Erlkönig (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ballad)

Italian melodic metal band Ravenstorm combine metal with opera in its song “Erlkönig.” The latter is a ballad written by early Romantic writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in 1782 and one which evidently lends itself well to the high drama of progressive death metal. The animated music video for the song tells the tale of a child who claims that he is being assailed by the titular “Elf King” but his father not being able to see the supernatural creature comforts his son with more prosaic explanations for his perceptions of this creature of faerie. The father rushes off with his son presumably to seek earthly aid only to find his child has been taken from him either by a natural ailment or through preternatural means by the aforementioned Erlkönig. The animalistic vocals suit well the narrative and the epic gallop of the music in that grand tradition that one often hears in the Gothenburg style an apt emotional soundscape for the story unfolding as well as the tragic ending. Franz Schubert set the Goethe ballad to music in his time, Ravenstorm just gave it a beautiful modern interpretation worthy of the spirit of the original ballad by one of the godfathers of melodramatic theater. Watch the video for “Erlkönig” on YouTube and connect with Ravenstorm at the links below.