“Our new material is the sound of a band that survived the storm”

Interview by Isa M.

Hello guys, first of all, welcome to Dioses del Metal. It’s a real pleasure to have you here.
Hi there! Thanks for having us, great to chat with you.

For those who might be discovering you right now, you’re a symphonic power metal band from Germany with a very distinctive mix of melodic power, dark atmospheres and symphonic elements. With that in mind… how would you describe Timeless Rage today as a band?
As you say, musically, we’ve found our home in something that we try to summarize with a “Dark Symphonic Power Metal” tag. We have some serious Symphonic Power Metal base, but it is not the «Happy Metal Falsetto» type. We opt for a rougher and punchier version with vocals that are in bariton range for many parts. We add influences from various darker sub-genres to spice things up. Combining Anna’s orchestral expertise with some raw and heavy riffs, adding Nicolaj’s versatile, gritty vocals and story telling, a lot of very different musical backgrounds overall, you get quite an interesting mix. In Reviews we have been categorized as Melodic, Symphonic, Prog, pure Power Metal. This might be very much depending on the background of the listener and possibly the first songs they listened to. So to anyone new: give us and our new album a chance! You simply can not judge Timeless Rage by one song or even by the first minute. Stick around for a few songs and let the atmosphere and story grab you —there is a song on “My Kingdom Come” for everyone. Every review has picked another songs as “the best ones”. We think that says it all.

Your journey hasn’t been easy — line-up changes, lost momentum, even the pandemic hitting right when things were coming together. With that in mind, do you feel like this is the strongest version of Timeless Rage so far?
Absolutely! If this band were a video game character, we’ve finally gathered enough XP to unlock the «Ultimate Form.» Yes, the journey had more twists than a progressive metal solo, and the pandemic certainly tried to put us in «eternal pause» mode. But honestly, those hurdles acted like a filter. Today, Timeless Rage is a powerful six-piece machine that finally clicked. We have a line-up where everyone is pulling in the same direction—partly because we actually like each other, and not just “work” the band. This is definitely the most cohesive and «dangerous» version of Timeless Rage. Just check how we evolved and listen to the new material—it’s the sound of a band that survived the storm. To our fans who stuck by us through the «quiet» years: your patience is the fuel in our tank. Thank you for staying metal and keeping the flame alive while we were busy reloading!

Let’s go back to the beginning for a moment. The band really found its identity around 2012 after some major changes. How did that transformation happen? Was there a clear vision of playing symphonic power metal or did it come together naturally over time?
Going back to our roots, it is quite a funny story because Timeless Rage has once started in much harsher territory—being originally more of an eperimental Extreme Metal act. After several lineup changes around 2012, it was our guitar player Michael who to some degree enforced the massive transformation and first vocalist change to clean vox and Symphonic Power Metal. From there it wasn’t necessarily a «grand master plan» from day one, but rather a natural evolution. As the lineup changed, so did our musical influences. We realized we all loved the combination of heavy riffs, harmonies, and melodies. We kept some of that original «brachial» energy so we can use it as a color for contrast. So more a mix of «thundering storms and delicate whispers» than an “always on” scream into the void.

Your sound plays a lot with contrast. Your music mixes catchy power metal with darker, more mystical elements, but also moments of hope and light. Is that something you consciously aim for, or is it just the natural result of six different minds colliding?
It’s definitely a bit of both! We see the strength of Symphonic Power Metal in its ability to be both a «thundering storm» and a «delicate whisper».
On one hand, it’s the natural result of six very different minds colliding. Our musical memories are a wild mix ranging from «dark and evil» to «Happy Metal». Because we have so many different backgrounds at the table, we naturally pull in different directions. One of us might want a verse to feel as grim as Dimmu Borgir, while another wants a chorus as uplifting as Stratovarius.
On the other hand, we do consciously aim for these contrasts to keep things interesting. For our latest work, My Kingdom Come, we purposely included more «tension arcs,» combining epic energy with very fragile, minimalistic moments to reflect the complex characters in our stories. We’ve never wanted to write the same song ten times, so we intentionally explore different emotional landscapes and tempos.
To anyone who hasn’t heard us yet: expect the unexpected! You might get a ritualistic drum beat one moment and a catchy melodic hook the next. We are so thankful to our fans for embracing this variety—it’s your support that allows us to keep experimenting and pushing our own boundaries!

