Kanonenfieber – Soldatenschicksale
Kanonenfieber – Soldatenschicksale
Century Media Records
Release Date: 06/02/2026
Review by Oli Gonzalez
8/10
So, what makes Kanonefieber so special? The band have only been around for a few years, yet they’ve become one of the fastest rising bands in the extreme metal world. Maybe it’s something to do with their spectacular live show which has grown significantly over the years, featuring authentic costumes and stage attire, as well as jaw dropping pyrotechnics. Yet so many bands have either used or are using the war theme in their music – Sabaton, 1914, and Bolt Thrower, for instance. What makes Kanonenfieber stand out is their authenticity. See, the band’s founder and vocalist (who goes by the pseudonym ‘Noise’) utilises the artefacts from his great-grandfather, including diary entries and notes from the trenches themselves, thus being primary sources! So, with an energetic live show and unique authentic gimmick, how will this present in their third studio album, “Soldatenschicksale”?
Firstly, the genre fluid approach they adopt is impressive. With the tremolo picked guitars, blistering pace, and blast beats you’d expect from black metal, vocalist Noise adopts a more guttural and deeper vocal like that of a death metal exponent. When the band want to, they can get so sludgy and slow things down to a headbanging inducing glacial drip! Just like in ‘Kampf Und Storm’ or ‘Die Havarie’. The guitars remain the melodic focal point for the majority of the music, with soaring addictive leads! Adopting a similar approach to, say, Forteresse or Insomnium.
The rhythm section remains consistently tight, with an almost military like marching drum feel, evident in ‘Z-Vor’ and ‘Der Fusilier’.
Now, you may have noticed by the album title; the band are German and also sing exclusively in German (or do they?). This may create a language barrier and some difficulty in engaging with the lyrics, especially to those who don’t speak the language. Not that that was an issue for one of Germany’s finest exports Rammstein! I mean, who really knew what ‘Du Hast’ or ‘Ich Will’ meant before listening to their music? So, how do Kanonenfieber overcome this challenge?
With instantly memoerabel and catchy choruses! Like in ‘Z-Vor’ and ‘Kampf Und Storm’! Also, if you didn’t know the latter song was about a maritime battle, the clever deployment of submarine sonars will make this clear. Very clever really! This may well be the lead single of the album, as many may remember this album as being the one with ‘that sea song’. Which leads me onto my next point; how does this compare to the previous work for the band? Honestly? There’s a risk of things sounding far too similar and all the album’s blending into one. I mean, check the artwork which is very similar and thus very easy to get confused with one another! There’s a risk of there being a lack of appetite for the 4th album, especially if people believe that its too similar to the rest. Though Kanonenfieber have planted a seed for a future direction for the band.
Remember how I said they sing exclusively in German…I LIED! Yep, ‘Yankee Division March’ features English lyrics. Maybe this is an experiment, a litmus test to see how well received this is? The diary entries of Noise’s grandfather should remain in their native tongue as not to lose any of that authenticity. Though why not experiment with an entirely different lexicon? That would build on the solid foundation the band have created in “Soldatenschicksale”, which stands as a robust and solid effort for a band who’s ceiling seemingly has no limit!
VIDEO REVIEW:
TRACKLISTING:
01. Z-Vor
02. Heizer Tenner
03. Ubootsperre
04. Kampf un Sturm
05. Die Havarie
06. Der Fusilier 1
07. Der Fusilier 2
08. The Yankee Division March
09. Die Fastnacht der Holle
LINKS:
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