Letzte Instanz is a German
violin
The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...
-
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
band, founded in
Dresden
Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...
, Germany, in 1996, particularly noted for their use of the
violin
The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...
and
cello
The violoncello ( , ), commonly abbreviated as cello ( ), is a middle pitched bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), tuned i ...
. The founding members included Hörbi, Tin Whistle, Muttis Stolz, Kaspar Wichman, Holly D. and Markus G-Punkt. Benni Cellini and Robin Sohn entered the group a year later. To date, they have released eleven studio albums, two live albums, two live DVDs, three singles and have appeared on a number of mix CDs.
Biography
When the band's first album, ''Brachialromantik'' (Brute Romance) was released, they earned swift comparisons to the giants of the popular German medieval metal genre like
Subway to Sally
Subway to Sally is a German medieval metal band founded in Potsdam in the early 1990s. Their music has clear Folk music, folk and Medieval music, medieval influences, later also adding Gothic metal, gothic and metal elements. With their contin ...
and
Tanzwut
Tanzwut () is a German Neue Deutsche Härte and Medieval metal band which originated as a side project of Corvus Corax members. The band uses a Medieval theme during their live performances which are expressed through their stagecraft, costum ...
, despite objections from the band that this was not an accurate expression of their sound or style. Shortly before the album's release, the singer Hörbi left the band to pursue other projects, and the band was left unsure of themselves and faltering with the public taking little interest in their record.
Enter Robin Sohn and a new era for the band. With sharp, complex German lyrics, the new singer arrived and helped shape a new sound. The result was the critically acclaimed ''Das Spiel'' (The Game), a stark departure from the sound of their previous effort. The strings were drawn more into the background and the focus shifted to the conventional band instruments, making room also for electronics. Also, two of the new songs ("Das Ist Der Tag"/"That is the Day", "Das Spiel") let Robin take a break from the microphone and introduced background vocalist Holly D's rap stylings. This album also demonstrates Robin's linguistic versatility, featuring a remake of
Camouflage
Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the b ...
's "Love is a Shield." Shortly after the release, Kaspar departed the band, and the introduction of Rasta F. marked the first in a series of changes in the bass player position.
With their third album, 2001's ''Kalter Glanz,'' Letzte Instanz showed their fans and critics that trying to classify their music was a fruitless endeavor, yet again introducing a record with a sound different from either of its predecessors. The strings were pulled slightly more into the background, and the sound had begun to mature as a kind of string-assisted form of modern
heavy metal in songs like "Ganz oder gar nicht"/"Completely or not at all" and the title track, and with a continued dedication to their
folk music
Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...
roots in songs like "Oh Fortuna" and "Mein Todestag"/"My dying day." The result is a powerful combination of musical genres, occurring both integrated and drawn into sections, but never completely pulled from one another. Also appearing on the album were two well-known German singers: Marta Jandová from
Die Happy
Die Happy is a German alternative rock band from Ulm. The group was founded in 1993 by Czech singer Marta Jandová and Thorsten Mewes. Even though the band is based in Germany, their songs are written and performed almost exclusively in English. ...
and Sven Friedrich from
Dreadful Shadows accompanied the septet on 3 songs.
With the introduction of an additional guitarist (Oli), another bass change (FX), and a new drummer (Specki T.D.), the band followed up in September 2003 with ''
Götter Auf Abruf'' ("Gods on Call"). Though the new sound was not quite as significant a departure from ''Kalter Glanz'' as that album had been from its predecessor, the progression toward a heavier, complex blend of modern rock and
classical/folk instruments and themes was audible. While the Letzte Instanz of ''Das Spiel'' had sounded like a folky horror-themed group with rock instruments thrown in, the band of 2003 had shifted much further to the metal end of the spectrum, with the strings nevertheless always present. The resurgence of Holly D's rap vocals also appears on two tracks. With a more radio-friendly sound, the band was even able to climb into the German album charts.
Later releases include a live CD and DVD, featuring tracks from the three most recent albums plus the track "Kopf oder Zahl"/"Heads or Tails," which first appeared on the German mix ''Nachtschwärmer Vol.7'' in July 2004 after having served well as a closing song for their previous tour.
The band did, however, hit a snag in March 2004 when three integral members (vocalist Robin Sohn, founding guitarist Tin Whistle, and bassist FX) decided to leave the band simultaneously for personal reasons. Many of the band's fans feared that they had heard the last of Letzte Instanz. The remaining members decided not to abandon their eight-year project and actively sought to rebuild their lineup. In the meantime, the two strings players M. Stolz and Benni Cellini took advantage of the break to cooperate with the new band Angelzoom on four songs for their self-titled debut, including the single "Fairyland," and joined them briefly for their Tiefenrausch Tour 2005.
December 2004 saw the introduction of new bass player Michael Ende and, three months later, the band became complete once more, finding a new lead singer in Holly. In June 2005, the band debuted live for the first time with their new lineup, playing new songs for a new era.
In February 2006, the album ''Ins Licht'' was released, which peaked at position 53 of Germany's
Media Control Charts
The GfK Entertainment charts are the official charts for music, home video, and video games in Germany and are gathered and published by GfK Entertainment (formerly Media Control and Media Control GfK International), a subsidiary of GfK, on be ...
.
The song "Das Stimmlein" on that album features guest singers Eric Fish (
Subway To Sally
Subway to Sally is a German medieval metal band founded in Potsdam in the early 1990s. Their music has clear Folk music, folk and Medieval music, medieval influences, later also adding Gothic metal, gothic and metal elements. With their contin ...
