Biography
The French pairing of vocalist Arno Strobl, known also as Alan Thursday Morning, alongside multi-instrumentalist Axel Wursthorn, who performs under the alias Karl Zengerls, merges extreme metal with disco and dance pop in a manner that defies standard expectations. Their work deliberately challenges accepted limits of musical and lyrical propriety while revealing an eccentric, often understated comedic streak that echoes the style of Mike Patton, frontman for Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, and Fantomas. The pair openly acknowledges Patton and Mr. Bungle among their inspirations, together with boundary-pushing experimental figures such as Frank Zappa and John Zorn’s Naked City, soul and pop icons including Rick James, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Michael Jackson, plus metal acts like Carcass, Morbid Angel, and Cradle of Filth. Although humor surfaces in their output, the musicians insist they genuinely admire rather than satirize the referenced artists and genres, a claim supported by the meticulous production values they apply in the studio, confirming they operate beyond mere novelty entertainment.
Carnival in Coal came together in 1995, yet their debut full-length effort, Vivalavida, alternatively titled “Long Live Life,” appeared only in 1999. Issued as the inaugural release on the modest French imprint War on Majors, the album featured exclusively original material performed almost entirely by Strobl and Wursthorn, supported by a drum machine and occasional guest players. Later that same year French Cancan emerged on the Kodiak label, distributed internationally by Season of Mist, presenting two additional originals alongside unconventional interpretations of tracks by Ozzy Osbourne, Pantera, Morbid Angel, Genesis, adult-contemporary artist Gerry Rafferty, and a number from the early-’80s Flashdance soundtrack. The record modestly expanded the duo’s visibility in the United States and elicited strong responses, whether positive or otherwise, from listeners, though its reach remained greater across Europe, particularly in France, Germany, and Austria. Still functioning solely as a studio venture by 2001, Carnival in Coal issued its third album, Fear Not Carnival in Coal, that April.
Carnival in Coal came together in 1995, yet their debut full-length effort, Vivalavida, alternatively titled “Long Live Life,” appeared only in 1999. Issued as the inaugural release on the modest French imprint War on Majors, the album featured exclusively original material performed almost entirely by Strobl and Wursthorn, supported by a drum machine and occasional guest players. Later that same year French Cancan emerged on the Kodiak label, distributed internationally by Season of Mist, presenting two additional originals alongside unconventional interpretations of tracks by Ozzy Osbourne, Pantera, Morbid Angel, Genesis, adult-contemporary artist Gerry Rafferty, and a number from the early-’80s Flashdance soundtrack. The record modestly expanded the duo’s visibility in the United States and elicited strong responses, whether positive or otherwise, from listeners, though its reach remained greater across Europe, particularly in France, Germany, and Austria. Still functioning solely as a studio venture by 2001, Carnival in Coal issued its third album, Fear Not Carnival in Coal, that April.