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Van Canto
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Van Canto (sometimes stylized as van Canto) is a German a cappella metal band, founded in 2006 and composed of six singers and a drummer. While only two of the singers perform the lead vocals, the other four 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. They use real drums in their music, instead of vocal percussion or beatboxing.
Key Information
Van Canto play a cappella with classic heavy, power and symphonic metal influence, creating what they call "hero metal a cappella".
History
[edit]As soon as the band was founded, its debut album, A Storm to Come, 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".[1] On 30 September 2007, they announced a new drummer, Bastian Emig,[1] 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.[1] The band also announced that their second album, titled "Hero", was in the progress of being recorded.[1] Hero ended up being released on 26 September 2008, with producer Charlie Bauerfeind.[1]
Van Canto performed a South American promotional tour between 23 June and 2 July 2008. The live performances took place primarily in Brazil,[1] which is the homeland of Ingo Sterzinger.[2] 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.[3] 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.[3] The album was announced at Nuclear Blast official website as Tribe of Force. The track listing 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".[4]
Van Canto performed guest vocals on 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").[5]
On 21 September 2010, it was announced that they had teamed up with the 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.
The band's fourth album Break the Silence was released on 22 September 2011.[5]
Their fifth album, Dawn of the Brave, was released in February 2014.[5] It contains nine own compositions and four cover versions:[6] "Paranoid" by Black Sabbath, "The Final Countdown" by Europe, "Holding out for a Hero" by Bonnie Tyler, and "Into the West" by Annie Lennox from the soundtrack for the motion picture The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
In November 2015, the band announced Ingo "Ike" Sterzinger would leave them to follow other projects, and that he would be replaced by Jan Moritz, from the Stimmgewalt choir.[7] On 11 March 2016, the band released their sixth album, the metal opera Voices of Fire. On 18 January, they released a lyric video for the first track from the album, "Clashings on Armour Plates".[8] On 18 February 2016, they released the official music video for "The Bardcall".[9]
In August 2017, the band announced that Dennis "Sly" Schunke was leaving the band.[10] On 18 August, it was announced that Ike would return to the band in the studio and at selected concerts and that a new singer Hagen Hirschmann, "Hagel", will perform the male lead vocals in the future.[11]
In August 2018, the band released their seventh album, Trust in Rust.
In March 2021, the band released a trailer on YouTube through Napalm Records, stating that their newest album, To the Power of Eight, will be put out on 4 June of the same year, with Dennis "Sly" Schunke appearing as a guest lead vocalist on all tracks.[12]
Band members
[edit]- Van Canto live at Rockharz 2019
-
Hagen Hirschmann
-
Inga Scharf
-
Ingo Sterzinger
-
Ross Thompson
-
Jan Moritz
-
Bastian Emig
-
Stefan Schmidt (left)
Current
[edit]- Inga Scharf – female lead vocals (2006–present)
- Stefan Schmidt – lower guitar vocals, solo guitar vocals, vocals with distortion effects (2006–present)
- Ross Thompson – higher guitar vocals (2006–present)
- Ingo "Ike" Sterzinger – bass vocals (full time member: 2006–2015, studio and selected concerts: 2017–present)
- Bastian Emig – drums (2007–present)
- Jan Moritz – bass vocals (2015–present)
- Hagen "Hagel" Hirschmann – male lead vocals (2017–present)
Past
[edit]- Dennis "Sly" Schunke – male lead vocals (2006–2017[13]), guest lead vocals (2021)
- Dennis Strillinger – drums (2006–2007)
Discography
[edit]- A Storm to Come (2006)
- Hero (2008)
- Tribe of Force (2010)
- Break the Silence (2011)
- Dawn of the Brave (2014)
- Voices of Fire (2016)
- Trust in Rust (2018)
- To the Power of Eight (2021)
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f "News at Van Canto official site".
- ^ "Interview (Van Canto)". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2008.
