Markus Frost

Adorned Brood

Germany's ADORNED BROOD was formed back in 1993 and has just released their either studio album "Kunngaz" through Massacre Records. Their style of folk metal is drenched in German folklore. It is an important part of their sound and vision. Dorothy was able to talk with Vocalist and Bassist Markus Frost about the inspiration behind ADORNED BROOD.

By Dorothy Cheng

• April 8, 2013

Greetings from Metal Temple, Markus! Thanks for taking the time to talk to us. How are you doing?

Thanks for this interview and for spreading the word. I'm fine. Hope you are fine, too.

To kick off this interview – why did the band choose the name ADORNED BROOD? Is there a particular symbolism within the meaning of the name that you try to carry out in your music?

To sum it up: For us the name means "the wolf in sheepskin". I think this describes our music very good, because we combine very hard Metal Riffs with calm acoustic passages.

As a band hailing from Germany, how has German culture impacted the message and music of the band? What about German culture influences the way you execute the art of folk metal?

Maybe one could say we are influenced a bit by European classical music, because our flutist Anne and our guitarist Jan both have a classical background. Our lyrics are inspired by the ancient sagas and especially by stories about our forefather's way of life.

ADORNED BROOD has been around from over a decade. How has the band grown together and how has the band's sound changed over these years?

There have been a lot of challenges and hard times in our band history. But somehow we ever managed to go on doing what we love! I think this helps a band to grow together like nothing else. Of course our music style has changed over the time and I think that this change was a continuous progress. Our music has a lot more facets than ever before, but we still stick to our older songs and play some of them live.

What inspired ADORNED BROOD to play Folk Metal?

The melodies of folk music and the hard beauty of Metal ever fascinated me. When we founded the band, we wanted to combine these two music styles and underline them with a traditional instrument. At this time, there were no or just a few bands playing this style.

Is there a particular work of art (book, movie, poem, or music album) that has had a major influence on you or the band's work?

A book that had a very big influence on me is the Edda. Of course there are other books, that also inspire me, but it was mainly the Edda, that pushed me towards singing about the old gods and warriors.

What are some of the most memorable moments during the album's making? Was there a particular event or happening that served as a catalyst to begin a particular writing process?

There was this moment when I came up with a very catchy chorus line. The band was immediately enthusiastic about it and made a great song out of it. This song became the title track "Kuningaz." I think this was the creative impulse that got things rolling.

Are there any tracks within "Kuningaz" that have cemented themselves as some of your favorites? What is the significance that such tracks carry for you?

The song "We Are Legion" is very important for me. It is about cohesion and about being one strong company. It is kind of a hymn for us as a band.

I understand that kuningaz is a Common Germanic term that has now come to meaning "king". With songs like "Victory or Valhall", "A War Poem", and "We Are Legion" and within the context of the meanings of such names, would you say "Kuningaz" is one the band's more aggressive, powerful albums? Why choose the name "Kuningaz?"

Yes, "Kuningaz" is the most aggressive but also the most melodic album of us so far. The term "Kuningaz" stands for Herman the Cherusker. He was a military leader who defeated the Romans in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest.

Is there a running storyline in "Kuningaz" that would make it a concept album? What are the themes of this album and what is the significance of such themes?

"Kuningaz" is not a concept album. We tried to mix modern themes with ancient myths. There is even a song about love. Or is it about sex? Find it out.

In your opinion, should music always have that duality to it as executed by ADORNED BROOD? For instance, your music has always had that softer edge accompanied by a brutal side. Art, in its whole, basks in duality. What do you think of music or bands that only walk in one direction and pay no heed to duality?

There are also a lot of bands that play a very straight style, but they are also very good. For me, music must have interesting aspects to be good. And it is not that important, if there are e.g. a lot of groovy rhythms or if there is a strong duality between hard and soft passages.

Finally, thank you very much for your time. Metal Temple is honored to have you and we wish ADORNED BROOD the best of luck in all future endeavors!

Thanks again for the interview and greetings to all ADORNED BROOD fans out there. Feel free to visit us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Adorned.Brood
See you at one of our shows.

Stay Brood

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