Thulcandra (band)
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Thulcandra is a German melodic black/death metal band from
Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
. They have released five full-length studio albums, one demo, one EP, three books and six music videos to date. Their latest album ''Hail the Abyss'' was released in 2023 through
Napalm Records Napalm Records is an Austrian independent record label focused on heavy metal, hard rock and folk/folk rock/folk metal. Originally, Napalm focused on black metal bands, such as Abigor and Summoning, and folk metal bands, such as Falkenbach a ...
. The band's style is described as melodic black metal and inspired by bands such as
Dissection Dissection (from Latin ' "to cut to pieces"; also called anatomization) is the dismembering of the body of a deceased animal or plant to study its anatomical structure. Autopsy is used in pathology and forensic medicine to determine the cause of ...
, Sacramentum, and
Unanimated Unanimated are a Swedish melodic death metal band. History The band formed in Stockholm and dissolved in 1996. They have 7 current complete members. Largely inspired by Dismember, they made two melodic death metal albums. In 1993, '' In the F ...
.


History

Thulcandra's rise to power ignited when the Germany-based outfit unleashed their debut album, ''Fallen Angel's Dominion'', upon metaldom in 2010. The group, still fronted by founding member and visionary
Steffen Kummerer Steffen Kummerer (born 1 June 1985) is a German guitarist and vocalist. He is the leader, main songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist of the death metal band Obscura, as well as the black metal band Thulcandra. Since 2012, he has been a member of ...
(also of Obscura fame), have only tightened their hibernal grip on blackened death metal since. The desolate melodic emanations in follow-up albums ''Under a Frozen Sun'' (2011), ''Ascension Lost'' (2015), ''A Dying Wish'' (2021) and ''Hail The Abyss'' (2023) solidified Thulcandra as a superior force, expertly thrusting the magic and mystery of mid-'90s Nordic black-death metal into the modern era. Founded by Kummerer, Jürgen Zintz (guitars), and Jonas Baumgartl (drums) in
Landshut Landshut (; ) is a town in Bavaria, Germany, on the banks of the Isar, River Isar. Landshut is the capital of Lower Bavaria, one of the seven administrative regions of the Free state (government), Free State of Bavaria, and the seat of the surrou ...
in 2003, Thulcandra's mandate was clear. The trio's affinity for dark, aggressive, and mellifluent metal had to come out. Two years later, the first and only demo ''Perishness Around Us'' emerged, with tracks like "Frozen Kingdom" and "Immortality" demonstrating Thulcandra's intrinsic potentiality. However, tragedy inside the band forced the Germans to go on a three-year hiatus. Only when Kummerer, who was also emergent with Obscura, revisited ''Perishness Around Us'' did he realize that Thulcandra needn't be on ice. He restored Thulcandra, enlisting twin brothers Tobias and Sebastian Ludwig on bass and guitar, respectively. Indeed, the black horizons of Thulcandra's new material served as the perfect foil for Kummerer's progressive metal predilections in Obscura. The name of the band is taken from a 1989 demo of the Norwegian act
Darkthrone Darkthrone is a Norwegian black metal band hailing from Kolbotn, Akershus. Formed in 1986 as a death metal band named Black Death, in 1991, Darkthrone transitioned to a black metal style influenced by Bathory (band), Bathory and Celtic Frost and ...
, coming from the 1938 science fiction novel ''
Out of the Silent Planet ''Out of the Silent Planet'' is a science fiction novel by the British author C. S. Lewis, first published in 1938 by John Lane, The Bodley Head. Two sequels were published in 1943 and 1945, completing the '' Space Trilogy''. Plot While on ...
'' by
C. S. Lewis Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963) was a British writer, literary scholar and Anglican lay theologian. He held academic positions in English literature at both Magdalen College, Oxford (1925–1954), and Magdalen ...
, where Thulcandra is the name for the silent planet,
Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...
. Fallen Angel's Dominion (2010) A multi-album deal with Austrian label
Napalm Records Napalm Records is an Austrian independent record label focused on heavy metal, hard rock and folk/folk rock/folk metal. Originally, Napalm focused on black metal bands, such as Abigor and Summoning, and folk metal bands, such as Falkenbach a ...
was struck after Kummerer served up a promo containing "Night Eternal," "Fallen Angel's Dominion," and "Frozen Kingdom." From there, Thulcandra wrote four more tracks, including the lighthouse track "Spirit of the Night," to complete their rancorous debut gem, ''Fallen Angel's Dominion''. Co-produced by V. Santura ( Obscura,
Dark Fortress Dark Fortress was a German melodic black metal band from Landshut formed in 1994. They released seven studio albums, a split album and a demo album. The band broke up in 2023. History Early history The band formed in 1994. In 1996 they re ...
,
Triptykon Triptykon is a Swiss extreme metal band from Zürich, formed in 2008 by Thomas Gabriel Fischer, founding member of the pioneering heavy metal bands Hellhammer, Celtic Frost and Apollyon Sun. History Fischer announced his departure from Celti ...
