Band:URUK HAI
Title: Die Legende...
Format: A piece of artwork designed for an Uruk Hai cassette release circa 2004, but ultimately unused
Edition:never released
Proposed Track Listing:
#25 From the Vaults of W.A.R.
01. ...Von Elbenwald
02. Khazad-Dum
03. Ein Licht Geboren Ward
04. Nordhimmel
05. Die Berge
06. Die Ring
#25 From the Vaults of W.A.R.
Bizarrely this would appear to be the first entry in 2016 in the ongoing 'From the Vaults of W.A.R.' series, in which the obscure, previously unknown or lost to history outings from many of Hugin's projects are dusted off for their 5 minutes of fame in the fiery gleam of the Burning Eye.
It's for a proposed tape release called "Die Legende..." (and no, you don't need me to translate that title for you surely) that compiles recordings from the 2000/01 period, giving them (so it is advertised) an end mix circa 2004. This explains the use of the old style Uruk Hai band logo - as seen, for example, on contemporary tapes of this period.
Personally I think the artwork on this cover is magnificent, perfect for an Uruk Hai release and impressively menacing as fantasy artwork of this type should be. Rather a shame, then, that it has been consigned to the dustbin of history deep within the W.A.R. bunker ... until now, that is. What a t-shirt that would have made...!
We know from the inlay that the intended recordings are early in the Hugin's musical history. Some of these tracks, indeed, appear by the same name (but presumably in different form) elsewhere in the output of other projects: 'Khazad-Dum', for instance, being an early Hrossharsgrani track that appears on such demos as "In The Mystic Forest" and "Rehearsal CD1" from way back when.
If the track listing is familiar to you, then doubtless you are having deep subconscious twinges that are directing you to two specific releases where these songs did make their public appearance more formally:
(1) On the "Honour" demo, where they were incorporated into side two of this ever-wonderful release under the title of 'Die Legende..."; and
(2) On the subsequent reissue of the material, both on "Lost Songs Of Middle Earth" in 2008 and then on the lavish box-set "Legacy Of The Tyrant" of 2011/2012 (depending upon which pressing you have).
We have to presume that the creative forces that churn and wrestle within Hugin led to last minute changes in release schedules and composition of demo tapes, with 'Die Legende..." not therefore appearing as a tape release in its own right but being subsumed within the longer "Honour" release. The music will out, latterly followed after a mere 12 years intermission by the originally artwork...!
Unheralded surprises still languish within the Vaults of W.A.R. biding their time until being thrust into the cold light of day, so keep your eyes peeled for further offerings in this vein in Honour and Darkness. Though hopefully in a rather shorter period of time than has elapsed between more recent editions of the series.