Kind Words   Here we will showcase and qoute kind emails, comments and reviews of support towards Todesbonden, to show our aprecation of our listeners.. REVIEWS Stormbringer-EP LEGACY MAGAZINE (GERMANY) by Thor (Translated to English) 13/15 Points "Laurie Ann Haus decribes the music of her band “Todesbonden” as simple. But is quick to point out that the music comes from the heart and that she, unlike her former projects, is in total control of the creative process. Stormbringer contains 3 songs plus an intro, it was recorded at home and according to the band serves well as an introduction to the concept that is Todesbonden. It is a bit sterile since computers were used for strings etc, but songs like “March of the Cicadas” has an exciting and saturated soundscape to it. But what does this American trio sound like? Within those multi-faceted melodies is a calamitous love for Doom Metal a’la MDB and 3rd and the Mortal. There are Folk influenced vocals which set counterpoints to the dark music. The mood is more important than musical complexity and each instrument is allowed to blossom while Laurie Ann Haus’ powerful and warm voice hovers on top. This Mini CD is a first hint at a fantastic Vision. And if they avoid mistakes like the fade-out on Dark Horns and if they use real percussions instead of drum computers, then we can expect great things from Todesbonden. Much alike Ephemeral Sun I can only stress the fact that I have NOT heard such deep and beautiful music since the early works of The 3rd and the Mortal." GOTHTRONIC.COM (NETHERLANDS) by Tek Noir “This is a new EP of a relatively new band around the gifted vocalist Laurie Ann Haus (known from Rain Fell Within, Autumn Tears and Ephemeral Sun) and this EP counts 4 tracks. With Todesbonden Laurie combines her soprano voice with a varied mix of musical styles which seem to merge very naturally when you listen to the compositions. One could hear doom passages in the vein of My Dying Bride, but also music which reminds of renaissance and medieval times. Finally, there’s a fair amount of neo-classical elements present in the music of Todesbonden, without losing the accessibility of the songs. The pop song structures guarantee this. Conjuring vocal moments are followed by heavy riffs and exciting guitarplay, while the band never loses itself in guitar solos. All musical ingredients are well thought out and balanced. In ‘March of the Cicadas’ the spirit of Lisa Gerrard takes a peek around the corner as Laurie’s voice sounds a bit similar in this track. Musically however, this composition is completely different, if one listens to it you know why, listening to the violins and the Spanish guitar. Variation is a term which regularly returns to the forefront in Todesbonden’s musical dictionary. This is a project that doesn’t want to be pinned down to the conventions of the modern gothic metal scene, but follows its own destiny and by doing this, is very original in its approach. I am very curious what a first full-length cd will bring us. Until then this EP is a nice appetizer.” UNRESTRAINED! Issue #25 (CANADA)By Adrian Bromley 8.5/10 Points Todesbonden founder Laurie Ann Haus has done time in several eclectic, well rounded acts-Autumn Tears, Ephemeral Sun, Rain Fell Within-but I seriously think that her work with Todesbonden is probably her best. The four-song offering Stormbringer is a painfully honest and intriguing piece of work nestled amongst the sounds/styles of doom, classical influences and a real dreamy atmosphere. Haunting yes, but still vibrant enough to chart a course for the listen to follow, pulling us deeper into the world of Todesbonden and willingly accepting our place amongst the creative endeavours of Haus and co. The highlights of the EP are the title track and "March of the Cicadas," the latter being a real cool piece of work, carefully crafted around the violin of Patrick Geddes. Awe-inspiring work. SKYHELL WEBZINE (BRAZIL) by Emanuel "Seagal" (Translated to English) 9/10 Points "Todesbonden is one of the countless bands of Laurie Ann Haus, known singer who has in her curriculum bands like Rain Fell Within, Autumn Tears and many others that if we wrote here, it would take half of this review. Stormbringer is the first release of this band, an EP that besides of its production, works like a demo, it shows some songs that will be re-recorded to be released in a full-length still in 2005. Todesbonden is, in its essence, a gothic/doom metal (we have to remember, a sub-genre of doom metal, not another band of the popular gothic metal), but with lots of influences of other musical genres outside of metal. The first track, "Sun and Venus" is predominantly instrumental, with an epic and medieval atmosphere, and some folk passages normally found in celtic music bands, passages that find their end with the beautiful voice of Laurie Ann Haus. "Stormbringer", track that carries the album's name, shows metal elements, slow guitars, without escaping the doom metal "tempo", giving highlight to the female vocals. The first two mines of this song show a common structure in the bands of this genre (gothic/doom), almost like a cliche, but it doesn't happen for a long time, letting the vocals a little bit