Biography
Van Canto distinguishes itself within the German metal landscape through its a cappella format of five vocalists and one drummer. Classically trained singers harness flexible techniques to replicate the signature “rakkatakka” guitar textures, wah-wah effects, and “doom bass” tones the group itself has labeled. High-profile guest singers, players, orchestras, and choirs appear selectively across the catalog. Following the 2006 release of debut album A Storm To Come on the band’s own General Schallplatten imprint—which contained a widely praised reading of Metallica’s “Battery”—the ensemble has performed across Europe, Asia, South America, and North America while maintaining a steady presence at major festivals. After moving to Napalm Records, Tribe of Force arrived in 2010 featuring contributions from musicians associated with Rage, Sonata Arctica, and Grave Digger. Break the Silence entered the German Top 30 the next year. Dawn of the Brave in 2014 incorporated a version of Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train” performed with a 200-voice fan chorus. Voices of Fire from 2016 enlisted London Metro Voices and Kinderchöre der Chorakademie Dortmund. Trust In Rust in 2018 introduced lead male vocalist Hagen Hirschmann—Inga Scharf remaining the female lead—and contained covers of material by AC/DC and Helloween. To The Power of Eight reached the international streaming Top 30 upon its 2021 release.
Dennis Schunke and Inga Scharf founded the project in 2006 together with “mimics” Stefan Schmidt, Ross Thompson, and Ingo Sterzinger plus drummer Dennis Strillinger, the latter later succeeded by Bastian Emig. A Storm to Come surfaced only months afterward and comprised seven original compositions plus the Metallica track and “Stora Rövardansen” from Ronja Rövardotter. Festival appearances alongside leading metal acts soon followed throughout Europe. On 30 September 2007 Strillinger departed and Bastian Emig assumed the drum chair. A subsequent contract with Gun Records led to Hero, recorded at Blind Guardian’s studio under producer Charlie Bauerfeind and issued in 2008. Half of its ten tracks were covers—Nightwish’s “Wishmaster,” Deep Purple’s “Stormbringer,” Manowar’s “Kings of Metal,” Iron Maiden’s “Fear of the Dark,” and Blind Guardian’s “The Bard’s Song”—while Hansi Kürsch guested on the original “Take To The Sky.” The album received extensive European airplay, charted domestically, and secured a Brazilian tour, a prominent Wacken Open Air slot, and a European run supporting Manowar; the band also finalized its move to Napalm.
Tribe of Force supplied further guest appearances from members of Rage, Sonata Arctica, and Grave Digger, the last of whom contributed the covered track “Rebellion.” Sold-out club dates across Europe preceded festival performances in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy, including a main-stage collaboration with Grave Digger at Wacken Open Air. That same year Van Canto appeared on Tarja Turunen’s “Anteroom Of Death” from What Lies Beneath. Break the Silence became the first release to register on Germany’s pop charts, landing inside the Top 30 while featuring Sabaton’s Joakim Brodén on a rendition of “Primo Victoria” alongside versions of Alice Cooper’s “Bed of Nails” and Manowar’s “Master of the Wind”; touring continued for more than eighteen months. Dawn of the Brave offered thirteen songs, ten of them originals that highlighted increasingly elaborate vocal arrangements. Although the set itself did not chart, its covers of Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid,” Europe’s “The Final Countdown,” and Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out for a Hero” gained wide DJ and audience attention, supporting headline theater engagements and main-stage festival billing. The band contributed vocals to Dark Sarah’s Behind The Black Veil, and in November 2015 Ingo Sterzinger exited, replaced by Jan Moritz of Stimmgewalt.
Voices of Fire represented the final recordings with primary lyricist and male lead Dennis Schunke. Released via earMusic, the conceptual project drew inspiration from Christoph Hardebusch’s novel of the same name, contained only original material, and included spoken narration by John Rhys-Davies, performances by London Metro Voices and the Chorakademie Dortmund children’s choir, plus a contribution from Dark Sarah’s Heidi Parviainen. Critical reaction praised the songwriting and production, yet overseas sales outpaced those in Europe. Trust In Rust marked the arrival of Hagen Hirschmann, formerly of Logar’s Diary and Desilence. The eleven-track collection comprised nine originals together with Helloween’s “Ride the Sky”—delivered with guest vocals from Kai Hansen—and AC/DC’s “Hell’s Bells.” Multiple editions included a bonus disc of orchestral renditions performed solely by Scharf and Hirschmann.
