Totenmond

Totenmond (1984-1990 Wermut) is a German metal-band with its own combination of punk, black and thrash metal.

History

The band was founded as a Punkrock-Band named "Wermut" in 1984 by S.P. Lenz und Olaf "Pazzer". In 1986 "Attila" became the vocalist, but he left the band after one year and was replaced by "Schiff" (German: Ship). Schiff stayed with the band until 1989. Wermut played mostly in youth-clubs.

One year later the band was renamed to "Totenmond" (Moon of the Dead). In 1991 Roberto Garcia became the bassist and Olaf has since written the lyrics. During this time Totenmond still played mostly in youth-clubs. Between 1993 and 1995 they released 3 Demo-Tapes, the third is called "Die Schlacht" (The Battle). Their first full-length album "Lichtbringer" (Bringer of Light) was released in 1996 and they toured together with Atrocity, In Flames and Heavenwood through Germany.

In 1997 the EP "Väterchen Frost" (Father Frost) was released and Totenmond played their first gigs in the Wacken Open Air, Dynamo Open Air and Force-Attack-Festival. After that they toured with Spudmonsters and Crisis across Europe and with Orphanage and Within Temptation through Germany.

In 1998 the second Album "Fleischwald" (Forest of Flesh) was released. A year later there were more festival gigs (With Full Force, Force-Attack and Wacken Open Air). After the festivals they went again on European tour, this time with Bolt Thrower, Crowbar and Disbelief.

In 2000 the Third Album "Reich in Rost" (Empire in Rust) came out and Garcia left the Band. In 2001 they released "Auf dem Mond ein Feuer" (A Fire on the Moon). On this album they played some punk-style songs originally released in the 80s.

In 2002 a new bassist, "Senf" (Mustard) joined the band and in 2003 they played again in the WFF-Festival.The next 2 releases: 2004 "Unter Knochen" (Under bones), 2005 "TonbergUrtod" (Mountain of Sound/Ancient Death).

The recent album "Thronräuber" (Thronerobber) was released in 2005.

The music made by Totenmond is hard to define. The music unites the sound of grindcore, doom metal, thrash metal and black metal. The vocals often use punk-like lyrics but are sung in a much heavier style.

Prejudices

Some people feel that the band has radical right-wing elements because of the look of the members and possibly the cover art of some albums (the cover art for "Reich in Rost" shows e.g. a drawing of a bombed town with crosses in the front and the Reichsadler in the background). The lyrics are often filled with metaphors and can be interpreted differently, but they clearly speak out against racism and nazis. In the booklets of the last two albums are "Gegen Nazis" (Against Nazis - A fist which smashes a Swastika) signs and an ironic dedication to radical right wing listeners of the band. Some lyrics on the "Reich in Rost"-album are originally written by the resistance group "Weiße Rose", so it's pretty clear that the lyrics do not contain any racism.

Original (German):

„Dank […] all den braunen Heulsusen, die auch für dieses Album ihr sauer verdientes Geld verschwendet haben, zum Wohle einer links anarchistischen Propaganda. Heil Hinkel!“

Translation:"Thanks [...] to all the nazi crybabies, which have squandered their hard earned money by buying this album, for the well-being of a leftwinged and anarchistic Propaganda. Heil Hinkel!"

Discography & Translations

1996 "Lichtbringer" (Bringer of light)
# Intro
# Die Schlacht (The Battle)
# Ragnarok
# Tod ist Freude (Death is joy)
# Vaterland (Fatherland)
# Sagenwelt (World of myths)
# Kellerstahl (Cellar-steel)
# Kreuznagel (Cross-Nail)
# Necrophiler Sonntag (Necrophile Sunday)

1997 "Väterchen Frost" (Father Frost)
# Mutterliebe (Motherly love)
# Väterchen Frost (Father frost)
# Gora cemeha (Russian for: The seed of God)
# Honigtraum (Dream of honey)
# Einsamkeit (Loneliness)
# Die Macht des Feuers [live] (The force of fire)

