Saltatio Mortis

Saltatio Mortis, a medieval metal band celebrated for its high-energy concerts and elaborate stage productions, surfaced in the early 2000s and helped spearhead Germany’s Mittelalterband scene as one of the first acts to merge expansive rock arrangements with historical instruments including lutes and bagpipes. After entering the marketplace in 2001, the respected ensemble secured three chart-topping albums, among them the 2015 gold-certified release Zirkus Zeitgeist.

The outfit formed in 2000 near Mannheim, where its members initially performed as street musicians clad in medieval garb. Their recorded debut, the self-issued Tavernakel, followed a year later. In 2002 they aligned with the worldwide metal label Napalm, which promptly reissued the debut and paired it with the new album Das Zweite Gesicht.

Saltatio Mortis quickly ranked among the scene’s most active groups, issuing six studio albums and three live sets between 2003 and 2012. The year 2013 brought notable success: the live document Manufactum III surfaced in April, while the August studio album Das Schwarze Einmaleins became their first to top the charts. Zirkus Zeitgeist climbed even higher in 2015, reaching number one and attaining gold status; an acoustic counterpart, Zirkus Zeitgeist: Ohne Strom und Stecker, appeared later that year. Brot und Spiele arrived in 2018 as their third number-one album, and the 16th full-length effort, Fur Immer Frei, followed in 2020.