- ^ a b "New Album, New Label". Van Canto's official blog. 27 October 2009. Retrieved 29 October 2009. [dead link]
- ^ "No.1 Heavy Metal Online-Shop, Metal-Shirts T-Shirts, CDs, Vinyl - Nuclear Blast". nuclearblast.de. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
- ^ a b c Canto, Van. "News - Van Canto". vancanto.de. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
- ^ "Van Canto Discography". Van Canto's official website. 25 November 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
- ^ "Ike leaves Van Canto, Jan new bass singer". Van Canto's official Facebook page. Facebook. 3 November 2015. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
- ^ "German A Cappella Metal Band Van Canto Releases 'Clashings On Armour Plates' Lyric Video". Blabbermouth.net. 18 January 2016. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
- ^ earMUSIC (18 February 2016). "Van Canto - Metal Vocal Musical "The Bardcall" Official Video". Archived from the original on 14 December 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2017 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Sly verlässt Van Canto - neues Lineup | Van Canto". vancanto.de (in German). 14 August 2017. Archived from the original on 18 August 2017. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
- ^ Napalm Records (18 August 2017), VAN CANTO - Announces New Singer! | Napalm Records, retrieved 18 August 2017
- ^ "VAN CANTO - To The Power Of Eight Album Due In June; Includes Covers Of Songs By IRON MAIDEN, AC/DC, AMON AMARTH, QUEEN (Teaser Video)". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles. 24 March 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
- ^ "VAN CANTO On Former Lead Vocalist DENNIS "SLY" SCHUNKE Guesting On New Album - "Van Canto Is Family"". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles. 2 April 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
External links
[edit]Van Canto
View on GrokipediaBackground
Formation
Van Canto was founded in 2006 in Germany by the five singers Stefan Schmidt, Ross Thompson, Philip Dennis "Sly" Schunke, Inga Scharf, and Ingo "Ike" Sterzinger as an a cappella project dedicated to imitating heavy metal instruments through vocal techniques alone.[4][5] The project originated after the split of Schmidt's previous band, Jester's Funeral, when he wanted to create vocal-oriented music and experimented in his studio with friends.[1] The core idea emerged from Schmidt's vision to innovate within the German metal scene by forming a band that relied entirely on human voices for guitars, bass, and other elements, excluding traditional instruments except for drums.[1][6] The group's initial motivation arose from experimenting with vocal renditions of melodic metal tracks, particularly a cover of Metallica's "Battery," which inspired the development of their signature "rakkatakka" style for rhythmic guitar emulation and "wah-wah" vocals for solos.[1][7] This creative drive culminated in the self-production and release of their debut album, A Storm to Come, in December 2006 via their own label, featuring seven original songs alongside select covers to showcase the a cappella metal concept.[8][1] The initial lineup for the album included drummer Dennis Strillinger to anchor the arrangements, forming the six-member group that blended power metal energy with vocal innovation.[5][9] Following the album's release, Van Canto debuted live in small venues across Germany in late 2006, testing their unique performance format before larger audiences.[10]Musical style
Van Canto is renowned for pioneering "Hero Metal A Cappella," a distinctive subgenre of a cappella metal that reimagines heavy, power, and symphonic metal through purely vocal instrumentation, except for live drums provided by a dedicated percussionist.[4] The band's core sound relies on multiple vocalists simulating guitars, bass, and other elements: lead vocalists deliver melodies and lyrics, while "guitar vocals" by Stefan Schmidt (handling lower riffs) and Ross Thompson (covering higher leads and solos) mimic electric guitar tones using percussive and melodic techniques.[4] This vocal emulation creates a dense, layered texture that captures the intensity of traditional metal without physical instruments.[11] A signature element of their style is the "Rakkatakka," a term coined by the band to describe their percussive vocal effects that imitate double bass drum patterns, rapid rhythms, and gritty guitar chugs through rhythmic syllables like "rakka-takka."[4] Schmidt's lower Rakkatakka provides foundational drive, often processed through a microphone into a distorted guitar amplifier for added authenticity, as discovered during early recordings.[11] Complementing this are contributions from vocalists like Inga Scharf, who handles soaring power metal and ballad lines, and Hagen Hirschmann, adding growled textures for heavier passages.