Schandmaul – Sternensegler

Written by on 14-09-2026 at 22:17.

Time to put another Schandmaul record to the test. This German folk-rock outfit first saw the light of day towards the end of the last millennium, but we don’t actually cover them all that often on our website. This is their twelfth album and our fifth review; I’ve even noticed that it’s been a while since my review of Unendlich (2014) that we’ve written anything about them. The reason is obvious enough, because Schandmaul don’t exactly deliver ‘heavy metal’ on Sternensegler, although we’re certainly guilty of reviewing records with far less fire than this one.

It seems to me that quite a bit has changed compared to, say, twelve years ago, or even compared to their previous albums. There were no reviews of those, but a record like Artus sounded pretty good. It was with its predecessor Knüppel aus dem Sack that things started to sound a little too laid-back here and there. Solid rock with typically German vocals that you really have to be into, but if you can handle Rammstein, you’ll have no problem with these Germans either. Beyond that, however, the comparison doesn’t really hold up, as Schandmaul opt for a more exuberant approach, with light-hearted flute, violin and bagpipe melodies.

On newcomer Sternensegler, I find myself experiencing some of that same laid-back feeling. I wouldn’t call it boring anywhere, but tracks such as Nosferatu, Sternensegler and In der Hand don’t exactly have me sitting on the edge of my seat. They are, however, the tracks the band is choosing to showcase visually, so they clearly have confidence in them.

I find myself more drawn to the songs where the band simply throws off that rock yoke and plays around with crisp melodies and catchy choruses, as on An Beiden Enden. I’m also very impressed by the excellent opener Nimm alles mit, where the fine bass line, hugely catchy chorus and vocal depth really turn it into a wonderful song. Easily the best track on the album right away. That’s often how it goes with Schandmaul, if you ask me. The album sounds good, with the occasional song that simply deserves a place on a playlist. Add Trag Dich to that list as well, although you should expect a very different timbre. It’s a beautiful instrumental moment of respite on which new singer Till Herence finds his way remarkably well. Thomas Lindgren stepped aside for health reasons, but he still contributes instrumentally to the music. Together with the rest of the team, he does so very successfully, because I’d almost call this track cinematic. And Zwei Raben, featuring Laura Fella (Faun, Tvinna), follows it beautifully. Once again, there is a more robust and creative rock arrangement, but it is also infused with plenty of Celtic beauty.

I’m an album listener at heart, but a band like Schandmaul sometimes tempts me to switch to keeping track of individual hits. For years now, Der Teufel hat den Schnaps gemacht has been popping up in the late hours, and not Udo Jürgens’ version. You shouldn’t expect an experiment like that on this new album, but there are still some excellent songs to be found here. And that’s what we’re here for.

Score:

70/100

Label:

Napalm Records, 2026

Tracklisting:

  1. Nimm alles mit
  2. Sternensegler
  3. Beide Füsse in der Luft
  4. Flagge
  5. Nosferatu
  6. Wo Sprache aufhört
  7. In der Hand
  8. An beiden Enden
  9. Lass nicht los
  10. Trag Dich
  11. Zwei Raben

Line-up:

  • Till Herence – Vocals
  • Thomas Lindner – Piano, guitar, accordeon
  • Birgit Muggenthaler-Schmack – Fute, shawms, bagpipes, vocals
  • Martin Duckstein – Giutar, vocals
  • Stefan Brunner – Drums, percussion, vocals
  • Matthias Richter – Bass guitar
  • Saskia Forkert – Violin, hurdy-gurdy, vocals

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