This is far from a comprehensive list, of course, but here are five bands I’ve discovered from the neue Deutsche härte genre that don’t get nearly enough recognition in the U.S.
1. Oomph!
Formed in 1989, Oomph! actually pioneered the neue Deutsche härte movement, according to some sources The thing I really love about them is the fact that they change a little (sometimes a lot) every couple of albums. They started with a more electronic/dance/industrial sound, but they quickly morphed into guitar-driven rock/metal. Several bands that came after drew inspiration from Oomph!, including – most notably – Rammstein.
From the self-titled record released in 1992
From GlaubeLiebeTod (2006)
From XXV (2015)
2. Eisbrecher
I actually discovered Eisbrecher years ago, but I didn’t know the band’s name. My best friend had their song “Wilkommen im Nichts” downloaded to her computer, and I loved it. Later, I searched for the song, found that it was by Eisbrecher, and went down the rabbit hole. I bought a copy of their 2010 release Eiszeit and I’ve been a fan ever since.
From the self-titled record (2004)
From Eiszeit (2010)
From Liebe machtMonster (2021)
3. Stahlmann
I found Stahlmann after I’d begun listening to Eisbrecher (and obsessing over the track “Wir Sind Wir” by Paul van Dyk and Peter Heppner). I think at that point I was simply looking for similar bands because I really enjoy the genre. The first song I remember hearing by Stahlmann was “Schwarz.”
From the self-titled record (2010)
From CO2 (2015)
From Quarz (2021)
4. Erdling
Erdling was founded in 2014 by Neill Freiwald and Niklas Kahl. They are a blend of heavier rock and neue Deutsche härte. I remember listening to “Mein Element” and really being able to hear the Rammstein influence.
From Aus den Tiefen (2016)
From Yggdrasil (2020)
From Bestia (2023)
5. Die Kreatur
Die Kreatur is a project formed by Chris Harms (Lord of the Lost) and Dero Goi (Oomph!). The two artists had made guest appearances on tracks for each other’s bands, and they finally decided to merge into a separate entity. The project meshes together the more gothic metal sound of Lord of the Lost with the neue Deutsche härte elements that started with Oomph! Thus far, they have only released one album, entitled Panoptikum, but here’s hoping there will be more from them in the future!
Avant-garde masked metal marauders Mushroomhead are touring this October alongside special guest Hellzapoppin: Circus Sideshow Revue, Kurt Deimer, and FleischKrieg. Grab your tickets at mushroomhead.com!
When I say “soon,” I mean soon. As in, August 25th. Four days from now.
I had heard the covers of “Feuer Frei!” by The 69 Eyes and “Engel” by Priest, and I thought it was kind of odd (and awesome) that suddenly everyone was releasing their take on infamous Rammstein tracks. Then, I stumbled across a post on a Front Line Assembly fan page and saw that those two releases are part of a bigger project.
I’m pretty excited about this! The album features versions of songs such as “Du Hast,” “Sonne,” “Radio,” and “Deutschland,” by a slew of artists, including Front Line Assembly, Skold, Julien-K, and more. I will include the full track list below. You can order your copy on Cleopatra Records’ site.
1. “Du Hast” – Burton C. Bell, Paul Ferguson, and MGT
Not My God is an industrial project that features Tim Sköld (Shotgun Messiah, Marilyn Manson) and Nero Bellum (Psyclon Nine). The pair came together in 2020, releasing the self-titled Not My God on Valentine’s Day. This was followed by Simulacra in 2021 and, earlier this year, the twelve track Obverses.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and it seems that Not My God is calling it quits – after a final tour, of course…which also happens to be their first tour. Alongside Not My God will be Snakes of Russia, Clockwork Echo, and Death Loves Veronica. Tickets and VIP are available at skold.com.
Little Miss Nasty is embarking on their Sex Metal Circus Tour and they’re bringing along special guests GATEB (Gina and the Eastern Block) and Raven Black. Get your tickets and VIP at littlemissnastyofficial.com.
4/24 – Reno, NV – The Theater*
4/25 – Fresno, CA – Fulton 55
4/27 – Portland, OR – Star Theater
4/28 – Seattle, WA – El Corazon
4/29 – Post Falls, ID – Cruisers Bar & Grill
5/1 – Salt Lake City, UT – Metro Music Hall
5/3 – Colorado Springs, CO – Sunshine Studios Live
5/4 – Wichita, KS – Wave
5/5 – Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX – Big Rob’s (Venue change!)
5/6 – Houston, TX – Scout Bar
5/7 – San Angelo, TX – The Deadhorse
5/9 – TBA
5/10 – San Diego, CA – The Holding Company
5/11 – West Hollywood, CA – Viper Room
5/12 – Las Vegas, NV – Area 15*
5/13 – Long Beach, CA – Harvelle’s*
5/14 – San Francisco, CA – Jolene’s Bar and Restaurant*
K.A.R.L. (Kill All Remaining Life) is an electronic/industrial band that formed in 2007. Since then, they have released an untitled debut EP (2009), their self-titled record in 2010, the Rapture EP (2020), and earlier this year, a second full-length album, Tractus. I recently had the opportunity to talk to vocalist/engineer TJ Breedlove about the new album, the band’s beginnings, and what the future holds for K.A.R.L.
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Thank you for taking the time to talk to me, and congrats on the release of Tractus! Can you tell me a little bit about the album? What was the writing/recording process, and where did you draw your inspiration for the writing of the album?
