So it’s come to my attention that nobody has posted anything on Hannes Grossmann’s Solo project since The Radial Covenant. For those that don’t know, Hannes’s track to tech death metal stardom started with Necrophagist’s Epitaph. He was then scooped up by Steffen Kummerer for Obscura, where his contributions to Cosmogenesis would help catapult the band to superstardom (at least in the underground world of death metal). He stayed on board to partake in the creation of Omnivium, another masterpiece and also released The Radial Covenant, his first solo album. While only six songs and a bonus track in length, it was filled with the Obscura-esque progressive tech death goodness that was sure to hold over fans until the next album. Then in mid 2014, both Hannes and Christian Muenzner left Obscura due to “creative differences.”
It wasn’t long before they formed Alkaloid, together with Linus Klausenitzer, Danny Tunker, and Morean. In late 2015, The Malkuth Grimoire was unleashed upon the world. Incorporating more progressive elements to the tech death formula, the album was hailed as a monumental achievement. The following year would see Hannes release another solo album, this one called The Crypts Of Sleep. Again, this album was filled with his signature riffs, technical drumming, and guest musicians including Fountainhead, Per Nillson, and Erik Rutan. The rest of Alkaloid also contributed to the album. Fast forward two and a half years and a second stellar Alkaloid release titled Liquid Anatomy. That brings us to February of 2019. A third Hannes Grossmann solo album is on the horizon. The two lead singles are already very promising, even if the first one was titled “The Flying Pizza Conundrum.” The second is called “Vacant Dreams” and has a melodic death metal feel before kicking you in the teeth with the signature tech death riffs Hannes is known for. It’s available now for pre-order on cd or digital though bandcamp for a March 11 release.
- Marc Kiesel
Links: Facebook // Official Website // Bandcamp
