Just recently, Germany's medieval folk rockers Feuerschwanz announced their upcoming studio album, Memento Mori. Now, Feuerschwanz present a true ode to life with "Memento Mori", accompanied with a great audio-visual, which reveals the secret about the title track of the upcoming full-length.
 
With singing guitars, "Memento Mori" starts its heroic journey through epic soundscapes. The song emerges as a melodic rock anthem with familiar medieval character full of blazing guitar riffs and violin solos. Lyrically, Feuerschwanz encourage self-reflection on one's own existence in "Memento Mori" and confront with human transience, following the motto of living your life to the fullest - right here and right now.

Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Prinz Hodenherz on the new song: "The title track of the new album is the logical continuation of our previous album Das Elfte Gebot. The saying "Memento Mori" (Latin for "Be aware of mortality") originates from ancient Rome and was one of the main ideas in the poetry of the High Middle Ages as well as the Vanitas movement of German Romanticism. It is still a frequently quoted motif in the visual arts world today. In the song, the Gregorian chant "Dies Irae" (Latin for "Day of Wrath") is quoted with bagpipes, hurdy-gurdy and Hans’ heavy guitars.

Nerdfact: If you listen closely, you will also find the central motif of world-famous film scores, including the soundtrack of "The Lord of the Rings"!
What does all this have to do with  Feuerschwanz? Since the band was founded, it has always been about living in the here and now and celebrating existence. In ancient Rome there was a ritual where a slave stood or walked behind the victorious commander during the triumphal procession. He held a gold or laurel wreath over the head of the victorious and continuously admonished them with the waits "Memento Mori". To us this means: Even if you have something to celebrate - everything could be over at any moment! That's kind of what happened to us when we played by far our biggest headlining shows shortly before the pandemic began and our most successful album, Das Elfte Gebot, was released. For us as a band, it was a formative experience that united us even more and allowed us to look forward creatively.
We are looking forward to experiencing, enjoying and capturing all the great concert moments again together with our fans on Memento Mori... as if the ferryman was already standing by.

We invite everyone who, like us, thirsts for life."

Memento Mori, the follow-up to the successful album Das Elfte Gebot (#3 German charts), sings about great adventures, past battles and outstanding heroic deeds in typicalFeuerschwanz fashion. Feuerschwanz manage to stay true to their trademarks, and at the same time, venture musically into new realms.

Feuerschwanz on the new album: “You take nothing with you to your grave, except your coffin... Memento Mori is the direct successor to Die Letzte Schlacht! The world of Hauptmann Feuerschwanz is in flames, overrun by the living dead and scourged by religious zealots... All of this sounds frighteningly real, even in Anno Domini 2021, so it's time to defy the storm once again and celebrate life. Let's live here, let's live now - until death sharpens his knife!”

As a special highlight, some versions of Memento Mori will feature a bonus CD with seven cover songs by Manowar, Amon Amarth, but also O-Zone, among others.

Memento Mori will be available in the following formats:

- 2CD Mediabook + 40 pages booklet
- 1CD Jewel Case + 20 pages booklet
- Digital Album
- Digital Deluxe Album

Pre-order here.

2CD tracklsiting:

Disc 1:
"Memento Mori"
"Untot im Drachenboot"
"Ultima Nocte"
"Rausch der Barbarei"
"Krampus"
"Feuer & Schwert"
"Das Herz eines Drachen"
"Rohirrim"
"Am Galgen"
"Hannibal"
"Skaldenmet"

Disc 2:
"Blinding Lights"
"Warriors of the World United"
"Twilight of the Thunder God"
"The Bad Touch"
"Dragostea Din Tei"
"Square Hammer"
"Der Graf"

“Untot im Drachenboot” video:

A few days after album release, Feuerschwanz will go on an extended tour through Germany, Austria and Switzerland. They will be accompanied by fearless heavy metal kings Warkings.

Feuerschwanz are:

Hauptmann Feuerschwanz - vocals, guitar
Johanna von der Vögelweide - violin, hurdy-gurdy
Rollo - drums
Jarne Hodinsson - bass
Prinz Hodenherz - flutes, bagpipe, vocals, guitar
Hans der Aufrechte – guitar

(Photo - Nikolaj Georgiew)