) and Kummerer at Woodshed Studios, Thulcandra skillfully captured the frostiest of winter vibes. Dark Fortress drummer Matthias "Seraph" Landes sat in for the recordings. At the same time, famed illustrator Kristian "Necrolord" Wåhlin (
Dissection Dissection (from Latin ' "to cut to pieces"; also called anatomization) is the dismembering of the body of a deceased animal or plant to study its anatomical structure. Autopsy is used in pathology and forensic medicine to determine the cause of ...
,
Dark Tranquillity Dark Tranquillity is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Gothenburg. They are considered one of the pioneering acts of the Swedish death metal, Gothenburg metal scene, which also includes bands such as In Flames and At the Gates - regarded a ...
,
Emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...
) was on-boarded to engulf Thulcandra's sonic malice in his trademark downhearted blue. Martin Loga of Powermetal.de called Fallen Angel's Dominion ''"black metal with class."'' Under A Frozen Sun (2011) Kummerer and team took less than a year to return fire with ''Under a Frozen Sun''. Written under a flurry of acclaim—meanwhile, Obscura's sophomore album, Cosmogenesis, had smashed riff first into the US Billboard charts—Thulcandra's response was bleaker and more aggressive yet surprisingly musical. With Landes now firmly in the drum position full-time, the quartet rampaged the upper atmosphere of blackened death metal. The winning combo of Santura and Kummerer at the production helm returned, as did Wåhlin, whose blue-hued apparition perfectly encapsulated the fiendishly rimy sounds it embraced. When Under a Frozen Sun was released in the fall of 2011, fans and critics praised the album, with Rock Hard's Björn Thorsten Jaschinski extolling Thulcandra's increasing supremacy. Tracks like "In Blood and Fire," "Aeon of Darkness," and video single "The Second Fall" proved the Germans were notably on the up. Ascension Lost (2015) Certainly, Thulcandra saw the world through cobalt eyes. Germans invaded the European festival circuit, wowing audiences at Metal Invasion 2011 and Bavarian Battle Winter 2011. Confident of their on-stage prowess, they embarked on their first-ever European tour support gin
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in support of ''Under a Frozen Sun'' in 2012. Over the next several years, Thulcandra wrote surreptitiously and performed at the Baden in Blut Festival 2013, Dark Easter Metal Meeting 2014, and Party.San Metal Open Air 2014, with the best and brightest. Concurrently, Obscura had exploded into a worldwide phenomenon, leaving Kummerer to put Thulcandra on temporary hold. When Obscura's tour commitments dwindled, the trio—Landes returned in a session capacity—could finally focus on Thulcandra's much-anticipated third attack. ''Ascension Lost'' was, by and large, a different animal than its predecessors. Very much in the spirit of the movements that influenced Thulcandra, the album—spearheaded by "The First Rebellion," "The Second Fall," and lead single "Exalted Resistance"—featured a more refined approach. The shivering riffs and brumal solos of Kummerer found their mark, but it's the foundation that offered up more groove, a learned trait from ally Tom G. Warrior (
Triptykon Triptykon is a Swiss extreme metal band from Zürich, formed in 2008 by Thomas Gabriel Fischer, founding member of the pioneering heavy metal bands Hellhammer, Celtic Frost and Apollyon Sun. History Fischer announced his departure from Celti ...
,
Celtic Frost Celtic Frost () was a Swiss metal music, heavy metal band from Zürich. They are remembered for their strong influence on the development of several metal subgenres, particularly extreme metal,Bukszpan, Daniel. ''The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal' ...
). "Throne of Will" exemplifies ''Ascension Lost's'' newly concentrated form. Produced by Kummerer at his Klangfabrik Landshut studio, Thulcandra's third opus was then mixed and mastered by Santura. Not one to break tradition, Wåhlin wielded the cover art again, unquestionably in cold-weather blue. Vaunted
Metal Hammer ''Metal Hammer'' is a heavy metal music magazine and website founded in 1983, published in the United Kingdom by Future, with other language editions published by different companies available in numerous other countries. ''Metal Hammer'' featu ...
scribed Martin Wickler called ''Ascension Lost'', ''"A flawless homage to the Swedish legends of the early nineties."'' Indeed, it was, but so much more. Thulcandra toured hard in support of ''Ascension Lost''. In Europe, the group appeared in prime slots at prestigious festivals such as Metal Embrace Festival 2015,
Ragnarök Festival Ragnarök Festival is a pagan metal music festival, festival held annually in Germany since 2004 founded by Ivo Raab. It started out as a small, one-night festival with only regional bands in the town hall of Hollfeld. In 2005 it was decided to g ...
2015, Kaltenbach Open Air 2016, and Schlachtfest XVIII while crossing the continent with
Secrets of the Moon Secrets of the Moon were a black metal band from Osnabrück, Germany, founded in 1995. Biography Secrets of the Moon were founded in 1995.Dødheimsgard Dødheimsgard (also known as DHG) is a Norwegian extreme metal band formed in 1994. Dødheimsgard originally played black metal, but 1999's ''666 International'' saw them change their style into experimental and Avant-garde metal, avant-garde/i ...
