Das Hohelied Salomos

The crashing tolls that announce “Steh auf, zeih mich Dir nach” usher in a ‘new cycle’ for Popol Vuh; the sound here is regal and mysterious, and the opening clamour rings out as though they’re clearing and exorcising the air before moving into new terrain. Somehow, the first few songs on Das Hohelied Salomos are more physical and robust than previous albums; there’s a new urgency at the heart of Florian Fricke’s muse. But there are still connections back to earlier material, too – like the previous two albums, Das Hohelied Salomos is devoted to a holy book (in this case, the Song of Solomon, from the Old Testament); Fricke also returns to some of the themes he developed on 1973’s Hosianna Mantra, and they work beautifully within this new, electrified Popol Vuh, with Fichelscher’s fluid runs for guitar tangling like growing vines around Djong Yun’s lovely voice.