyboards

Guest musicians

– vocals (on track 9) * Thomas Helm – additional

tenor A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors is wide ...

vocals * Sophia Brommer – additional vocals (track 5)

Miscellaneous staff

* Martin Koller – production

References

External links

The Vision Bleak's official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Set Sail To Mystery The Vision Bleak albums 2010 albums Cthulhu Mythos music