, and Hellsaw to widespread acclaim. In 2017, Sebastian and Tobias Ludwig departed after nearly a decade in Thulcandra's service. Kummerer replaced the duo with brothers Mariano "M." Delastik (guitars) and Alessandro "Erebor" Delastik (drums), both of black metallers Haradwaith. The newly reconfigured three-piece ensconced on Thulcandra's first European headline tour with death metallers Nailed to Obscurity. A Dying Wish (2021) Thulcandra found a permanent bassist in
Hailstone Hail is a form of solid precipitation. It is distinct from ice pellets (American English "sleet"), though the two are often confused. It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is called a hailstone. Ice pellets generally fal ...
guitarist Chris Kratzer. The group then commenced work on the gelid follow-up to ''Ascension Lost''. To keep the band's icy heart fit, they plunged into a successful 21-date European tour with Obscura,
God Dethroned God Dethroned is a Dutch extreme metal band from Beilen, originally formed in 1990. Biography God Dethroned was formed in 1990 by singer and guitar player Henri Sattler, with Hans Leegstra (guitar) and Ard de Weerd. Sattler and Leegstra had p ...
, and Fractal Universe in early 2020. Months later, disaster struck Thulcandra again, however. Kratzer, who had been in the band for less than a year, was killed in an accident. Gutted and with the global pandemic raging, Kummerer tried to pick up the pieces. Against all odds, he knew Thulcandra had to prevail. In Kratzer's honor, Kummerer and the Delastik brothers ventured on, completing A Dying Wish in 2021. Front-lined by singles "Funeral Pyre," "Nocturnal Heresy," "Scarred Grandeur," and the title track, A Dying Wish signified Thulcandra'slatest chapter, one marked by an increased infusion of traditional heavy metal against a backdrop of melodic blackened death metal. The group changed up the artwork—this time illustrated by German artist Herbert Lochner—and pulled in famed producer
Dan Swanö Dan-Erland Swanö (born 10 March 1973), also known as Dan "The Man" Swanö, is a Swedish musician and record producer who is currently the vocalist, guitarist, ex-bassist and ex-drummer for the band Nightingale, lately vocalist, keyboardist and ...
(
Dissection Dissection (from Latin ' "to cut to pieces"; also called anatomization) is the dismembering of the body of a deceased animal or plant to study its anatomical structure. Autopsy is used in pathology and forensic medicine to determine the cause of ...
,
Bloodbath Bloodbath is a Swedish death metal supergroup (music), supergroup from Stockholm, formed in 1998. The band has released six full-length albums, two EPs and two DVDs depicting their performances at Wacken Open Air (in 2005) and Bloodstock Open A ...
,
Opeth Opeth is a Swedish progressive metal band from Stockholm, formed in 1990. The band incorporates folk music, folk, blues, classical music, classical, and jazz elements into its usually lengthy compositions, as well as strong influences from deat ...
) and his studio, Unisound, to push their fourth album over the edge. ''A Dying Wish'' was also recorded at FiveLakes Tonstudio (Lunar Aurora, Craven Idol) and Kummerer's Klangfabrik Landshut. As always, Thulcandra's about a vibe. There's a distinct "feel" to Thulcandra's latest that's distinctly old-school but without the trappings of it. From opener "Funeral Pyre" and mid-album rager "The Slivering Silver" to "Scarred Grandeur" and the epic title track, Thulcandra proved yet again why they're atop death metal's malefic vedette. The group's entry into the Official German Album Charts—at #94—confirmed Thulcandra's mastery. Esteemed writer Dom Lawson of Blabbermouth stated A Dying Wish "''rips and terrorizes with the intensity of a debut.''" In support of ''A Dying Wish'', Thulcandra blasted Europe with fellow death metallers, The Spirit, in early 2021. Followed to frost North America on their first-ever tour with
Fleshgod Apocalypse Fleshgod Apocalypse is an Italian symphonic death metal band. Formed in 2007, the group resides in Perugia and are currently signed to Nuclear Blast. History Formation and ''Oracles'' (2007–2009) Fleshgod Apocalypse was formed in April 200 ...
, Obscura, and Wolfheart in the winter of 2023. Hail The Abyss (2023) Meanwhile, the Germans are also readying for the follow-up to ''A Dying Wish'' titled, ''Hail the Abyss''. Cooperation with knob-twiddler Swanö, who handled the crushing mix, was compulsory, as was the re-invitation to cover-master Lochner. Fans of the dreaming dead will see ''Hail the Abyss'' released by long-time partner
Napalm Records Napalm Records is an Austrian independent record label focused on heavy metal, hard rock and folk/folk rock/folk metal. Originally, Napalm focused on black metal bands, such as Abigor and Summoning, and folk metal bands, such as Falkenbach a ...
in spring 2023. In July 2024, Thulcandra announced their first headlining tour within the United Kingdom. In January 2025, the band went on a 13 date lasting co-headlining tour along Swedish Black Metal band Sacramentum within the European Union. Additionally, Thulcandra announced their first headlining Mexican tour, called "Hail The Mexican Abyss Tour 2025", so cover four major cities in the country within March 2025. Furthermore, the band announced a Asian tour, covering Japan, Indonesia, Singapore and more shows in South East Asia for July 2025. The tour has been named „Hail The Abyss Asia 2025“, and will embark in July 2025.