TJ: Thank you so much for this interview! The writing process for Tractus started in 2021 and was, at first, largely built around internal struggle with mental health and negative outlooks on the world. Gradually, as the world kept diving further into chaos, I kept gathering more to write about. Though not all tracks are negative. I wrote a track that’s on there for my wife, who has been so loving and supportive throughout this process. The album, which was initially supposed to be 8 -10 tracks, evolved into 13 tracks over time.
For my own personal curiosity, what’s the story behind “Beg Me”? (That was one of my favorite tracks, so I’m interested in the creation of it.)
TJ: “Beg Me” is about internal anger. Built and kept inside for so long, and the violent fantasy of unleashing it. The song itself doesn’t promote violence, but as humans, we often face something that internally drives us to that level of anger and frustration. Some carry that anger for way too long and have no healthy way to release it. That song, though, was the last one recorded for the album. I had a very difficult time writing it for various reasons.
So, getting onto the subject of you, in particular: What made you want to pursue a career in music?
TJ: I’ve always wanted to be in a band since I was very young. I grew up listening to all types of music, like metal (black, thrash, death, and nu), grunge rock, and classic rock, but industrial has always been my favorite genre, particularly Darkwave. As I grew into my teens, I gathered quite the collection of CDs from different artists. Everywhere I went, I had a portable CD player and a stack of CDs from different genres with me. I couldn’t function without it.
Who are your biggest influences?
TJ: For me personally, I have so many. Project Pitchfork, Skinny Puppy, Spahn Ranch, Front 242, Chiasm, Jonathan Davis (KoRn and his solo stuff too).
Is there any artist or band you listen to that you think would surprise most people?
TJ: I have a very weird and random collection of music. Often when I randomize a playlist, people around will hear a lot of industrial or some form of metal, then all of the sudden, Donovan’s “Hurdy Gurdy Man” will play. Sometimes, I get on a 70s kick and can’t stop listening to Zeppelin or Boston or Blue Oyster Cult. I don’t understand why some find that weird. Those bands kick ass!
I’m a big 70s fan myself. I grew up with those bands because of my parents.How did the formation of K.A.R.L. come about? And where did the name come from?
TJ: K.A.R.L. was initially formed in 2007 by me and my friend Josh [Johnson, drums/synth] as a very short-lived experimental black metal project. It soon after evolved into an industrial band.
Josh is very talented, and I truly am lucky to have him as both a friend and fellow musician. He taught me a lot of what I know on the keys, and we both created the monster that is K.A.R.L.
The band has other members come and go. At one point, in 2011, the band split apart due to disagreements and other personal reasons. Then, in 2018, Josh and I rebooted the project and released our EP Rapture.
The name was given to me when a friend from our school named Ivy came up to me and introduced herself. She said “Hi, my name is Ivy. Who are you?” I responded “TJ” and she said “Hmmmmm. No, no, don’t like that. I’m gonna call you Karl, with a K.” It was one of the strangest conversations I’ve ever had, but the name stuck with me. Josh and I later turned it into “K.A.R.L. ( Kill All Remaining Life)”. Some have often referenced it meaning “all who sin pay with death” or something biblical along those lines.
Wow, you guys have been around for a while! How do you stay motivated to keep writing, and how do you feel your approach has changed over the years?
TJ: Lyrically, we have always been inspired by world events and the overall mood it puts us all in. For example, “God Is Watching” was written about various things that made us angry at the world and what we see on TV (school shootings, war, mass casualty events, and other things of that nature), things that even though they’re always addressed, never seem to have a solution to them. Unfortunately, the world we live in keeps churning up more horrors for us (and other artists) to keep writing about.
Songs like “S/M Goddess” and “Shameless,” both from previous releases, dive into sexual desire and pursuing things outside the norm, while songs like “Shutting Down” and “Severed” dive into depression and the seemingly endless cycles of battling memories we can’t let go of.
In 2007-2010, we were also transitioning from those angry teenage years into our twenties, which had moments of chaos. That definitely fueled a lot when it came to writing. Now, when it comes to our songs, a lot of the same themes remain, but we approach them at a different, more mature angle. We’ve always used music as a way to help us vent and truly express certain views. But all songs written are not negative or violent; some are written about forgiveness and that not all our mistakes are a life sentence.
Well, there’s definitely no shortage of world happenings to fuel y’all. And on that subject, what are the plans for 2023? More new music, or maybe some shows promoting Tractus?
TJ: I am currently writing another EP that I’m aiming to release in late 2023 or early to mid 2024. I’m actually more than halfway done. I do plan on doing some shows in the near future. I just have to tighten up a few things first.
Speaking of shows, what would be your dream lineup? K.A.R.L. with special guests…?
TJ: I’d love the opportunity to open up for Project Pitchfork, Leæther Strip, and Decoded Feedback. I’ve also found some other bands on FB, like SinThya, who I’d like to do a show with as well.
Is there anything you’d like to say to your fans, new and old?
TJ: I want to say thank you to all our fans, new and old, who have supported us throughout the years. You are truly the best part of all this.
And last but not least, where can my readers get their hands on K.A.R.L.’s music?
TJ: Our main page for merch is our Bandcamp page. We are also on all major streaming platforms such as Spotify, iTunes, Amazon, Pandora, and many more.
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K.A.R.L. has a lot in the works, and I think 2023 and 2024 are going to be big for them! You can check them out on your favorite streaming service and follow their various socials to stay up-to-date with what’s happening in the world of K.A.R.L.
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