Sternweh is a melodic black metal/dark metal project with subtle folk elements and German lyrics. I also like to call it—half-jokingly—“Dark Manticore.” It’s exactly the kind of music you should listen to at night in the woods, when the stars twinkle mysteriously and you’re not sure who or what is hiding behind the trees.
2.A few months back you released your first full length, can you tell us a little bit about the musical style that you went for on the recording?
When writing songs, I usually started by strumming out melodies on my acoustic guitar and harmonizing them with the lyrics. As a rule, I was looking for something that sounded melancholic and unfamiliar, but not hopeless. I usually record the vocals clean first to see if they work for me, and only then do I replace them with screams. After that I add the distorted guitars, the heaviness, and the explosiveness, and finally, I spice the whole thing up with clean vocal parts (by me or my wife) and instruments like the kalimba, handpan, or xylophone.
3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored so far with the music?
The songs deal with longing in various ways. “Für das, was war,” for example, is about the longing for a life one once had but can never regain. “Den Tausend Wegen” is dedicated to the paths in life that one once chose not to take. The title track “Sehnflucht” and the song “Mehr als Vestand” explore the desperate desire to break free from everyday life, while “Feenfeuer,” “Ruf aus dem Moor,” and “Sterngeborgen” each trace, in their own way, the search for a mystical dream world.
4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Sternweh'?
The band’s name is a combination of the German words “Stern” (star) and “Fernweh” (which translates to “wanderlust,” but includes the word “weh,” meaning pain, so you could also translate it as “starpain”). In general, that’s exactly what Sternweh is all about: the search for something intangible and the gathering of the fleeting shadows and fragments of it that can be found in our world. It thus combines the cosmic despair of living in such a sober reality with the joy of being able to grasp at least a glimmer of magic—which, however, is also linked to a painful longing.
5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
You’re very welcome. In it, you can see a faun setting out to escape the prison of everyday life. You can also see this as a symbol of the mythical creature—the free being that lies within all of us. It flees from one thicket into the next unknown thicket and is visible in this world only for a fleeting moment. Just like us.
6.With this project you record most of the music by yourself, are you open to working with a full line up or do you prefer to work solo?
Even though there are advantages to working alone, I’d definitely be interested in collaborating with other musicians. For the songs I’m currently working on, I’m also in touch with a musician from another band of mine (Trümmertiefen), who will likely contribute some drum parts. But I’m generally open to working with other musicians, if only because it would open up the possibility of live performances.
7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
No one has approached me yet. But I'd be open to it if the right offer came along.
8.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?
The reactions so far have been mostly positive. Naturally, the music doesn’t go over quite as well with black metal traditionalists and purists, but it definitely resonates with anyone who likes things a bit more melodic and experimental. Fun fact: I’ve even gotten feedback from a non-metalhead who described the music as unbearable noise but praised the quality of the lyrics. Conversely, there are also plenty of people internationally who don’t understand the German lyrics but still find the atmosphere speaks to them. Personally, I find that particularly exciting.
9.You also work as a horror and fantasy author, can you tell us a little bit more about the material you have written so far?
Among other things, I’m working on two series of novels. One, "Fortgeschritten (“Advanced") revolves around a bored man from a small village who finds a travel brochure that teleports him from one sinister, nightmarish world to the next, while simultaneously awakening in him a delusional desire to see more and more of them. Then there’s "Knochenwald" (“Bone Forest”). The series is about a sinister parallel world that seeps into ours and features, among other things, giant maggots, a necrophiliac police officer, and a supernatural black metal band (“Knochenherz”). The latter has also inspired a music project of my own, which comes across as significantly rawer and more cynical than Sternweh. Aside from that, I regularly write short stories on dark themes such as decay, dystopian visions of the future, or possible apocalypses.
10.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?
To be honest, I actually find it interesting not to know exactly right now. I’m sort of looking forward to facing the unknown. But in any case, I want to continue exploring my sound, opening up new sonic worlds, and I’d love to be able to do that with other musicians as well. Everything else will fall into place.
11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
I think I was definitely influenced by projects like “Dornenreich,” “Alcest,” “Eisregen,” or “Eden weint im Grab” when it comes to the genre. Then there’s the band “Sentenced”—which, unfortunately, no longer exists—that’s a huge inspiration for me, at least in terms of atmosphere and emotional pain. But I also have a real soft spot for dark and gothic rock. I mainly listen to the German band “ASP,” but also “End of Green” or classics like “Sisters of Mercy" and "Paradise Lost". And in the metal scene, bands like “The Man Eating Tree,” “Katatonia,”, „Nightwish,“ or “Blind Guardian.” In general, my tastes are pretty broad.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
First of all, I’d like to thank everyone who takes the time to listen to my music. And then, maybe a little message to everyone who’s feeling depressed about their lives and this messed-up state of the world. Don’t give up. There’s more to the world than just this gloom out there. You still have your imagination—and through it, there’s an inner world to explore that doesn’t have to be all about pain and depression. It’s also home to the strange, distant murmur of the fauns.1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the solo project?