), Sven Friedrich (
Zeraphine) and Thomas Lindner (
Schandmaul
Schandmaul is a German medieval folk rock band from the Munich area.
As well as using modern instruments such as the bass guitar, bass and electric guitar, the band also utilizes instruments typically used in Medieval folk songs such as the ba ...
).
The sixth album ''Wir sind Gold'' was published in March 2007. The single "Wir sind allein" is a cover version of the
Inchtabokatables song "You chained me up". In the year the band released ''Das weiße Lied'', an entirely acoustical album. Apart from new interpretations of old songs it also contained four completely new tracks and a
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
cover, "
Helden".
The album ''Schuldig'' was released in February 2009. The pre-release single "Flucht ins Glück" contained also a track "Der Garten" which Letze Instanz recorded together with singer
Aylin Aslım
Aylin Aslım (born 14 February 1976) is a Turkish singer, songwriter and actress.
Aylin Aslım was born in Lich, Hessen, Germany into a Turkish family but moved to Turkey when she was only one year old. She sang in several rock and electronica ...
. That song is sung in German and Turkish language.
On 30 May 2010, drummer Specki T.D. announced his departure after eight years with the band and joined
In Extremo
In Extremo (Latin for ''At the Edge''; abbreviated InEx or IE) is a German medieval metal band originally from Berlin. The band's musical style combines metal with medieval traditional songs, blending the sound of the standard rock/metal instr ...
. He was replaced by David Pätsch, the former drummer of Subway to Sally and member of the
Blue Men Group. The album ''Heilig'' was published in October 2010. The track "Schau in mein Gesicht" was a pre-release radio edition single.
In 2011, the song "Neue Helden" was released as a single and was chosen as the anthem for the
International Ice Hockey Federation
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF; ; ) is a worldwide governing body for ice hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 84 member countries.
The IIHF maintains the IIHF World Ranking based on international ice hockey to ...
's Under 18 world championships in
Dresden
Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...
and
Crimmitschau
Crimmitschau () is a town in the district of Zwickau (district), Zwickau in Saxony, Germany.
Geography
Crimmitschau lies on the river Pleiße in the northern foothills of the Ore Mountains.
Neighboring municipalities
Adjacent communities includ ...
, Saxony.
Founding member Holly D. left the band in 2014.
The band's 10th studio album ''Im Auge des Sturms'' is to be released in October 2014.
It was recorded without the use of
synthesizer
A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...
s,
loops and
sample
Sample or samples may refer to:
* Sample (graphics), an intersection of a color channel and a pixel
* Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of something
* Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal
* Sample ...
.
[
In November 2024, they announced that they would disband in late 2025.] Their final studio album was ''Ehrenwort'', released in 2021, and their final release overall was an EP titled ''XXVII'' ("27" in Roman numerals, a reference to their 27-year career), released on 7 December 2024. Their final show is expected to take place on 22 November 2025 at the Capitol
Capitol, capitols or The Capitol may refer to:
Places and buildings Legislative building
* United States Capitol, in Washington, D.C.
* National Capitol of Colombia, in Bogotá
* Palacio Federal Legislativo, in Caracas, Venezuela
* National Ca ...
in Hanover
Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...
.
Lineup

Current members
* Holly Loose — vocals (2005–present)
* Oli — guitar (2002–present)
* Michael Ende — bass (2004–present)
* M. Stolz — violin (1996–present)
* Benni Cellini — cello (1997–present)
* David Pätsch — drums (2010–present)
Past members
* Hörbi — vocals (1996–1997)
* Kaspar Wichman — bass (1996–1999)
* Markus G-Punkt — drums (1996–2001)
* Tin Whistle — guitar (1996–2004)
* Robin Sohn — vocals (1997–2004)
* Rasta F./FX — bass (1999–2004)
* Specki T.D. — drums (2001–2009)
* Holly D. — background, rap vocals (1996–2014)
Discography
Studio albums
Live albums and compilations
Singles & EPs
* 2001 - "Kopfkino" (Head Cinema)
* 2005 - "Sonne" (Sun)
* 2024 - ''XXVII''
DVDs
Projects and individual songs
* 2002 - "Vision Thing" on the sampler ''Thank you Sisters Of Mercy
The Sisters of Mercy is a religious institute for women in the Catholic Church. It was founded in 1831 in Dublin, Ireland, by Catherine McAuley. In 2019, the institute had about 6,200 Religious sister, sisters worldwide, organized into a number ...
''
* 2004 - The strings players (M. Stolz und Benni Cellini) collaborate on the single "Fairyland" and three other songs from Angelzoom's self-titled album.
* 2005 - Oli's second Band FROGSTAR BATTLE MACHINE releases their third album ''Lez Go Cropcircling''
* 2006 - FROGSTAR BATTLE MACHINE releases their fourth CD, an EP called ''Duck & Cover'', including a funny video clip to the song ''Sex Bubbles''
* 2012 - "Tausendschön" released as part of the Sonic Seducer
''Sonic Seducer'' is a German music magazine that covers gothic rock, new wave, EBM and other kinds of electronic music and culture. The magazine is noted for organizing the annual M'era Luna Festival. Since its inception in 1994, the ''Sonic ...
August 2012 compilation
References
External links
*
Further information and material on Letzte Instanz
The official site of FROGSTAR BATTLE MACHINE
- guitarist Oli's second band.
{{Authority control
Medieval metal musical groups
Music in Dresden
Musical groups established in 1996
German folk metal musical groups
1996 establishments in Germany
Musical groups from Saxony
Organisations based in Dresden