A March 2021 trailer on Napalm’s YouTube channel revealed both the forthcoming eighth album and the return of Dennis Schunke as guest lead vocalist across all tracks alongside Hirschmann and Scharf. To The Power of Eight contains twelve songs, eight of them originals, and expands the trademark “rakkatakka” approach with phrasing drawn from European folk traditions and musical theater. Lead single “Falling Down” preceded covers of Amon Amarth’s “Raise Your Horns,” Iron Maiden’s “Run To The Hills,” AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck,” and Queen’s “I Want It All.” The album entered the streaming charts at number 26.
Dennis Schunke and Inga Scharf founded the project in 2006 together with “mimics” Stefan Schmidt, Ross Thompson, and Ingo Sterzinger plus drummer Dennis Strillinger, the latter later succeeded by Bastian Emig. A Storm to Come surfaced only months afterward and comprised seven original compositions plus the Metallica track and “Stora Rövardansen” from Ronja Rövardotter. Festival appearances alongside leading metal acts soon followed throughout Europe. On 30 September 2007 Strillinger departed and Bastian Emig assumed the drum chair. A subsequent contract with Gun Records led to Hero, recorded at Blind Guardian’s studio under producer Charlie Bauerfeind and issued in 2008. Half of its ten tracks were covers—Nightwish’s “Wishmaster,” Deep Purple’s “Stormbringer,” Manowar’s “Kings of Metal,” Iron Maiden’s “Fear of the Dark,” and Blind Guardian’s “The Bard’s Song”—while Hansi Kürsch guested on the original “Take To The Sky.” The album received extensive European airplay, charted domestically, and secured a Brazilian tour, a prominent Wacken Open Air slot, and a European run supporting Manowar; the band also finalized its move to Napalm.
Tribe of Force supplied further guest appearances from members of Rage, Sonata Arctica, and Grave Digger, the last of whom contributed the covered track “Rebellion.” Sold-out club dates across Europe preceded festival performances in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy, including a main-stage collaboration with Grave Digger at Wacken Open Air. That same year Van Canto appeared on Tarja Turunen’s “Anteroom Of Death” from What Lies Beneath. Break the Silence became the first release to register on Germany’s pop charts, landing inside the Top 30 while featuring Sabaton’s Joakim Brodén on a rendition of “Primo Victoria” alongside versions of Alice Cooper’s “Bed of Nails” and Manowar’s “Master of the Wind”; touring continued for more than eighteen months. Dawn of the Brave offered thirteen songs, ten of them originals that highlighted increasingly elaborate vocal arrangements. Although the set itself did not chart, its covers of Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid,” Europe’s “The Final Countdown,” and Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out for a Hero” gained wide DJ and audience attention, supporting headline theater engagements and main-stage festival billing. The band contributed vocals to Dark Sarah’s Behind The Black Veil, and in November 2015 Ingo Sterzinger exited, replaced by Jan Moritz of Stimmgewalt.
Voices of Fire represented the final recordings with primary lyricist and male lead Dennis Schunke. Released via earMusic, the conceptual project drew inspiration from Christoph Hardebusch’s novel of the same name, contained only original material, and included spoken narration by John Rhys-Davies, performances by London Metro Voices and the Chorakademie Dortmund children’s choir, plus a contribution from Dark Sarah’s Heidi Parviainen. Critical reaction praised the songwriting and production, yet overseas sales outpaced those in Europe. Trust In Rust marked the arrival of Hagen Hirschmann, formerly of Logar’s Diary and Desilence. The eleven-track collection comprised nine originals together with Helloween’s “Ride the Sky”—delivered with guest vocals from Kai Hansen—and AC/DC’s “Hell’s Bells.” Multiple editions included a bonus disc of orchestral renditions performed solely by Scharf and Hirschmann.
A March 2021 trailer on Napalm’s YouTube channel revealed both the forthcoming eighth album and the return of Dennis Schunke as guest lead vocalist across all tracks alongside Hirschmann and Scharf. To The Power of Eight contains twelve songs, eight of them originals, and expands the trademark “rakkatakka” approach with phrasing drawn from European folk traditions and musical theater. Lead single “Falling Down” preceded covers of Amon Amarth’s “Raise Your Horns,” Iron Maiden’s “Run To The Hills,” AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck,” and Queen’s “I Want It All.” The album entered the streaming charts at number 26.
Albums