Members


Current members

*
Steffen Kummerer Steffen Kummerer (born 1 June 1985) is a German guitarist and vocalist. He is the leader, main songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist of the death metal band Obscura, as well as the black metal band Thulcandra. Since 2012, he has been a member of ...
– vocals, guitars (2003–2005, 2008–present); bass (2003–2005) *Alessandro Delastik – drums (2014–present) *Mariano Delastik – guitars (2018–present) *Carsten Schorn – bass (2020–present)


Former members

*Jürgen Zintz – guitars (2003–2005; died 2005) *Jonas Baumgartl – drums (2003–2005) *Seraph – drums (2008–2015) *Sebastian Ludwig – guitars (2008–2017) *Tobias Ludwig – bass (2008–2017) *Christian Kratzer – bass (2018–2020; died 2020)


Timeline


Discography


Studio albums

* ''Fallen Angel's Dominion'' (2010) * ''Under a Frozen Sun'' (2011) * ''Ascension Lost'' (2015) * ''A Dying Wish'' (2021) * ''Hail the Abyss'' (2023)


Demo

* ''Perishness Around Us'' (2005)


Live albums

* ''Live Demise'' (2024)


Music videos

* "The Second Fall" (2015) * "Funeral Pyre" (2021) * "Nocturnal Heresy" (2021) * "A Dying Wish" (2021) * "As I Walk Through The Gateway" (2023) * "Hail The Abyss" (2023)


Books

* ''The Essentials of Thulcandra'' - Official Tablature Book (2023) * ''Fallen Angel's Dominion'' - The Complete Guitar & Bass Transcriptions (2024) * ''Under a Frozen Sun'' - The Complete Guitar & Bass Transcriptions (2024)


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Thulcandra 2003 establishments in Germany German black metal musical groups German musical quartets Musical groups established in 2003 Napalm Records artists