Feuerschwanz

Feuerschwanz (German for 'fire tail') is a German Medieval metal band founded in 2004 in Erlangen.

History

2003 - 2013: Formation and Early Years

Peter Henrici, a bassist for the band ''Merlons Lichter'' at the time, originally had the idea to create a comedic Medieval rock band in 2000, as he felt that the genre of medieval folk rock was taking itself too seriously. He, along with Tobias Heindl, the violinist of Fiddler's Green, and Andre Linke, a fellow bassist, came together to form ''Feuerschwanz''. Soon after, Bastian Brenner and Jan Schindler joined on the flutes and drums respectively, with Schindler later switching to the bass.

On November 2005, their first studio album ''Great Nocte'' was released. Heindl left the band soon after, and Stephanie Pracht replaced him on the violin.

In January 2007, Brenner left the group and was replaced with Marina Regler. A year later, Regler left and was replaced with Benjamin Metzner. All three had taken on the stage name "Hodenherz", with Metzner currently referred to as "Hodenherz III" or "Hodi."

In June 2007, their second studio album ''Met und Miezen'' was released.

In 2008, guitarist Hans Platz joined the band.

In April 2009, Linke left the band, leaving Henrici as the only founding member still in Feuerschwanz.

On September 18, 2009, their third studio album ''Metvernichter'' was released.

On March 18, 2011, their fourth studio album ''Wunsch ist Wunsch'' was released.

On August 31, 2012, their fifth studio album ''Walhalligalli'' was released.

2014 - 2018: Tenth Anniversary and Rise in Popularity

On April 25, 2014, the band performed their tenth anniversary concert at E-Werk in Erlangen. During the performance, Henrici announced Schindler's departure and that Felix Fischer would take his place. The band was joined by musician Thomas Lindner on stage. The live concert recording was released on May 27, 2015.

On September 19, 2014, their sixth studio album ''Auf's Leben'' was released.

On May 21, 2015, Feuerschwanz was removed from the list of bands performing at ''Fairytale Festival'' at Osnabrück University and replaced with Reliquiae for the festival's lineup. This was in response to planned protests by the student body against the band's appearance due to perceived misogynistic and sexist content in the setlist. In response, the band expressed their disappointment and emphasized the satirical nature of their music.

On August 19, 2016, their seventh studio album ''Sex is Muss'' was released. This became one of their most popular albums to date, breaking into the Top 100 Album-Charts on the official German music charts at number 7.

On August 17, 2018, their eighth studio album ''Methämmer'' was released. It reached number 6 on the official German music charts.

2019 - present: Signing with Napalm Records, ''Memento Mori'', and ''Fegefeuer''

In June 2019, the band signed a record deal with Napalm Records.

On June 26, 2020, their ninth studio album ''Das Elfte Gebot'' was released. This was the first album to also be released as a vinyl record. That same day, the band hosted an outdoor concert called ''11:O:A'' at Abenberg Castle; however, due to COVID-19 restrictions in Germany at the time, there were no physical attendees and the concert was streamed live on Napalm Record's official YouTube channel.

On June 9, 2021, Feuerschwanz announced on Facebook that longtime drummer Sir Lanzeflott (Gruss) would be leaving after sixteen years. The band had no immediate successor to replace him, and the drums would be played by various guest musicians at their upcoming concerts while they looked for a replacement.

On August 14, 2021, the band Megaherz announced on Facebook the departure of their drummer Rolf Hering and revealing that he was the new drummer for Feuerschwanz. Feuerschwanz officially confirmed this on September 10, 2021.

On December 30, 2021, their tenth studio album ''Memento Mori'' was released. The band's producer Simon Michael stepped in on the drums, as the position was still vacant at the time of recording. The album reached number one on the official German charts on January 7, 2022.

On July 21, 2023, their eleventh studio album ''Fegefeuer'' was released. On July 28, 2023, the album reached number one on the official German charts.

Musical Style

The band has described their early albums as "medieval folk comedy," which were often paired with brash language, humorous lyrics, and innuendo.

In 2020, after signing on with Napalm Records and ahead of the release of ''Das Elfte Gebot'', Feuerschwanz shifted from comedic medieval folk rock towards a more serious heavy metal style.

Henrici noted the disconnect between the comedic nature of their music and a German audience, especially with the band's earlier works, and said that it was "shocking" for Germans to hear humor in a song.

Mieze Myu and Mieze Musch-Musch are called "Miezen" (German for 'kitties') and wear feline accessories with their costumes. They participate in live shows and music videos as performers and dancers.

Members

Current

* Hauptmann Feuerschwanz (Henrici) – vocals, guitar (2003 - present)
* Prinz R. Hodenherz "Hodi" III (Metzner) – vocals, guitar, flute (2007 - present)
* Johanna von der Vögelweide (Pracht) – violin (2005 - present)
* Hans the Upright (Platz) – electric guitar (2008 - present)
* Rollo H. Schönhaar (Hering) – drums (2021 - present)
* Jarne Hodinsson (Jamaszyk) – bass (2018 - present)
* Mieze Myu (Diehl) – performer (2012 - present)
* Mieze Musch-Musch – performer (2006 - present)

Former

* Eysye (Linke) – bass (2003 - 2009)
* Walther von der Vögelweide (Heindl) – violin (2003 - 2005)
* Sir Lanzeflott (Gruss) – drums (2005 - 2021)
* Richard Hodenherz I (Brenner) – flute, guitar (2004 - 2007
* Der Knappe (Schindler) – percussion, bass, vocals (2004 - 2014)
* Felix Taugenix (Fischer) – bass (2014 - 2018)
* Ronja Hodenherz (Regler) – flute, guitar (2006 - 2007)

Timeline

Discography

*''Prima Nocte'' (2005)
*''Met und Miezen'' (2007)
*''Metvernichter'' (2009)
*''Wunsch ist Wunsch'' (2011)
*''Walhalligalli'' (2012)
*''Auf's Leben!'' (2014)
*''Sex is Muss'' (2016)
*''Methämmer'' (2018)
*''Das Elfte Gebot'' (2020)
*''Memento Mori'' (2021)
*''Todsünden'' (2022)
*''Fegefeuer'' (2023)

References

{{Reflist

Musical groups established in 2004
Medieval metal musical groups
German folk metal musical groups