Thulcandra is one of the leading Melodic Black/Death Metal bands in Germany and Europe, has managed to capture the spirit of the early and mid-90s and transferred this magic into our time. Their three outputs so far are groundbreaking and each is considered an outstanding piece of art. We had the pleasure of having Steffen Kummerer in a great interview about their latest offering, “Hail the Abyss” and their future plans!
This Is Black Metal: Hello and thank you for this interview Steffen. You have released your new album Hail the Abyss. What is the feedback from the fans so far?
Steffen Kummerer: „Hail The Abyss“ has been received positively by fans and press alike. The album turned out diverse and covers a bright palette of musical colors between doom, black, death and Classic Heavy Metal – all melted into our Swedish-styled melange of 90s Black & Death Metal. The album has been released as a standalone record on vinyl and CD, but also as a special wooden box that features two songs of the „Under A Frozen Sun“ Sessions from 2010 and a guitar tablature book among other specials. Collectors are pleased with the outcome and we as a band are grateful Napalm Records supported this idea.
TIBM: Why have you chosen this name for the album? Is there a concept/idea behind its lyrics?
Steffen: The album title has been submitted by our guitarist, Mariano Delastik. The title sums up the band’s view on life in general. While the lyrics are not connected to a concept album, there are links between our previous album „A Dying Wish“, especially with the closing track „The Final Closure“which flies on the same wings as „A Dying Wish“.
TIBM: My favourite song on the album is The Final Closure. Considering that this is the last album’s song, and its lyrical theme is about the ending every human being has to face, have you been “forced” to have it as the last song?
Steffen: „The Final Closure“ started as a loose idea and week by week grew into a monolithic eight-minute long-lasting piece. With the grand build-up and vibe of losing your last breath, „The Final Closure“ has been naturally chosen as the closing track of the album. We are considering performing this piece live on headlining shows when more time on stage will be granted. The overall composition turned out to be the slowest song the band ever came up with. At times, a feeling similar to some doom bands comes across when listening from front to end. Definitely a special song not only on the album, but of our career.
TIBM: Which is your favourite song of the album and for what reason?
Steffen: Mac Hong has strong moments and needs to be part of „Hail The Abyss“. Even small acoustic pieces like „At Night“ and „In Darkness We Descend“ are necessary to keep a certain vibe, build contrasts and lead into following compositions. Both single releases „Hail The Abyss“ and „As I Walk Through The Gateway“ are strong songs, to sum up the album as a first introduction for new listeners, while others showcase the extremes of Thulcandra. „The Final Closure“ might be the slowest piece, while „Blood Of Slaves“ could be seen as an opponent composition. Contrasts are manifold and make this album a fan-favorite.
TIBM: The Second Fall and Deliverance in Sin and Death are live versions of older songs. Would you consider making a live album at some point? If yes, then in which city would you record it?
Steffen: We might release a live album in the future, but a special occasion would be necessary. Either a hometown concert in Munich or part of a grand tour could be something to consider. Performing in Japan or Scandinavia would be a fit as well. Both live songs we released as bonus tracks have been recorded at our 15-year anniversary show in 2018, featuring late bassist Christian Kratzer. This performance has been a special one for everyone involved.
TIBM: The artwork was created by Herbert Lochner, the creator of your previous album A Dying Wish. Why have you chosen to work with him again?
Steffen: We are looking in the long run with everything the band does. Kristian, The Necrolord, Wahlin, created the first three artworks for Thulcandra and delivered fantastic pieces for „Fallen Angel’s Dominion“, „Under A Frozen Sun“ and „Ascension Lost“. We consider this the first phase of the band. With Herbert Lochner we cover the second decade, starting with „A Dying Wish“, „Hail The Abyss“ and the next studio album. Herbert Lochner has been not only a great person to work with but also a gifted artist that understands our vision and ideas perfectly.
TIBM: You have made a guitar playthrough for Aeon Of Darkness. That was released in Under A Frozen Sun (2011). Why have you picked this song and not one from your new album? Do you consider doing more soon?
Steffen: We recorded a row of guitar videos to feature the „Best Of“ tablature book that has been part of our wooden box set that came along with „Hail The Abyss“ last year. „Aeon Of Darkness“ has been part of our live shows now and then, and might attract guitar players around the scene. More videos have been released already while a few selected songs are about to be filmed later this year to cover the entire discography of Thulcandra. Guitar & bass tablature books are about to be released in physical and digital form soon as well, so working with those videos has a reason.
TIBM: Your first album Fallen Angel’s Dominion was released in 2010. What is the secret to keeping a band strong after all these years?
Steffen: Thulcandra are selective when it comes to live shows and won’t tour every year, rather less than that. Every show needs to be something special, to keep the band a rare guest on festivals on purpose. We work as a collective and release albums without any pressure, schedule, or pushing labels. Napalm Records supported the band since we signed with the label and released all albums ever since. The band and everyone involved being the scenes work hard to publish the best we are capable of. On the other hand, Thulcandra has been gifted with a loyal fan base that has been growing ever since. Every album has been more successful than the previous one and we feel welcome by the scene and fans alike. The band never changed their attitude since we started in 2003, and we will not alter anything. We are integer to our own and just perform and record the music we all love. Perhaps that might be the secret in the long run.
TIBM: In an older interview, you said that “most of the fans are not dealing with the lyrics at all”. Considering the concepts that you are writing for your music, does this bother you?
Steffen: Sometimes it would be nice if lyrics could see a brighter reception, but in the very end the big picture counts. Lyrics are just a part of an album where music, the production, artwork, layouts, photography and the haptic feel of a physical record among other things. Some parts of an album attract fans more than others, and I understand that point of view absolutely. At times, lyrics are just thrown under the table while some parts have personal notes that took quite a while to come up with.
TIBM: You are known also for your other band, Obscura. How can you separate the songwriting for these bands? Do you follow any different processes?
Steffen: Both bands come from different planets and the music as well as the attitude are not the same either. In general, I write an album as a whole from front to end before heading to the next band. While we are assembling a new Obscura album, I will not collect ideas for Thulcandra, and vice versa. A certain mindset needs to be present, and I do not like to switch between groups than rather focus on one band at a time.
TIBM: Do you find any differences between the fans of these two bands?
Steffen: While the music has been different since day one, both bands received great feedback and built a history with many albums, tours and performances for 20+ years. On two occasions, one time in Europe and recently in North America, both bands toured together and were received greatly by the audience. Music unites, while in detail some fans are attracted by the virtuosity of Obscura, others prefer twin guitars we come with Thulcandra, among many other differences. Bottom line; it’s all about the music.
TIBM: What advice do you have for all these starting musicians to be successful?
Steffen: Just do what you feel is right, and never lose the joy of creating music with friends. Success can be defined differently, for me success means to do exactly what you want, while you ever change your ideas, aims, or intentions to attract anyone you don’t even know.
TIBM: Alright, now tell us about your plans for the future.
Steffen: We are working on a new Obscura studio album right now, a few more concerts for Thulcandra, tours with Obscura and guitar books are scheduled for 2024. Also, it’s about time to think about a new Thulcandra record soon.
TIBM: Thank you very much for this interview! The last words are yours…
Steffen: Thank you for your support and the interview. Stay loyal and listen to good music.