1998 "Fleischwald" (Forest of flesh)
# Kadavernazion (Carcass-Nation)
# Leichen der Liebe (Corpses of love)
# Tod und Niedergang (Death and downgrade)
# Dekadenz '98 (Decadence '98)
# Fleischwald (Forest of flesh)
# Das saure Kraut (The sour herb; similar expression to Sauerkraut)
# Treibjagd (Battue)
# Der Misanthrop (The misanthropist)
# Das Beil und der Vater (The axe and the father)
# Rauhbau (Rough building)

2000 "Reich in Rost" (Empire in rust)
# Öfter mal ins Blaue (More often into the Blue)
# Reich in Rost (Empire in rust)
# Landeinwärts (Inland)
# Der rote Berg (The red mountain)
# Flammenzeichen (Flame signs)
# Arbeiterreserve (Workers reserve)
# Panzerdampf (Tank steam)
# Schiff ahoi (Ship ahoy)
# Die Membranen (The membranes)
# Meiner Hässlichkeit (To my ugliness)

2001 "Auf dem Mond ein Feuer" (A fire on the moon)
# Polizei SA SS (Police SA SS)
# Kauf oder stirb (Buy or die)
# Alles ist grau (Everything is grey)
# Zwang (Compulsion)
# Linke Sau (Gauche sod)
# Steinkopf (Stonehead)
# Neonazi (Neonazi)
# Uns nicht! (Not with us!)
# Belsen war ein KZ (Belsen was a KZ) (KZ: German abbr. for Konzentrationslager = Concentration camp)
# Der Osten (The east)
# Du denkst (You think)
# Macht kaputt was euch kaputt macht (Destroy, what destroys you)
# Keine Macht für niemand (No power for no-one)
# HC HC (=Hardcore Hardcore)
# Marschieren (Marching)
# Am roten Signal vorbei (Passing the red signal)
# Der Revoluzzer (The revolutionist)

2004 "Unter Knochen" (Under bones)
# Intro
# Unter Knochen (Under bones)
# Permafrost
# Zu Gast bei den Toten (Visiting the dead)
# Hirdraußaischheimad (swabian for: Hier draußen ist Heimat = Homeland is out here)
# Menschenfresser (Cannibal)
# Leuchtquell (Source of light)
# Finster Mammut (Sable mammoth)
# Unkraut (Pest plant)
# Eiswalzer (Ice waltz)
# Der Ich-Parasit (The me-parasite)
# Kreuz oder Kopf (Cross or head)

2005 "TonbergUrtod" (Mountain of sound/Ancient death)
# Wurmerbarmend (Worm-pitying)
# Heroin
# Angstbeisser (Fear-biter)
# Blutost (Blood-east)
# Samenroh - Wird kein Leben (Seed-raw - becomes no life)
# Heidenfeuer (Heathen fire)
# Deine Leiche (Your corpse)
# Im schwarzen Kreis (In the black circle)
# Das ewige Bluten - Faustrecht (The eternal bleeding - Rule of force)
# TonbergUrtod - Kastrazion (Mountain of sound/Ancient death - Castration)

2008 "Thronräuber" (Thronerobber)
# Luzifer stampft (Lucifer stomps)
# Achtung Panzer! (Attention Tank!)
# Nihil Novi (Nothing new)
# Dornenschaf (Thornsheep)
# Schlachtinfarkt (Battleinfarct)
# Sonnenstrahl (Sunbeam)
# Templum Omnium Hominum Pacis Abbas (The temple of freedom for all people)
# Rausch unser (Our Intoxication)
# Schwarz als Zweck (Black for the purpose)
# Luzifer stampft 2 (Lucifer stomps 2)

Lineup

Current lineup

* S.P. Senz - drums (1984 -present)
* Olaf "Pazzer" - guitar, vocals (1984-present)
* Senf - bass guitar (2002-present)

Original members

* S.P. Senz
* Olaf "Pazzer"

Other members

* Attila - vocals (1986)
* Schiff - vocals (1987-1989)
* Roberto Garcia - bass guitar (1991-2000)

Discography

* "Lichtbringer" (1996)
* "Väterchen Frost" (1997)
* "Fleischwald" (1998)
* "Reich in Rost" (2000)
* "Auf dem Mond ein Feuer" (2001)
* "Unter Knochen" (2004)
* "TonbergUrtod" (2005)
* "Thronräuber" (2008)

External links

* [http://www.totenmond.de Official Homepage]
* [http://www.myspace.com/todistfreude Official Myspace site]