low, giving highlight to the instrumental, and again going back to the last formula. What's so attractive in this track if it's something that other bands of this genre already did? Simple answer, Laurie Ann Haus, besides of having a beautiful voice she has more experience than most of those singers, reflecting in a better work. "March of the Cicadas" comes again with the mix of folk and renaissance genres, and others...with highlights for the vocals and the excellent work of the violinist Patrick. March of the Cicadas is a track that deserves to be in the repeat of your CD player for hours. Ending this EP is the song "Dark Horns", used previously on the promotion of the band, in their website. This track, like "Stormbringer" is also more into gothic/doom metal, but better than the first one. Besides of some details, this is an excellent EP that shows how Todesbonden is promising, being able to create a unique work, something common in Laurie's works." TARTAREAN DESIRE MAGAZINE (CANADA)- by Sherrie Zelma “Pale Moon Records has signed on Celtic influenced doom metal band Todesbonden. The four -song EP 'Stormbringer' is now available. Todesbonden was founded by Laurie Ann Haus (ex-Rain Fell Within, Autumn Tears, Ephemeral Sun) and brought into fruition with the help and creative influences of Jason Wood (Ol Sonuf, ex-Ephemeral Sun, ex-Rain Fell Within) and Patrick Geddes (The Groaning). With a doomy Celtic folk atmosphere fronted by the beautiful operatic style vocals of Laurie Ann, this band is sure to catch the ears of fans of Celtic folk music, and fans of doom metal around the world. They offer dismal, yet soothing and uplifting creative compositions with this four song EP. Todesbonden use wonderfully haunting arrangements of piano and violin, and everything falls into place to complete this glimpse into what Todesbonden will release in the future. They are currently hard at work on a full length release to be expected in late 2004. Standout track: "March Of the Cicadas".” CURSED WITH OBLIVION WEBZINE- by Marta “Slayer, Metallica, Iced earth, nu-metal... That's probably what comes to our minds when we think of American metal music. The EP of Todesbonden proves, however, that America can also produce a solid portion of atmospheric metal. Todesbonden is a young band founded by Laurie Ann Haus, already known from Autumn Tears, Rain Fell Within and Ephemeral Sun. Some weeks ago I found myself on the band's beautiful site and listened to the samples. All sounded very intriguing. I became curious to hear more. And I was definitely not disappointed when got my hands on the whole "Stormbringer" EP. I won't exaggerate if I say that the music presented here is what I really love: haunting atmosphere, simplicity, and yet sophistication, nice melodies and wonderful vocals. What would be the best way to describe the four songs that are featured here? Maybe a mix between Dead Can Dance, My Dying Bride and The Third And The Mortal? Though these comparisons are a bit too easy. The material is definitely less progressive-sounding that the compositions of Ephemeral Sun, and they have more medieval/Celtic influences that e.g. Rain Fell Within. The music is not terribly complicated, though, like I've said earlier, there's enough sophistication and richness in it. The most important element here is the atmosphere, doesn't matter if it's created by the voice, violin, guitars or keyboards. It is quite hard to decide which of the four songs is most interesting, since they all contain something special. For example the peculiar vocal melody or the rhythm in the title track. Or nice violin part and exotic singing in "March of the Cicadas." Or lush vocal lines in "Dark Horns." I would still like to say some words about the vocals. Singer Laurie has a intriguing, beautiful soprano, which adds a lot of longing to the compositions. Her vocal lines are at the first sight not this complicated, though she's not afraid to use her voice in different ways and experiment a bit. For example in the third song, "March of the Cicadas" we can hear little exotic vocal experiments á la Lisa Gerrard (Dead Can Dance, solo). Laurie's voice sounds here very rich, and I wouldn't mind if the next recordings contained more of such surprises. I also hope the band will continue in an active way. I'm very much looking forward to their full-length album” LUNAR HYPNOSIS (UNITED STATES) By Blackwinged 9 of 10 After the demise of one of my favorite bands namely ‘Rain Fell Within’, four of the six members went on to form a new band called Ephemeral Sun as well as a few other interesting projects. One such project to rise from Rain Fell Within’s ashes is Todesbonden. Todesbonden was formed by vocalist/keyboardist Laurie Ann Haus, guitarist and bassist Jason A. Wood, and joining them on violin is Patrick Geddes. Probably the easiest way to describe Todesbonden would be to call them a mixture of atmospheric doom metal meets Dead Can Dance. So basically what were treated to is atmospheric/doom metal somewhat reminiscent of Rain Fell Within actually with Celtic, renaissance, neo classical and medieval influences. Plus not to forget the lovely operatic vocals of Laurie, which we didn’t see much in Rain Fell