[4][12] The band's influences draw heavily from iconic heavy, power, and symphonic metal acts, including Metallica, Iron Maiden, Blind Guardian, and Rhapsody of Fire, evident in their faithful yet vocal-adapted covers of classics such as Metallica's "Battery," Iron Maiden's "Fear of the Dark," Blind Guardian's "The Bard's Song," and riffs inspired by Rhapsody's epic style.[13][12] These sources shape Van Canto's emphasis on anthemic energy, harmonic choirs, and fantasy-tinged narratives.[11] Over time, Van Canto evolved from primarily cover-based works that showcased their technical prowess to original compositions integrating epic themes, choral arrangements, and humorous lyrical twists, allowing them to expand the "Hero Metal A Cappella" formula into full concept albums while retaining their vocal innovation.[4][11] This progression reflects a compositional approach that begins with traditional instruments before adapting to voices, or directly vocalizing ideas for a more organic metal sound.[12]History
Early career (2006–2010)
Van Canto self-released their debut album A Storm to Come on December 15, 2006, through the independent label General Records, blending original compositions with a cappella covers of metal classics that quickly garnered underground attention within the European metal community.[14] The album's innovative vocal-only approach, featuring five singers emulating guitars and bass alongside a drummer, led to increased buzz at metal festivals and online forums, culminating in a worldwide record deal with Gun Records, a subsidiary of Sony BMG, signed in December 2007.[15] This signing prompted a re-release of A Storm to Come later that month, expanding its distribution and visibility.[16] Building on this momentum, the band recorded their second album Hero with renowned producer Charlie Bauerfeind at Blind Guardian's studio, releasing it on September 26, 2008, via Gun Records.[17] The album featured the lead single "Speed of Light," an original track that highlighted their high-energy vocal riffs. That summer, Van Canto made their international debut with a promotional tour across South America from June 23 to July 2, 2008, primarily in Brazil, where they performed at clubs and appeared on local TV and radio, fostering an early fanbase in the region.[16] Following the tour, they returned to Europe for headline shows and their first appearance at Wacken Open Air on August 1, 2008, delivering a set that included covers like Metallica's "Battery" and originals from A Storm to Come, which solidified their reputation in the power metal scene.[18][1] In 2010, Van Canto transitioned to Napalm Records and released their third album Tribe of Force on February 26, emphasizing more original material with guest appearances, such as Grave Digger's Chris Boltendahl on "Rebellion," while maintaining their signature a cappella style.[19] The album received positive coverage in metal publications for its polished production and thematic focus on unity and strength, further embedding the band in the genre's media landscape.[20] Later that year, on September 21, 2010, they announced a collaboration with the MMORPG Runes of Magic, composing and recording the promotional track "Magic Taborea" with an orchestral arrangement, accompanied by a music video released on September 24 to promote the game's fantasy world of Taborea.[21] This partnership marked their first major crossover into gaming culture, enhancing their exposure beyond traditional metal audiences.Mid-career developments (2011–2017)
In 2011, Van Canto released their fourth studio album, Break the Silence, on September 23 via Napalm Records, featuring 13 tracks including four covers and guest appearances by Sabaton's Joakim Brodén on "Primo Victoria" and Rage's Peavy Wagner on "The Seller of Souls."[22] The album marked a continuation of their a cappella metal style while incorporating more orchestral elements and reached number 23 on the German charts.[22] Building on prior collaborations, band member Stefan Schmidt provided guest vocals on Blind Guardian's 2010 album At the Edge of Time, with extended involvement in backing vocals and arrangements that influenced Van Canto's growing ties to the power metal scene.[23] The band experienced significant lineup stability post-2011, though earlier changes had lasting impacts; drummer Dennis Strillinger departed in 2007 due to creative differences and was replaced by Bastian Emig, whose percussion work became integral to live performances supporting subsequent releases.[24] In 2010, Van Canto contributed "vocal extravaganzas" to Tarja Turunen's album What Lies Beneath on the track "Anteroom of Death," showcasing their rhythmic vocal techniques in a symphonic metal context.