Nearly seven years after "Goddess", Hekate, the pioneers of the German Neofolk scene, release their fifth studio album "Die Welt der Dunklen Gärten" in order to prove that they have lost nothing of their expressive and artistic powers. Music-wise, "Die Welt ..." forges a bridge from Classical elements and Oriental rhythms to melancholic Folk. Once more outstanding are the varied percussion arrangements so typical of Hekate as well as the alternating vocals by Susanne Grosche and Axel Menz. "Die Welt der Dunklen Gärten" sees Hekate return to Neofolk's first division with the possibly strongest album of their career.