Conceived on the outskirts of Berlin, Germany, in a rural home that retains the peaceful feeling of old Germany, and further developed in multiple German studios, songwriter and composer Nikolas Schreck completed his latest work, O, A Weird Flower. O, A Weird Flower was released digitally on March 21, 2021, which coincides with the Spring Equinox. Purchase it here.
 
An interwoven song cycle about prophecy, sacrifice, botany, oceans and women’s footwear, the compositions on O, A Weird Flower, range from Aztec strip burlesque on “Her Birthday Suit,” to gothic surf on “Night Tide.” “Calling You From Afar” is a candle lit séance sérénade, while the epic ‘’Retrograde is Mercury’’ offers an apocalyptic and psychedelic voyage.
 
The title song is a troubadour lament, which leads into a sinister cover version of the Bossa Nova classic “The Waters of March.” “The Scottish Play” resonates with Elizabethan histrionics, while the doom-laden reflection on our current era of crisis, ‘’Breaking News,’’ tackles all the top ten trends of the terrible ’20s. Finally, the flamboyant organ stylings of Adam M’habbek evokes some of the atmosphere of Schreck’s early Radio Werewolf work with a propulsive cinematic sound driven by the rhythm section of drummer Heathen Rae and guest bassist Jerome Alexandre. 
 
Presented to the world on the Spring Equinox, which for many signals the cycle of growth and rebirth seen in the season change, provides an appropriate metaphor for Schreck’s body of work. It is constantly evolving with little regard to staking a permanent claim in any particular genre. Making that case is his evolution from Radio Werewolf, to work with Kingdom of Heaven, Skull Kulture, as well as his musical collaborations with Sir Christopher Lee, John Murphy, Death in June, and others. One constant, however, remains the same; Schreck’s eclecticism and distinctive voice offers vivid and colorful characters, stories, and narratives that bridge the gap between sophisticated high art, pop music and playful, albeit sometimes macabre, musical theater.
 
As a solo artist, Schreck eschews traditional rock tropes and pitfalls in favor of the smooth and dynamic range of American crooners. Due to his leadership of the band Radio Werewolf in the ’80s and ’90s, Schreck’s work has been pigeonholed as death rock or goth by some critics. In actuality, Schreck’s musical styling winds through pop, avant garde, neofolk, surf, industrial and a variety of other genres, and for good reason. For Schreck, the narrative informs the direction of the sound.
 
For the unindoctrinated, his first song as a solo artist, “Lord Sutekh’s Dream,” was released on the Epicurean Escapism III CD by German Record label The Epicurean at the Epicurean Escapism festival.  Since, Schreck has assembled a rich troupe of collaborators: Winifred Strauss (keyboards), Ohnesorg (bass), and Heathen Rae (drums and percussion), and a highlight performance was at  the Wave-Gotik-Treffen festival in Leipzig, celebrating the release of The Futura Model EP (The Epicurean).
 
Schreck’s debut solo album, The Illusionist, was released by U.S. label Records Ad Nauseam at an event held at Zebulon in Los Angeles on August 10, 2019, his last trip to the U.S. It was during that trip that Schreck fearfully acknowledged new, stark realities of both U.S. liberal and conservative extremism. Those observations have informed the dystopian mood of his most recent work to some extent,  especially his recent EP Schreck 2020: I’m Afraid of America. On the Autumn Equinox 2020, Schreck’s album BERLINOIR was released, featuring keyboardist Adam M’habbek, drummer Heathen Rae, and bassist Athena Heer. 
 
Despite his considerable efforts and accolades, and above all else, Schreck has a steadfast resolve to continue forging pathways to new forms of musical exploration and expression.  
 
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