germany | Metal Planet Media

One day before their appearance on Stefan Raab’s “Chefsache ESC 2025 – Wer singt für Deutschland”, the German preliminary round for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel, FEUERSCHWANZ release their new song “Knightclub” with Dag-Alexis Kopplin from SDP as a featured guest. With its catchy hook and infectious dancefloor beats, “Knightclub” is a track that will create the perfect atmosphere at any metal show. The accompanying music video, which also features Kopplin, underlines this character and combines the light-heartedness and vibes of the band’s early party metal days with the impressive transformation that FEUERSCHWANZ have undergone with their last few albums.

With their modern folk metal sound, the Nuremberg-based band has risen to the top of the genre. Their last two studio albums, Memento Mori (2021) and Fegefeuer (2023), both debuted at #1 on the official German album charts. Recent headline tours were nearly all sold out, they have secured prime spots at the largest festivals, and their songs and videos have garnered millions of streams. One standout moment was their 20th anniversary show at the end of 2024—an unforgettable Metfest performance in front of over 7,000 ecstatic fans, and the biggest in the event’s history.

FEUERSCHWANZ on “Knightclub”:
“‘Knightclub’ is the essence of 20 years of FEUERSCHWANZ. A strong brew of the heaviest riffs and most epic hooks we have ever written come together with the greatest heroes from the world of fantasy and history. As a special accolade, we have enlisted the support of Dag-Alexis Kopplin from SDP! Descend into the dungeons with us, experience a crazy musical trip and rise up as ladies, lords, shieldmaidens, heroes and knights of the ‘Knightclub’!”

Watch the official music video for “Knightclub” HERE:

Tomorrow, Saturday, FEUERSCHWANZ will once again swap the festival stage for a TV appearance as one of 14 acts competing in the semi-finals of Germany’s Eurovision Song Contest preliminary round. Chosen from over 3,000 applications, the band impressed the jury—led by Stefan Raab, Yvonne Catterfeld, and Elton—in the first show on February 14 with their cover of O-Zone’s “Dragostea din tei.” This Saturday, the jury will once again vote on whether they move on, or their journey ends early. The live final, broadcast on ARD and hosted by NDR on March 1, will see viewers choosing the winning act, who will go on to represent Germany in Basel. Barbara Schöneberger will host all shows.

The semi-finals and final of “Chefsache ESC 2025 – Wer singt für Deutschland” will be broadcast live on the primetime show on German TV at the following times:
Saturday, February 22, 2025 | 08.15pm CET | RTL
Final: Saturday, March 1, 2025 | 08.15pm CET | Das Erste

[Photo Credit: Stefan Heilemann]

Another of my reviews previously posted to Ever Metal

Being just over forty years of age but preferring a lot of the older bands, I was always late to the party where many bands were concerned. Brainstorm were one of these such bands. I first heard them one night when I was browsing through YouTube. They appeared as a “recommended bands” on the right-hand side of the screen so I thought I would check them. And I am glad I did. From the very first track I listened to, I loved them. They were just the sort of metal that I loved.

But, then they kind of disappeared from my radar.

So, when Rick sent me the new album, I just had to review it to see if they are still as good as I remembered. And they are!! But first a little history!

Brainstorm are power metal band from Germany (where else? All the decent power metal bands seem to come from Germany!) They were formed in 1989 (hence why I was late to the party with these guys. I was only 12!) by guitarists, Torsten Ihlenfeld and Milan Loncaric, and drummer Dieter Bernert, and are known for playing a somewhat darker style of music than most power metal bands.

During their early years they built up a solid groundwork with several demo releases and live appearance. They signed their first record deal in 1997 and the self-produced album “Hungry” was released, to great reviews. Chart entries in many European countries followed and their intense live performances were catapulting them into the champions league of or metal, resulting in the band being asked to perform at many of the big festivals.

And now on to their new album “Midnight Ghost”. This is the band’s 12^th studio album (man, I need to buy some of their back catalogue), produced by Seeb Levermann and recorded at the Greenman Studios. It was released on 28^th September 2018 by AFM Records.

Although not a concept album in the strictest sense of the word, there is a thematic thread running through the tracks…the fear of ghosts, monsters under your bed, the bogeyman in your wardrobe and wild beasts in the night….all fears that many of us have had since childhood and this is all depicted magnificently in the cover artwork produced by Gyula Havancsak (who has also worked with the likes of Accept and Stratovarius).

This album has a sound that it bound to delight all power metal fans and was even a surprise for the five band members themselves. Says vocalist Andy P Franck; “It’s pretty unusual that musicians still get the shivers down their spines when they listen to the new material after a long and energy-sapping production. In this case, we can really say that all Brainstorm musicians are total fans of our new recording. Midnight Ghost is the album we want to be measured by in the future.”

From the anthemic opener “Devil’s Eye” to the driving “When Pain Becomes Real” to the punchy “Haunting Voices”, Brainstorm more than live up to the term ‘melodic power metal.’ They deliver the full range of their typical trademarks, awesome melodies, dynamic grooves and extremely heavy, pounding guitar riffs. The galloping drums that I so love are there too, and of course, magnificent vocals. One of the things that made me fall in love with this band the first time I heard them was Andy P Franck’s voice. Strong and powerful yet able to carry off a huge range that adds dimension to the band’s sound and this he still has in abundance!

All the tracks are fantastic in their own right but together they make up an awesome album that should be in any metal fan’s collection. Not only do they bring the power element that they are so good at, but there are elements of thrash, traditional and speed metal too.

Says Andy P Franck; “Midnight Ghost is faster, more melodic and at the same time also tougher than all our previous releases.” And I couldn’t agree more. Why stick to one genre or aspect of metal when you can combine many and achieve a sound like this?

I can’t fault this album really and I really don’t want to take it out of my car. But, alas, needs must for the next review!

All I can say though is, when are you coming to England guys!!?

TRACK LISTING

01 – Devil’s Eye

02 – Revealing The Darkness

03 – Ravenous Minds

04 – The Pyre

05 – Jeanne Boulet (1764)

06 – Divine Inner Ghost

07 – When Pain Becomes Real

08 – The Four Blessings

09 – Haunting Voices

10 – The Path

SOCIAL MEDIA

https://en-gb.facebook.com/officialbrainstorm/

https://www.brainstorm-web.net/site/

Reproduced with kind permission from Ever Metal

Metal Planet Media

Tag Archives: germany

FEUERSCHWANZ Releases New Song “Knightclub” + Official Music Video

Brainstorm – Midnight Storm (2018)