Sternweh is a melodic black metal/dark metal project with subtle folk elements and German lyrics. I also like to call it—half-jokingly—“Dark Manticore.” It’s exactly the kind of music you should listen to at night in the woods, when the stars twinkle mysteriously and you’re not sure who or what is hiding behind the trees.
2.A few months back you released your first full length, can you tell us a little bit about the musical style that you went for on the recording?
When writing songs, I usually started by strumming out melodies on my acoustic guitar and harmonizing them with the lyrics. As a rule, I was looking for something that sounded melancholic and unfamiliar, but not hopeless. I usually record the vocals clean first to see if they work for me, and only then do I replace them with screams. After that I add the distorted guitars, the heaviness, and the explosiveness, and finally, I spice the whole thing up with clean vocal parts (by me or my wife) and instruments like the kalimba, handpan, or xylophone.
3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you have explored so far with the music?
The songs deal with longing in various ways. “Für das, was war,” for example, is about the longing for a life one once had but can never regain. “Den Tausend Wegen” is dedicated to the paths in life that one once chose not to take. The title track “Sehnflucht” and the song “Mehr als Vestand” explore the desperate desire to break free from everyday life, while “Feenfeuer,” “Ruf aus dem Moor,” and “Sterngeborgen” each trace, in their own way, the search for a mystical dream world.
4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Sternweh'?
The band’s name is a combination of the German words “Stern” (star) and “Fernweh” (which translates to “wanderlust,” but includes the word “weh,” meaning pain, so you could also translate it as “starpain”). In general, that’s exactly what Sternweh is all about: the search for something intangible and the gathering of the fleeting shadows and fragments of it that can be found in our world. It thus combines the cosmic despair of living in such a sober reality with the joy of being able to grasp at least a glimmer of magic—which, however, is also linked to a painful longing.
5.Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the new album cover?
You’re very welcome. In it, you can see a faun setting out to escape the prison of everyday life. You can also see this as a symbol of the mythical creature—the free being that lies within all of us. It flees from one thicket into the next unknown thicket and is visible in this world only for a fleeting moment. Just like us.
6.With this project you record most of the music by yourself, are you open to working with a full line up or do you prefer to work solo?
Even though there are advantages to working alone, I’d definitely be interested in collaborating with other musicians. For the songs I’m currently working on, I’m also in touch with a musician from another band of mine (Trümmertiefen), who will likely contribute some drum parts. But I’m generally open to working with other musicians, if only because it would open up the possibility of live performances.
7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
No one has approached me yet. But I'd be open to it if the right offer came along.
8.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black metal?
The reactions so far have been mostly positive. Naturally, the music doesn’t go over quite as well with black metal traditionalists and purists, but it definitely resonates with anyone who likes things a bit more melodic and experimental. Fun fact: I’ve even gotten feedback from a non-metalhead who described the music as unbearable noise but praised the quality of the lyrics. Conversely, there are also plenty of people internationally who don’t understand the German lyrics but still find the atmosphere speaks to them. Personally, I find that particularly exciting.
9.You also work as a horror and fantasy author, can you tell us a little bit more about the material you have written so far?
Among other things, I’m working on two series of novels. One, "Fortgeschritten (“Advanced") revolves around a bored man from a small village who finds a travel brochure that teleports him from one sinister, nightmarish world to the next, while simultaneously awakening in him a delusional desire to see more and more of them. Then there’s "Knochenwald" (“Bone Forest”). The series is about a sinister parallel world that seeps into ours and features, among other things, giant maggots, a necrophiliac police officer, and a supernatural black metal band (“Knochenherz”). The latter has also inspired a music project of my own, which comes across as significantly rawer and more cynical than Sternweh. Aside from that, I regularly write short stories on dark themes such as decay, dystopian visions of the future, or possible apocalypses.
10.Where do you see yourself heading into as a musician during the future?
To be honest, I actually find it interesting not to know exactly right now. I’m sort of looking forward to facing the unknown. But in any case, I want to continue exploring my sound, opening up new sonic worlds, and I’d love to be able to do that with other musicians as well. Everything else will fall into place.
11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
I think I was definitely influenced by projects like “Dornenreich,” “Alcest,” “Eisregen,” or “Eden weint im Grab” when it comes to the genre. Then there’s the band “Sentenced”—which, unfortunately, no longer exists—that’s a huge inspiration for me, at least in terms of atmosphere and emotional pain. But I also have a real soft spot for dark and gothic rock. I mainly listen to the German band “ASP,” but also “End of Green” or classics like “Sisters of Mercy" and "Paradise Lost". And in the metal scene, bands like “The Man Eating Tree,” “Katatonia,”, „Nightwish,“ or “Blind Guardian.” In general, my tastes are pretty broad.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
First of all, I’d like to thank everyone who takes the time to listen to my music. And then, maybe a little message to everyone who’s feeling depressed about their lives and this messed-up state of the world. Don’t give up. There’s more to the world than just this gloom out there. You still have your imagination—and through it, there’s an inner world to explore that doesn’t have to be all about pain and depression. It’s also home to the strange, distant murmur of the fauns.
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