“Memento Mori – Cause you take nothing with you to your grave, except your coffin”
Just recently, Germany’s medieval folk rockers FEUERSCHWANZ announced their upcoming studio album, Memento Mori. Now, FEUERSCHWANZ present a true ode to life with “Memento Mori“, accompanied with a great audio-visual, which reveals the secret about the title track of the upcoming full-length.
With singing guitars, “Memento Mori” starts its heroic journey through epic soundscapes. The song emerges as a melodic rock anthem with familiar medieval character full of blazing guitar riffs and violin solos. Lyrically, FEUERSCHWANZ encourage self-reflection on one’s own existence in “Memento Mori” and confront with human transience, following the motto of living your life to the fullest – right here and right now.
Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Prinz Hodenherz on the new song:
“The title track of the new album is the logical continuation of our previous album Das Elfte Gebot. The saying “Memento Mori” (Latin for “Be aware of mortality”) originates from ancient Rome and was one of the main ideas in the poetry of the High Middle Ages as well as the Vanitas movement of German Romanticism. It is still a frequently quoted motif in the visual arts world today. In the song, the Gregorian chant “Dies Irae” (Latin for “Day of Wrath”) is quoted with bagpipes, hurdy-gurdy and Hans’ heavy guitars.
Nerdfact: If you listen closely, you will also find the central motif of world-famous film scores, including the soundtrack of “The Lord of the Rings”!
What does all this have to do with FEUERSCHWANZ? Since the band was founded, it has always been about living in the here and now and celebrating existence. In ancient Rome there was a ritual where a slave stood or walked behind the victorious commander during the triumphal procession. He held a gold or laurel wreath over the head of the victorious and continuously admonished them with the waits “Memento Mori”. To us this means: Even if you have something to celebrate – everything could be over at any moment! That’s kind of what happened to us when we played by far our biggest headlining shows shortly before the pandemic began and our most successful album, Das Elfte Gebot, was released. For us as a band, it was a formative experience that united us even more and allowed us to look forward creatively.
We are looking forward to experiencing, enjoying and capturing all the great concert moments again together with our fans on Memento Mori… as if the ferryman was already standing by.
We invite everyone who, like us, thirsts for life.”
Shortly following their live BluRay/DVD Die Letzte Schlacht debuting on the German album charts at #4, FEUERSCHWANZ announced their new studio album, Memento Mori. The new album will be released on December 31, 2021 via Napalm Records and will continue the success story of the medieval rockers from Germany / Franconia! On Memento Mori, FEUERSCHWANZ finally take a step away from the simpler humor of earlier days to become one of the most important bands in German folk rock.
With chanting violin playing, Memento Mori starts its heroic journey with its eponymous opener. The song turns out to be a melodic rock anthem with a well-known medieval character, a blazing guitar riff and life-affirming lyrics. On “Untot im Drachenboot“, the squad around Captain Feuerschwanz sets off for new musical shores in a Viking ship full of undead warriors. “Rausch der Barberei“, on the other hand delivers a violent, raw voice and driving drumming that send its listeners into unbridled frenzy. On “Krampus“, FEUERSCHWANZ sing in a canon of vocals and instruments about the ancient legend of the demonic companion of St. Nicholas, who is dressed in fur and a horned mask. On the ballad “Das Herz eines Drachen” (The Heart of a Dragon), the medieval folk rockers show their sensible side. In a fire lit by burning guitar sounds and flute melodies, a warrior mourns his fallen father with his head held high. “Hannibal” on the other hand embarks on a raging battle of powerful choirs, swirling violin and guitar solos and driving drums, led by army commander Hannibal. The crowning finale of the almost 40-minute adventure is provided by “Skaldenmet” with its proudly advancing bass.
In typical FEUERSCHWANZ manner, Memento Mori is about great adventures, past battles and outstanding heroic deeds. FEUERSCHWANZ manage to stay true to their trademarks and at the same time venture into new musical realms. Fans of the band can look forward to an extensive deluxe edition of the album, which extends the running time of Memento Mori by almost double! Two additional CDs feature instrumental versions of all eleven tracks as well as the cover CD Die Glorreichen Sieben (The Magnificent Seven), which includes seven epic reissues from Amon Amarth to Die Ärzte and The Weeknd.
FEUERSCHWANZ on the new album:
“You take nothing with you to your grave, except your coffin… Memento Mori is the direct successor to Die Letzte Schlacht! The world of Hauptmann Feuerschwanz is in flames, overrun by the living dead and scourged by religious zealots… All of this sounds frighteningly real, even in Anno Domini 2021, so it’s time to defy the storm once again and celebrate life. Let’s live here, let’s live now – until death sharpens his knife!”
As a special highlight, some versions of Memento Mori will feature a bonus CD with seven cover songs by ManowarAmon Amarth, but also O-Zone, among others.
Full track-list for Memento Mori:
Memento Mori
Untot im Drachenboot
Ultima Nocte
Rausch der Barbarei
Krampus
Feuer & Schwert
Das Herz eines Drachen
Rohirrim
Am Galgen
Hannibal
Skaldenmet
