Der Blutharsch

Der Blutharsch was the main project of Austrian musician Albin Julius (1967-2022). Following in the footsteps of Autopsia and Laibach, Julius created marching music of bombastic rhythms and folkish melodies, often infused with historical military speeches and orchestral samples. The earlier works tended towards a minimalistic sample-based instrumental style in an industrial/ambient vein, while more recent material has headed into a folk/acoustic sound, often accompanied with live vocals and instruments.

Der Blutharsch's first release was a self-titled picturedisc LP release in late 1996 on the Arthur's Round Table label, but the project didn't become Julius' main musical outlet until 1998 after the break-up of his previous band The Moon Lay Hidden Beneath A Cloud. The first CD 'Der Sieg Des Lichtes Ist Des Lebens Heil!' was released that year, followed by a series of limited EP's, before the release of the masterpiece 'The Pleasures Received In Pain' in 1999.

Almost all of the band's releases are through Julius' own Austria-based label "WKN" ("Wir Kapitulieren Niemals"), which was distributed by World Serpent UK until 2000, when it switched to Tesco Distribution in Germany. Since 2001, various musicians have acted as part of the band, but Albin Julius claimed Der Blutharsch to have four permanent members: Marthynna, Jörg B. (of Graumahd), Bain Wolfkind (Novo Homo), and himself.

The band officially disbanded in 2010, but was newly founded as Der Blutharsch And The Infinite Church Of The Leading Hand in the same year.