This Friday folk metal act Feuerschwanz will be releasing their latest studio effort “Das elfte Gebot” (The eleventh commandment) and will be streaming a release show which you can find via the Napalm Records YouTube Channel. I Caught up with the captain to discuss the album, the bands process when it comes to producing their amazing videos, and what to expect from them in the future in terms of touring and new music.
Thanks for speaking with me! How are you and the band doing?
We’re doing fine. Next week is the album release, which is amazing for us and we’re very excited about it. We will also be having a release concert online, and we have much to do for it.
The upcoming release show definitely looks like a lot of work. Given the current situation with Covid-19, did you guys run into any problems finishing the album, or any delays?
Yes. With the fan box we had some problems. There’s like this mead horn which is produced in India, and it was difficult to get it. And for us, it was very difficult not having any concerts before the release, so we decided to make more videos, and we had to make some changes with our release plan. But it’s good to have the release on the upcoming date which is June 26th.
You recorded the album with Simon Michael Schmitt of Subway To Sally as producer. What was the recording process like, and what was it like working with him?
We’re a very good team now, and it’s our third production with him. Since the last album we went straight to a more harder sound, so it was great growing as a team with a folk metal sound. This album sounds very good I think.
You released your first single which is the title track, “Das Elfte Gebot,” Which I think perfectly encapsulates the new sound that you’re describing. I think your videos also at a unique flare by creating a unique complement to the sound. How much time and work goes into the planning of your video shoots?
It takes some weeks. We have to plan it and checking out locations. We always have to choose a good location because it’s another discipline for our production. For “I See Fire” we found a great one in Cornwall while we were on holiday. We shot two of our videos there.
You mentioned that you’re going to be doing more video shoots because of the downtime, do you have an estimate at the moment of how many you plan on releasing in total?
We are planning a lyric video which is a cover version of a Powerwolf song. We also plan two more after the release. A video for “Meister der Minne”, which is the first song of the album and a video for “Im Bauch des Wals”, which is a metal ballad. So two more videos after the release.
I like to talk about the Deluxe Edition which features a bonus disc of covers. I find covering songs is a great way to introduce new listeners to your music to get new fans, as you can put your own twist on a song. Can you tell us who some of the artists are you that you’re covering?
We each have some different styles in the band. So it was really interesting hearing the input on some of the styles of music that would feature a mixture of Feuerschwanz Folk Metal or power metal like. So it was amazing to have this production process. You can see all the different styles like with the Seed song, Powerwolf, Rammstein.
I think I head you would be covering Sabaton as well, is that right?
Yes. We love metal, and we are all fantasy nerds and we love bands with epic themes. So Sabaton is an exciting band for us.
The first single that you released for the covers album was of course “I See Fire’ by Ed Sheeran. Which seems like a great choice for a song to have Feuerschwanz cover. What made you decide to cover that song specifically?
We are all fantasy nerds and Tolkien is our Bible. We saw The Hobbit film, and we thought there was too much computer animation for us, but the song was very good. In our fantasy, the song has to be more Celtic and more rock, and for a long time we had the idea to make a rock song about it.
Are there any of your own songs that you think would fit to the soundtrack of a Tolkien film?
That’s a good question! We have a very good intro for our live concerts. It has a very shamanistic sound, and I think it would fit to the soundtrack of a fantasy film. We love the sound of power metal too, so I think that could fit as well though it’s a little bit weird.
With some of theses tracks, you’ve been singing in English for the first time. What’s that Adjustment been like?
Yeah, it was an experiment and we wanted to take some feedback from the English-speaking countries. And the feedback that we’ve got, is that it’s a good thing to makes languages. Five years ago that’s something we wouldn’t even think of. So we thought this could be a good time to mix some languages. But we’re primarily German-speaking and I think we’ll try some other experiments, but we will mix it.
A great example of the mixture is your cover of “Ding” featuring Melissa Bonney which features a nice contrast between English and German lyrics. What was it like working with her, and how did she get involved with the song?
We saw here on a festival in Austria with the band Warkings and she was great on stage. The audience was in her hand, and she was a very talented girl. The idea came to us to have her sing on the song “Ding”, It was great working with her, and we had a great time working with her. She’s very talented and I think she will be a big star in the future.
You mentioned Warkings who I think will be a special guest on your tour in 2021?
Yes, we hope. We hope things work out and we can tour in 2021.
How much of the new material do you think you’re going to work in the live sets, will it be a full album tour?
When we make a new album, we usually use all the material of that album in our concerts. Not so much older songs. With this album being very strong, it could be that we play the entire album. I can’t promise that as the setlist is not ready.
As you mentioned, you’re going to be having a live stream release for the album which was crowdfunded. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
It was great! So many fans support us so we could have a great setting in an open-air situation on a Castle with fire and so on. So next week it’s going to be very amazing. Were very excited to have this show, and we need good weather which is very important (laughing) as there is no tent over the stage. But we use the Corona situation for this new project, and we are hard-working with it, and we are crazy about it, but we are happy with it.
From the way it’s been described, the show sounds like it’s going to be epic.
It was very expensive, and our fans are great as they support it which is very cool! We had to pay the crew with good money it was very important for the situation and the next month.
Your shows in general are very spectacular, so it sounds like you’re really going all out for this one. A lot of bands are doing live streaming shows now, if the situation with the coronavirus doesn’t improve, do you think you’ll be doing more live streams in the future?
We would think about it. We think the longer that the situation with the virus goes, it might be a good opportunity to write new songs. To be creative and make music at home.
That is definitely is a great idea on how to spend any possible downtime.
Yeah.
Thank again you for taking the time to speak with me, is there anything else you’d like to say to your fans?
Yes, as the Capt. of Feuerschwanz, I say keep in contact with your friends. Listen to good music, and try to have a good time together, and remember your friends!
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