Fans of black and death metal will recognize the name Kanonenfieber by now. The German band grew into a big name in a short period of time and managed to hit many stages. Earlier, we spoke with the brain behind the band: Noise. That was back in the days of Covid-19. Meanwhile, a lot has changed and a first, real headlining tour is scheduled for the end of this year with the support of the Canadian Panzerfaust. On November 24th, the gentlemen will visit Tivoli in Utrecht, while Belgian fans can visit Kortrijk (De Verlichte Geest) six days later. It is time to shoot some questions towards Noise (again).
Hi Noise! The last time we spoke was February 2022. Back then, we were still dealing with Covid-19 and concerts that were canceled because of it. More than two years later, the world looks very different (thankfully). How are you doing?
Yeah, that’s been quite a while! Thanks for reaching out again. A lot has happened since then, I can tell you that. So far, I’m doing quite well, can’t complain.
The last time we spoke, your wish was to also hit Belgium and the Netherlands for the first time with Kanonenfieber. Meanwhile, you played at festivals such as Drachten Deathfest, Summerbreeze and Hellfest. Could you ever have imagined, besides the hard work you always put into the project(s)?
Being able to perform at these incredible festivals is an honor I deeply appreciate. I never expected my projects to grow so quickly, but I’m thrilled they did. So, yes, what’s happening right now is beyond anything I could have imagined.
At which concert or festival did you think: “This is the real deal”? Can you share some of your favorite festivals or concerts and explain what makes them special to you?
There have been quite a few moments that come to mind. One of them was definitely our show at Hellfest—the stage and backstage area were just incredible. The same goes for Rockhard; it had the largest audience we’ve ever played for. And then there’s Ragnarök Festival, which was also amazing. Personally, Ragnarök is my favorite—I’ve attended it eight times as a visitor, so you can imagine how much I enjoy it, haha. Smaller clubs can also be fantastic because of the high energy and close interaction with the audience. All in all, there have been many moments that left me in awe.
Are you happy with the record deal with Century Media, and how can they support you in achieving your goals?
I’m very happy with Century! The team is great, and we get along well. They support me in many ways, from promotion and marketing to managing products, which saves me a lot of time. They have fantastic ideas and are very well-connected.
Handing over some responsibilities to a label is a big step, I can imagine. How does that feel, especially since you’re known for being meticulous in many ways?
I haven’t really handed over too much. I still handle most of the things I did before signing with Century. The big difference is that I can delegate time-consuming tasks like production, calculations, and publishing. This frees me, so I can focus on the more critical aspects of a release, like writing the actual music, haha. Things have become more efficient, giving me more time for touring and creative work. Plus, I’ve built a great team around me from the very beginning of Noisebringer, so everything works seamlessly now.
That’s great. So: what can fans expect from the new album musically?
Listeners can expect a very versatile album. From intense black metal like the single Menschenmühle, to groovier, death metal-inspired tracks like Panzerhenker, to slower, more post-metal songs like Der Maulwurf. I aimed to fill Die Urkatastrophe with a wide range of moods to better emphasize the themes of the lyrics.
Die Urkatastrophe appears in limited edition artbooks. Where did that idea come from?
I wanted to give the historical aspect of Kanonenfieber a proper physical representation and that’s what we achieved with the artbook. It’s filled with many of the postcards, inspired by an actual WW1 layout, and contains explanations for all the songs lyrics. I put a lot of effort into it, and I’m super happy with how it turned out.
What about the lyrics? Where did the inspiration for Die Urkatastrophe come from this time? Is your friend and historian Dani B the same person who helped with the album Menschenmühle?
Yes, he is! Dani and I are constantly chatting about new ideas for upcoming music. He has a lot of great ideas and some amazing material, like letters and books from WW1. He helped with the working titles of the album and provided a lot of great research material, including hundreds of postcards from WW1, which I scanned and incorporated into the artwork for the CDs, vinyls, and the artbook. Dani is also involved in naming the songs; we brainstorm words together to find what fits best.
On Menschenmühle, you wrote and played all the music yourself. Did other band members contribute to Die Urkatastrophe?
Kanonenfieber is still very much my personal musical outlet, and I’m happy with how it works. I enjoy writing songs in my home studio, where I can make changes as I like without having to consult anyone, haha. However, I do collaborate with others on different projects, but for Noisebringer projects, it’s still very much a one-man show.
Meanwhile, you continue to put effort into other projects. How do you stay motivated and manage your time and energy?
Writing music is what drives me. There are few things I enjoy as much as recording riffs and composing songs. It can be nerve-wracking sometimes, no doubt, but the feeling of creating something that resonates with you is incredible. Being able to express yourself through music and having others connect with it is just crazy. I write music for myself, but I perform for the audience. The positive feedback makes it all worthwhile. It’s like having two full-time jobs right now, but it’s what I’ve always wanted to do.
Talking about other projects: how was the experience performing with Non Est Deus at Ragnarök, and what can we expect from Leipa in the future?
Our first show was awesome! I never expected so many people to show up. Non Est Deus is a bit more fun for me on stage than Kanonenfieber—probably because of the lighter clothing we wear on stage, haha. Running around in thick wool uniforms can be pretty brutal! As for Leipa, there are no plans yet—there’s already enough to do with Kanonenfieber and Non Est Deus.
You’ve chosen to remain unrecognizable. Now that Kanonenfieber is gaining more recognition, do you sometimes miss direct contact with the fans?
To be honest, I don’t miss it because I already have it. I’m very interactive on social media and talk a lot with my listeners. I see some of my best friends only once or twice a year, but we stay close via social media. The same goes for my interaction with listeners. I make jokes and discuss history with them; it feels very real to me!
There are quite a few things on my bucket list: enjoying time with my band and crew, meeting new, interesting people, and having enough time to write more music! Everything else, like big festivals or whatever, will come as it comes. But one specific thing on my wish list would be a US tour—that would be pretty amazing!
Thanks for this opportunity, again, and for making such awesome music!
Thank you for the great questions and for taking the time!
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