Kanonenfieber: The Masked Metal Band Delivering a Powerful Anti-War Message

“This Band is Not About War Itself. It’s About People in War.”

Kanonenfieber is the brainchild of Noise, a Bamberg-based musician who channels the horrors of World War I into blistering extreme-metal compositions. Unlike many bands that use military themes for dramatic effect, Kanonenfieber focuses entirely on the human cost of war, drawing inspiration from letters written by soldiers and their families. Their latest album, Die Urkatastrophe (2024), continues this mission, painting a grim and unfiltered portrait of combat through melancholic and aggressive blackened death metal.

Through a handful of singles and two full-length albums, Noise has crafted an immersive sonic and visual experience that forces listeners to confront the brutality of war. Far from glorifying combat, Kanonenfieber’s music serves as a poignant reminder of its devastating consequences.

A Theatrical and Explosive Live Experience

Kanonenfieber’s live performances are as striking as their music. Their stage setup is a chilling recreation of a wartime battlefield, complete with cannons, barbed wire, and projected recordings of World War I speeches. Every band member dons period-accurate German military attire and wears a black mask in symbolic tribute to the Unknown Soldier.

Noise, the band’s frontman and primary creative force, takes center stage in a pickelhaube helmet, commanding the performance with an imposing presence. His dramatic reenactments include simulated death onstage, only to rise again as Death itself, masked as a skeleton. This macabre performance art drives home Kanonenfieber’s anti-war message, transforming their concerts into visceral cautionary tales about the horrors of combat.

“For those who haven’t seen a Kanonenfieber show, the uniforms might seem controversial,” Noise explains. “But once you experience it, you understand that it’s all about the madness of war.”

A Rising Force in the Metal Scene

Since their formation in 2020, Kanonenfieber has garnered a dedicated following across Europe, performing at major festivals and touring alongside Amon Amarth. Their impact has reached beyond the underground, with their 2023 album Die Urkatastrophe climbing to No. 3 on the German album charts.

In 2022, the late Trevor Strnad of The Black Dahlia Murder collaborated with Noise on the single The Yankee Division March, a song that juxtaposes the perspectives of U.S. and German soldiers in battle. This unique storytelling approach has set Kanonenfieber apart, proving that extreme metal can be both musically brutal and thematically profound.

Though they have yet to perform in the United States, Kanonenfieber is eyeing 2025 for their long-awaited American debut. With their growing international audience, the band is poised to leave an indelible mark on the global metal scene.

Personal Roots in War History

Noise’s fascination with war was initially sparked by video games and films, but his true connection to the subject came through family history. While World War II dominated his school curriculum, a more personal discovery brought World War I into sharper focus—his grandmother had preserved a handwritten journal from her father, a soldier who fought and died in the Great War.

Determined to understand his great-grandfather’s experiences, Noise enlisted the help of a historian to translate the nearly indecipherable text. The journal revealed a young soldier filled with nationalistic pride, eager for battle and the prospect of heroism. But as the war dragged on, letters from other soldiers showed a stark shift—from excitement to despair. One 18-year-old German soldier’s writings, for example, began with patriotic enthusiasm but quickly darkened after experiencing the Eastern Front. His words formed the foundation of Die Feuertaufe, the opening track on Kanonenfieber’s 2021 debut album, Menschenmühle.

The Psychological Toll of War—and Music

Noise continues to immerse himself in wartime letters and historical accounts to fuel Kanonenfieber’s music. Songs like Der Maulwurf (“The Mole”) from Die Urkatastrophe explore the trauma of soldiers trapped in underground tunnels as artillery shells explode above them. The stories he uncovers are bleak, unrelenting, and emotionally draining.

“Writing the lyrics is always a brutal process,” Noise admits. “During the making of Die Urkatastrophe, I spent eight weeks consuming nothing but war-related media. It messes with your head. I become incredibly negative during that time.”

Despite the emotional toll, Noise is committed to his mission: documenting the horrors of war through music. Though Kanonenfieber primarily focuses on World War I, they have also addressed modern conflicts, including the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War. In 2022, Noise released Stop the War, a charity single raising funds for humanitarian aid. However, he acknowledges the limits of his efforts. “It feels like a drop of water on a hot stone,” he says. “But I had to do something.”

A Message That Cannot Be Ignored

For Noise, Kanonenfieber is more than just a band—it’s a documentation of history, a reminder of the senseless suffering that war inflicts on humanity. The band remains deliberately apolitical, focusing solely on the soldiers and civilians caught in the chaos rather than glorifying any ideology or nation.

“There are no heroes in our music, no glorification of war,” Noise emphasizes. “Just death and decay—the hard, dry, horrific truth.”

As Kanonenfieber continues to grow in prominence, their message remains simple and unwavering: War is terrible. There is no reason for human beings to die in conflict. Through their haunting music and theatrical performances, they challenge audiences to confront history’s darkest realities—and to never forget the cost of war.