[25] This period also saw the release of Dawn of the Brave on February 7, 2014, their fifth studio album, which introduced a full drum kit alongside their signature vocals and peaked at number 18 in Germany, emphasizing epic themes with tracks like "To the Mountains."[26] By 2015, bass vocalist Ingo "Ike" Sterzinger announced his departure in November to pursue other projects, with Jan Moritz joining as his replacement to maintain the band's deep vocal layering.[27] Van Canto's sixth album, Voices of Fire, arrived on March 11, 2016, via Napalm Records, representing a stylistic refinement through its concept-album structure focused on heroic battles and fire mythology, featuring only original compositions, guest narration by John Rhys-Davies, and collaborations with the London Metro Voices for choral depth.[28] The album highlighted matured songwriting with power metal influences, avoiding covers for the first time.[29] In August 2017, after 11 years as male lead vocalist, Dennis "Sly" Schunke left for personal reasons, concluding a foundational era for the band.[15] Throughout 2011–2017, Van Canto conducted extensive European tours to promote these albums, including the "No Silence Allowed" headline run from October 2011 to January 2012 and support slots for power metal acts like Freedom Call and the Grailknights in 2014, alongside festival appearances that expanded their audience in Germany, the UK, and Scandinavia.[1] These outings emphasized their live vocal precision and often featured guest spots from metal luminaries, solidifying their niche in the genre.Recent activities (2018–present)
In 2018, Van Canto released their seventh studio album, Trust in Rust, marking the debut of new male lead vocalist Hagen "Hagel" Hirschmann, who had joined the band in 2017, and the return of bass vocalist Ingo "Ike" Sterzinger, who rejoined alongside Jan Moritz to form a dual bass vocal lineup.[30][4][27] The band's eighth studio album, To the Power of Eight, followed on June 4, 2021, via Napalm Records, featuring former lead vocalist Dennis "Sly" Schunke as a guest on all tracks to expand their vocal ensemble to eight members for the recording.[31][32] Since 2021, Van Canto has shifted emphasis toward live performances, with no new studio album released as of November 2025, though a ninth album is in development for 2026 to coincide with the band's 20th anniversary.[33] The band maintained momentum through high-profile festival appearances, including sets at Wacken Open Air in 2023 and 2024, Rockharz Open Air in 2024, and Dong Open Air in July 2025.[34][35][3][36] In June 2025, Van Canto collaborated with the Landesjugendchor Berlin, the official youth choir of the German state, to record and release a video performance of "Vois sur ton chemin," blending their a cappella metal style with the choir's ensemble for a choral rendition.[3] That same month, the band announced their "Live Rakkatakka 2025" club tour, scheduled for November 6 in Cologne at Essigfabrik, November 7 in Herford at Kulturwerk, November 8 in Stuttgart at Im Wizemann, and November 9 in Aschaffenburg at Colos-Saal, emphasizing intimate venues to showcase their vocal energy.[3]Band members
Current members
The current members of Van Canto, as of November 2025, form a seven-piece ensemble specializing in a cappella metal through vocal imitations of instruments, with the following active contributors:- Inga Scharf serves as the female lead vocalist since the band's formation in 2006, renowned for her soaring melodies that define the band's original compositions and cover arrangements.[37][38]
- Stefan Schmidt, a co-founder and rhythm ("rakkatakka") vocalist since 2006, handles lower guitar vocals and employs vocal distortion effects to replicate high-speed riffs and wah-wah solo guitars, providing the band's rhythmic backbone.[37][15]
- Ross Thompson, another co-founder and higher rakkatakka vocalist since 2006, focuses on lead guitar solos through vocal techniques, contributing to the band's melodic and technical vocal layers while occasionally appearing as a guest musician elsewhere.[37][39]
- Ingo "Ike" Sterzinger provides bass vocals as a full-time member from 2006 to 2015 and since 2017, delivering the deep, rhythmic foundation essential to the band's percussive vocal style.[37][15]
- Jan Moritz has been the bass vocalist since 2015, adding modern depth and pad vocals to the low-end harmonies that support the ensemble's intricate arrangements.[37][40]
- Bastian Emig has been the drummer since 2007, serving as the sole live percussionist to complement the a cappella focus and enable dynamic performances.[37][16]
- Hagen "Hagel" Hirschmann joined as male lead vocalist in 2017, infusing fresh energy into the band's heroic themes and sharing lead duties with Scharf on recent recordings and tours.[37][15]