Thulcandra’s Steffen Kummerer to Chaoszine: “You hear a real band performing: it’s not edited to the max, we don’t push all the drums to the grit, we are not pro-tooling all the tracks”

Germany-based Thulcandra’s rise to power ignited when they unleashed their debut album, “Fallen Angel’s Dominion”, upon metaldom in 2010. Fronted by founding member and visionary Steffen Kummerer (also of Obscura fame), the band have tightened their hibernal grip on blackened death metal ever since. The desolate melodic emanations in follow-up studio records “Under a Frozen Sun” (2011), “Ascension Lost” (2015), and the chart-topping, 2021 album “A Dying Wish”, dedicated to the late bassist Chris Kratzer, solidified Thulcandra as a superior force, expertly thrusting the magic and mystery of mid-’90s melodic black-death metal into the modern era.

Their fifth album “Hail the Abyss” sees Thulcandra prove yet again why they are one of the best death metal forces out there. Fierce tracks such as “As I Walk Through The Gateway“, or the uber-brutal “Blood Of Slaves“, showcase the band’s affinity for dark, aggressive, and mellifluous metal, while the title track and the epic, mid-tempo rager “On The Wings Of Cosmic Fire” rip and terrorize with the intensity of hell. As always, Thulcandra ‘s about a vibe: there’s a “feel” to the band’s latest album that’s distinctly old-school, but without the tired trappings of it.

“Hail The Abyss” will be out on May 19, 2023, via Napalm Records. Cooperation with renowned producer Dan Swanö (Dissection, Opeth, Katatonia), who handled the crushing album mix, was compulsory, as was the re-invitation to cover-master Lochner.

Chaoszine had the opportunity to have a chat with Steffen Kummerer about the upcoming album, as well as how it is to play with both Thulcandra and Obscura on the same tour. He spoke of Thulcandra’s organic and raw sound, and working with Grupa 13 on their music videos. He also addressed Obscura‘s future and how he interacts with the audience.

You can check out the full audio interview below:

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You can check out Thulcandra‘s new “Hail The Abyss” album in full below: