Van Canto
Encyclopedia
Van Canto is an a cappella
metal
band from Germany
, founded in 2006 and composed of five singers and a drummer. Although the group is often classified as an a cappella ensemble, they use real drums in their music, instead of vocal percussion or beatboxing
.
Van Canto fuses a cappella with heavy
/power metal
, creating what they call "hero metal a capella". While only two of the five singers perform the lead vocals, the other three will instead use their voices to imitate the guitars and the bass, with the help of amplifiers, in an attempt to sound closer to the original instruments.
, was released through General Schallplatten. It features seven original tracks, as well as cover versions of Metallica
's "Battery" and "Stora Rövardansen" from the movie Ronja Rövardotter. Additionally, videos were shot for the tracks "The Mission", "Battery", and "Rain".
On 30 September 2007, they announced a new drummer, Bastian Emig, who replaced Dennis Strillinger's position in the band. In December 2007, Van Canto signed a worldwide record deal with Gun Records/Sony BMG. Also in December, the band were announced as part of the line up of the Wacken 2008 festival
. The band also announced that their second album, titled "Hero
", was in the progress of being recorded. Hero ended up being released on 26 September 2008, with producer Charlie Bauerfeind
.
Van Canto performed a South American promotional tour between 23 June and 2 July 2008. The live performances took place primarily in Brazil
, which is the homeland of Ingo Sterzinger. Soon after, the band arrived in Germany to perform live at Wacken 2008. A new song, "Speed of Light", was released as a digital single on 8 August 2008. A music video was shot for the song as well.
As of late 2009, Van Canto was recording their third studio album in Twilight Hall Studios, with Bauerfeind and via Napalm Records
. The album was due to contain around 11 tracks, fewer covers than Hero and a couple of bonus tracks. It was released worldwide in early 2010, which happened alongside the worldwide release of their previous two albums. The album was announced at Nuclear Blast
official website as Tribe of Force. The tracklisting features 13 tracks, two of them being covers ("Master of Puppets
" by Metallica
and "Rebellion
" by Grave Digger
), and three of them featuring guest artists: Victor Smolski
(from Rage
) guest appears in "One to Ten", Tony Kakko
(from Sonata Arctica
) guest appears on "Hearted" and Chris Boltendahl (from Grave Digger) guest appears in "Rebellion".
Recently, Van Canto announced in their official website that they would perform guest vocals in the next albums by bands Blind Guardian
and Grave Digger
(At the Edge of Time
and untitled, respectively). They also appeared on the Tarja Turunen
album What Lies Beneath (on the track "Anteroom of Death").
On 23 August 2010 their entire library was removed from popular music streaming service Spotify
, but it reappeared on 8 September 2010. On 2 September 2011 their library was removed again and hasn't reappeared since
On 21 September 2010 it was announced that they had teamed up with the popular MMORPG
Runes of Magic
to create a music video based around the game for and with the game
On 17 February 2011, it was announced on the official Van Canto website that the band was entering the studio and suspending touring until June in order to create a new album.
As of September 23rd, the band's new album Break the Silence
has officially been released.
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, founded in 2006 and composed of five singers and a drummer. Although the group is often classified as an a cappella ensemble, they use real drums in their music, instead of vocal percussion or beatboxing
Beatboxing
Beatboxing is a form of vocal percussion primarily involving the art of producing drum beats, rhythm, and musical sounds using one's mouth, lips, tongue, and voice. It may also involve singing, vocal imitation of turntablism, and the simulation of horns, strings, and other musical instruments...
.
Van Canto fuses a cappella with heavy
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
/power metal
Power metal
Power metal is a style of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. The term refers to two different but related styles: the first pioneered and largely practiced in North America with a harder sound similar to speed metal, and a...
, creating what they call "hero metal a capella". While only two of the five singers perform the lead vocals, the other three will instead use their voices to imitate the guitars and the bass, with the help of amplifiers, in an attempt to sound closer to the original instruments.
History
As soon as the band was founded, its debut album, A Storm to ComeA Storm to Come
A Storm to Come is the debut album of German a cappella metal band van Canto, released in 2006. The album cover's artwork was provided by Mattias Noren....
, was released through General Schallplatten. It features seven original tracks, as well as cover versions of Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
's "Battery" and "Stora Rövardansen" from the movie Ronja Rövardotter. Additionally, videos were shot for the tracks "The Mission", "Battery", and "Rain".
On 30 September 2007, they announced a new drummer, Bastian Emig, who replaced Dennis Strillinger's position in the band. In December 2007, Van Canto signed a worldwide record deal with Gun Records/Sony BMG. Also in December, the band were announced as part of the line up of the Wacken 2008 festival
Wacken Open Air
Wacken Open Air is a summer open air heavy metal music festival. It takes place annually in the small town of Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany...
. The band also announced that their second album, titled "Hero
Hero (van Canto album)
Hero is the second studio album by German a cappella metal band van Canto, released on September 26, 2008. It is the follow-up to 2006's A Storm to Come on Sony BMG Germany's GUN records...
", was in the progress of being recorded. Hero ended up being released on 26 September 2008, with producer Charlie Bauerfeind
Charlie Bauerfeind
Charlie Bauerfeind is a German sound engineer and producer who has worked mostly with power metal bands such as Angra, Blind Guardian, Helloween, Primal Fear, Rage, HammerFall and Saxon....
.
Van Canto performed a South American promotional tour between 23 June and 2 July 2008. The live performances took place primarily in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, which is the homeland of Ingo Sterzinger. Soon after, the band arrived in Germany to perform live at Wacken 2008. A new song, "Speed of Light", was released as a digital single on 8 August 2008. A music video was shot for the song as well.
As of late 2009, Van Canto was recording their third studio album in Twilight Hall Studios, with Bauerfeind and via Napalm Records
Napalm Records
Napalm Records is an Austrian independent record label focused on heavy metal and hard rock.Originally, Napalm Records focused mainly on black metal acts such as Abigor and Summoning and folk metal bands such as Falkenbach and Vintersorg....
. The album was due to contain around 11 tracks, fewer covers than Hero and a couple of bonus tracks. It was released worldwide in early 2010, which happened alongside the worldwide release of their previous two albums. The album was announced at Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast is an independent record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The record label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label moved on to releasing albums by melodic...
official website as Tribe of Force. The tracklisting features 13 tracks, two of them being covers ("Master of Puppets
Master of Puppets (song)
"Master of Puppets" is a song by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It is the title track and was released as the first single from their album of the same name....
" by Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
and "Rebellion
Rebellion (single)
"Rebellion" is a single released for the album Tunes of War by Grave Digger.-Track listing:# "Rebellion" # "Truth"# "The Dark of the Sun"# "The Ballad of Mary" -Personnel:*Chris Boltendahl – Vocals...
" by Grave Digger
Grave Digger (band)
Grave Digger are a German heavy metal/power metal band formed in 1980. They were part of the German heavy/speed/power metal scene to emerge in the early to mid 1980s.-Band history:...
), and three of them featuring guest artists: Victor Smolski
Victor Smolski
Victor Dmitrievich Smolski is a Belarusian musician, composer and multi-instrumentalist. He is a constant member of the German heavy metal band Rage.-Biography:...
(from Rage
Rage (band)
Rage are a German heavy metal band, formed in 1984. They were part of the German heavy/speed/power metal scene to emerge in the early to mid 1980s, along with bands such as Helloween, Running Wild and Blind Guardian.-Background:...
) guest appears in "One to Ten", Tony Kakko
Tony Kakko
Toni Kristian "Tony" Kakko is a Finnish musician, composer and vocalist. He is mainly known as the vocalist, primary songwriter, and creative force in the band Sonata Arctica since 1996.-Biography:...
(from Sonata Arctica
Sonata Arctica
Sonata Arctica are a Finnish power metal band from the town of Kemi, originally assembled in 1995. Their later works contain several elements typical of progressive metal.....
) guest appears on "Hearted" and Chris Boltendahl (from Grave Digger) guest appears in "Rebellion".
Recently, Van Canto announced in their official website that they would perform guest vocals in the next albums by bands Blind Guardian
Blind Guardian
Blind Guardian is a German power metal band formed in the mid-1980s in Krefeld, West Germany. They are often credited as one of the seminal and most influential bands in the power metal and speed metal subgenres...
and Grave Digger
Grave Digger (band)
Grave Digger are a German heavy metal/power metal band formed in 1980. They were part of the German heavy/speed/power metal scene to emerge in the early to mid 1980s.-Band history:...
(At the Edge of Time
At the Edge of Time
At the Edge of Time is the ninth studio album by the German power metal band Blind Guardian. A two CD version of the album was released, with the second disc containing 8 tracks. The artwork for the album was created by Colombian artist Felipe Machado Franco. The album was released in Europe on...
and untitled, respectively). They also appeared on the Tarja Turunen
Tarja Turunen
Tarja Soile Susanna Turunen Cabuli is a Finnish singer-songwriter and composer. She is a full lyric soprano and has a vocal range of three octaves....
album What Lies Beneath (on the track "Anteroom of Death").
On 23 August 2010 their entire library was removed from popular music streaming service Spotify
Spotify
Spotify is a Swedish-founded, UK-headquartered DRM-based music streaming service offering streaming of selected music from a range of major and independent record labels, including Sony, EMI, Warner Music Group, and Universal. Launched in October 2008 by Swedish startup Spotify AB, the service had...
, but it reappeared on 8 September 2010. On 2 September 2011 their library was removed again and hasn't reappeared since
On 21 September 2010 it was announced that they had teamed up with the popular MMORPG
MMORPG
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
Runes of Magic
Runes of Magic
Not to be confused with RuneScape.Runes of Magic is a free massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by the Taiwanese developer Runewaker Entertainment and adapted for the English and German-speaking market by German company Frogster Interactive...
to create a music video based around the game for and with the game
On 17 February 2011, it was announced on the official Van Canto website that the band was entering the studio and suspending touring until June in order to create a new album.
As of September 23rd, the band's new album Break the Silence
Break the Silence (van Canto album)
Break the Silence is the fourth studio album by German a cappella metal band van Canto, released on September 23, 2011. It features 13 tracks, five of them being covers, and two of them featuring guest artists: Joakim Brodén] guest appears in his band's cover "Primo Victoria", Marcus Siepen guest...
has officially been released.
Current members
- Dennis Schunke (Sly) – lead vocals
- Inga Scharf – higher lead vocals
- Stefan Schmidt – lower rakkatakka vocals, wahwah solo guitar vocals
- Ross Thompson – higher rakkatakka vocals
- Ingo Sterzinger (Ike) – lowest dandan vocals
- Bastian Emig – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Discography
- A Storm to ComeA Storm to ComeA Storm to Come is the debut album of German a cappella metal band van Canto, released in 2006. The album cover's artwork was provided by Mattias Noren....
(2006, re-released in 2010) - HeroHero (van Canto album)Hero is the second studio album by German a cappella metal band van Canto, released on September 26, 2008. It is the follow-up to 2006's A Storm to Come on Sony BMG Germany's GUN records...
(2008 re-released in 2008, and again in 2010) - Tribe of ForceTribe of Force- Personnel :*Dennis Schunke – lead vocals*Inga Scharf – lead vocals *Stefan Schmidt – lower rakkatakka vocals, wahwah solo guitar vocals *Ross Thompson – higher rakkatakka vocals...
(2010) - Break the SilenceBreak the Silence (van Canto album)Break the Silence is the fourth studio album by German a cappella metal band van Canto, released on September 23, 2011. It features 13 tracks, five of them being covers, and two of them featuring guest artists: Joakim Brodén] guest appears in his band's cover "Primo Victoria", Marcus Siepen guest...
(2011)