Within, but here we get to see the full range of her voice and what a voice it is. The album opens with a short neo classical like piece with slow drumming, and very beautiful distinctive synth work. Laurie’s vocals on this opening song and a few other places on this EP remind me of Lisa Gerrard from Dead Can Dance. The second song although sounding quite a bit like Rain Fell Within is really an excellent song. ‘Stormbringer’ is again a very beautifully composed song with luscious music and great vocals from Laurie. The third song ‘March of the Cicadas’ is probably my favorite song on the album. Here Laurie’s vocals again sound amazing although she doesn’t actually sing any words, and once again you can totally see the Dead Can Dance influences with this piece. Finally ‘Dark Horns’ is another commendable piece which sounds similar to ‘Stormbringer,’ but in the end seems to be even more enjoyable. There’s really nothing negative I can say about this EP other than the fact that its only seventeen minutes long. I want more! But it seems I’ll be waiting awhile for the full length album to be released. Todesbonden is really on to something exceptional here and it should be interesting to follow them in the coming years. In the meantime make sure you pick up this very exciting EP! Maiganband.com (UNITED STATES) by Sean Kelly Before I get too deep into this review, I must admit that I do not at all care for metal with female lead vocals, at least in most cases. Just about every band that uses such arrangements has let me down, due either to shoddy musicianship covered up by a wailing girl’s squeals, or simply poor vocals, or both. Not so with Todesbonden. The band is composed of Laurie Ann Haus on vocals and keyboards, Patrick Geddes on violin, and Jason A. Wood doing everything else. Laurie and Jason each play in or have played in more bands than one can shake a stick at, all of which are quite commendable. Todesbonden is a very difficult band to categorize. They seem to fit the ‘funereal doom metal’ category best, but they’re not slow and sludgy like most of those bands. Their songs are extremely atmospheric, and almost requiem-like. This EP reminds me a lot of Tristania’s Widow’s Weeds in terms of atmosphere, albeit a lot more sorrowful. The excessive use of medieval and Celtic overtones adds greatly to this strong aura. One of the things that makes this EP such a masterpiece is that each song is distinctly different. Each one has its own unique qualities, and if I have one complaint about the songs, it’s that they are too short. The longest song is only about five and a half minutes. With compositions like these, I could hear them out a lot longer! As an additional bonus, Laurie’s vocals sound different in each song. It almost sounds like it’s a different girl singing on each song. The variation used is not drastic enough to make the album sound disparate, but is just enough to keep things interesting. Another thing I like is that, unlike a lot of the more ‘mainstream’ female-fronted metal bands (*cough* Nightwish), the vocals always fit perfectly into the song. Also, the music is not focused around the vocals. Todesbonden is one of those bands where every piece fits together in a way that the band’s sound as a whole, and not just one particular aspect, will benefit. “Sun and Venus” is a short opening track, coming in at a little over two minutes. I hope they do something like this on their full-length. It starts out with something that sounds like an old battle march tune, quickly changing into a beautiful flute piece. There are some a cappella vocals, in which Laurie demonstrates just how well she can really sing. Definitely one of the best album openers I’ve heard. “Stormbringer” is a very doom metal song, and is the first with a guitar. The production of the album isn’t perfect, so the guitar seems to have a slightly transparent sound, but this can be easily overlooked. I really like the lyrics, which are delivered beautifully, especially in the chorus. The music itself has a dark and dreary feel to it, with some great piano and violin work. It reminds me a little bit of an old My Dying Bride song, but obviously with better vocals. A stunning work indeed. “March of the Cicadas” is a beckoning song, and sounds like nothing I’ve ever heard on a metal album before. It has great piano and violin work, as well as some nice guitar and (programmed) drum parts. The vocal realm consists solely of chants, sounding very tribal. There is some great acoustic guitar work as well. This song is a personal favorite of mine. “Dark Horns” is the longest song on the album, and makes a fine closing. Laurie’s vocals are at their finest on this track, and the instruments are all used very effectively. There are lots of alternations between soft parts and strong guitar pieces. The drums at the end sound great, especially with the violin played along with them. Needless to say, I can’t wait for Todesbonden’s upcoming full-length album. I can’t believe that I live roughly two hours from these guys (and girl), and I never knew they existed until recently! All I can say is that this incredible doom metal act from the District of Columbia area is a band not to be overlooked. If I can find one huge drawback to this EP, it is that these four tracks leave us thirsty for more, and they’re making us wait! But let’s not rush them; if they can pull off a full-length with as much enchantment and beauty as this, then it’ll certainly be worth the wait. And I have no doubts that it will. Gothronic.com(GERMANY)-by Teknoir This is a new EP of a relatively new band around the gifted vocalist Laurie Ann Haus (known from a.o. Rain Fell Within, Autumn Tears and Ephemeral Sun) and this EP counts 4 tracks. With Todesbonden laurie combines her soprano voice with a varied mix of musical styles which seem to merge very naturally when you listen to the compositions. One could hear doom passages in the vein of My Dying Bride, but also music which reminds of renaissance and medieval times. Finally, there’s a fair amount of neo-classical elements present in the music of Todesbonden, without losing the accessibility of the songs. The pop song structures guarantee this. Conjuring vocal moments are followed by heavy riffs and exciting guitarplay, while the band never loses itself in guitar solo’s. All musical ingredients are well thought out and balanced. In ‘March of the Cicadas’ the spirit of Lisa Gerrard taks a peeek around the corner as Laurie’s voice sounds a bit similar in this track. Musically however, this composition is completely different, if one listens to it you know why, listening to the violins and the Spanish guitar. Variation is a term which regularly returns to the forefront in Todesbonden’s musical dictionary. This is a project that doesn’t want to be pinned down to the conventions of the modern gothic metal scene, but follows its own destiny and by doing this, is very original in its approach. I am very curious what a first full-length cd will bring us. Until then this EP is a nice appetizer. Audio Metal Webzine (FRANCE) by Emmanuelle This EP is the first recording of this very new group founded by talented Laurie Ann Haus (Autumn Tears, Ephemeral Sun, ex-Rain Fell Within, ex-Garden of Shadows, Ol Sonuf, Anomalous Feather). The album is entirely composed by the beautiful one, She holds in with the role of singer and clavierist. She finds some musicians of talent such as Jason A. Wood (Ol Sonuf, ex-Ephemeral Sun, Ex-Rain Fell Within), with the programming and the guitar, but also Patrick Geddes (The Groaning), with the violin. This first recording is a marvellous anthem at last times and the universe of fantasy. The first title "Sun and Venus" is a splendid prelude to this opus. The major call of the drum resounds, joined by the keyboards, but also by a soft melody which sounds as a flute. The singing of Laurie Ann Haus enchants us as of its first notes, by its purity, its softness and its accuracy. Just close the eyes... and let you carry in this strange voyage which does nothing but start. The sun and Venus finally met... "Stormbringer", wakes up us of this tender one and furtive meeting, by the power of the riffs, mixed with the singing of Laurie, always so captivating, bewitching and bringing us in spheres increasingly higher, the escape is total. This pleasure touch is a pleasant contrast with the hardness of the sound which the guitar can produce. This song tells the history of a man (or of a god?), that Laurie called "Stormbringer". The message of this man who dreams to call upon the storm is doubled by the song of Laurie, which gives a very remote effect, as if this message reached us of through the centuries. But the narration of the history however brings back for us to reality... me I always smell his presence... "The March of Cicadas" is a title where the song is really very different and of most original. We feel there the influences of Laurie Ann Haus, for example the Mexican and Spanish songs, and an evolution towards Eastern Europe, with the Bulgarian songs. But more commonly for those which does not know these cultures, the sonorities adopted in this piece could strongly approach those used by the group Dead Can Dance. Musicalement the piece starts with a piano melody, which will repeat throughout piece, of the powerful riffs support the song and the violin rises while the voice, it, ground, to remake surface then. The dry guitar is also used confirming the influences. The last title of this EP, "Dark Horns" starts on a howl of guitar tortured, in parallel with a very soft guitar. The song is there always also planing on bottom of riffs powerful, the violin is again used between the parts of singing. But here is already the end recording a violin passage of the more melancholic... how not to imagine that a continuation already exists... Todesbonden offers here a first admirable disc to us, which makes us forget that the recording inevitably did not require the better production, because recorded in a home-studio, which is noticed very little all the same, and which personally absolutely did not disturb me. One will regret can be the too abrupt transition between the titles "Sun and Venus" and "Stormbringer". We can hope for a longer introduction and probably a better transition. The album promises marvellous moment of wildness to us and waiting will be quite long... it is not everyday that one is struck by the lightning!