Introducing: Bestiarium

Gather round our virtual campfire and prepare for German band Bestiarium to scare the bejeesus out of you by delving deep into the realms of mythology, tales of monsters and eerie beings of the night. The mysterious band have honed a thrilling black and death metal sound that they describe as “Dark Musical Poetry.”

The band, who choose to remain anonymous and perform in masks, was founded in late 2024 by bassist Phalanx and vocalist Plica, who’ve been friends for a long time and previously worked on various projects together. They moulded a concept and a few ideas over a few months to shape the Bestiarium sound, before recruiting three more members to complete the lineup.

In the band’s words: “In keeping with our concept to prioritise the dark aesthetic, the style, the scenery, and the music, we have decided to remain anonymous as individuals and perform masked as Bestiarium. (Expect) fast and heavy riffs paired with bone-shivering vocals and orchestral arrangements.”

Our first taste of this is Bestiarium’s second single La Llorona, named after a ghost from Hispanic American folklore, which was released at the end of last month. It opens up with deliciously contrasting male and female choral vocals, which continue under a piercing guitar and light, gradually building drums. That drops into a darting guitar lick that continues at pace under chunky chords and lively drums, which carry on in an intense opening verse led by wild vocals. The pace slows slightly as it all kinds of gothic with powerful vocals, before a darting lick comes in to support a vicious chorus. A fun riff takes over through another intense verse, then a filthy little slow riff gives way to guttural screams and screeching guitars, which tee up a final moody chorus.

On the track, they told us: “La Llorona has been received exceptionally well so far. The song is quite a bit heavier and is being understood exactly as intended: as a multi-layered love letter to the mosh pit. While our concept focuses on delivering a great show and multi-layered songs, the fun of moshing, dancing, and headbanging certainly won’t be neglected. Expect a heavy yet symphonic depiction that pulls you in harder than the rapids in the fairytale.”

That follows on from the band’s debut single Wendigo, a mythological humanoid creature or spirit from indigenous North American cultures, which was released in May. It starts out with haunting organ sounds that continue under big drums and drawn-out guitars with a bumbling bass under growled vocals. The drums pick the pace up as it launches into a barrage of vicious vocals and relentless drums, before flowing into a slightly more melodic verse and a big chorus supported by atmospheric backing vocals and instrumentals. A darting riff takes over and continues in another powerful verse, before a big chorus gives way to a melodic lick to bring the track to an end.

The Bestiarium sound has been heavily influenced by German metal bands like Kanonenfieber and Heaven Shall Burn. And they draw on the Gothenburg Metal scene, particularly bands that fall into death metal and melodic black metal.

And on what inspires them to write music, the band explains: “We always write our lyrics based on myths, sagas, legends, creatures, and monsters from all epochs of human history, collecting them in our Bestiarium.”

We’re intrigued by these mysterious, mythical German folk and there’s plenty more to come. Bestiarium will be releasing their debut five-track EP next year, with plans for additional singles already in the works. It also won’t be long until we get our first look at them with professional band photos and a video incoming – and we’re expecting wild mask activity. And there’s even more intrigue around their first looming gigs, as they promise “fire, lights and massive force” when they bring their EP to the live stage.

And the band adds: “Bestiarium is here to stay, and we want to grow; our dark, powerful scenery will sweep you away. So, become a chapter in our Bestiarium yourself – we are infinitely grateful for every form of support.”

You can follow Bestiarium on Instagram and TikTok, and check out their music on Spotify, Bandcamp, Apple Music and YouTube.