Talking about your sound, from Forecast to Untold and now to My Kingdom Come, there’s been quite an evolution. How would you describe that journey musically? Do you feel like you’ve finally found your true sound?
Our musical journey has been a wild ride with a new voice on every major release. Looking back at the Forecast EP (2013), you can hear the band’s tendencies in it’s early form already. You find the rougher and darker influences in “Breathless” and the other songs cover guite some ground in terms of influences from other Metal sub-genres. There is “Pirate Metal”, “Oriental/Ethnic Metal” and even some traditional Power Metal. While all of this is still part of our DNA, we think that we have evolved significantly through the years moving toward a much more refined and epic sound.
With Untold (2022), we have proven already that we can get a “polished” Production while still maintaining the rough and raw energy. We again pushed the boundaries in terms of variation. Compare songs like “Warrior”, “Ocean Twilight” and “2 Elements” for example. However, Untold (2022) was a collection of strong songs that didn’t necessarily follow a common thread.

Now, with My Kingdom Come, we’ve just taken everything to the next level. It is a concept album intentionally designed to explore different tempos and emotional landscapes in multiple ways. It’s a journey through many territories in terms of vocal style, musical influences and lyrical themes. Symphonic Power Thrash about failure? Check “We All Shall Fall”! Blackened Symphonic Power Metal about inner conflict ? Check “The Enemy Is You”. More Traditional Power Metal? “Conquistadores” has you covered.

Do we feel we’ve found our «true» sound? Absolutely! While every song intentionally grabs you in a different way, we can proudly say the result is finally, undeniably Timeless Rage in it’s best form.

With Untold in 2022 you came back with a new line-up and very strong reviews, and then new singles introduced Nicolaj as vocalist and Daniel on bass. How did these new members change the chemistry of the band?
The additions of Nicolaj and Daniel have been game-changers for our chemistry and skills effectively turning us into a «super 6-piece team». It feels like they’ve been part of the family forever, even though we had to briefly tie Nicolaj to a radiator in the rehearsal room to make sure he didn’t escape when we tried to recruite him.Nicolaj brings a massive amount of versatility and a «gritty» edge to the vocals that perfectly complements our darker symphonic sound. Beyond his voice, he has a real knack for storytelling, having penned the complex lyrical concept for My Kingdom Come. As a former bandmate of Nicolaj’s solo project, Daniel slid right into the rhythm section with ease. It only took one phone call to «lure» him in, mostly because there was still a spare spot at the radiator for him. He is creative, a workhorse and has tons of humor, so we think we can keep him. Maybe. If he behaves.
And speaking of the present, your new album My Kingdom Come shows a lot of variety — from darker and heavier influences to more melodic or even atmospheric moments. What was the main idea or feeling behind this album?
For our new album My Kingdom Come, we really wanted to push our writing philosophy to the next level. While our previous work already touched on various moods, this album is a much more intentional journey through different territories. So the story defined the mood and tempo for every song. The core concept follows the classic conflict between God and Lucifer, exploring themes of authority, rebellion, and self-determination. We wanted to capture the complex characters of these two opponents by using epic energy and maximum contrast leading to some agressive and some very fragile, minimalistic parts. We even moved away from the typical «power metal gallop» in some tracks, using ritualistic, heavy drums instead, while one song has no drums at all to create a specific atmosphere, anticipation and let the next one hit even harder. Because we added more writers with different musical backgrounds this time, the album naturally became a “wild mix”. We love it when we can go from gritty traditional to modern epic or from haunting stripped-back to melodic bombastic moments.

You’ve shared the stage with bands like U.D.O., Battle Beast, Beyond the Black or Serenity, which is no small thing. Looking back, what have those experiences meant for you as a band?
Sharing the stage with such legends and powerhouses have been a massive highlights for us. These experiences taught us a lot about the professionalism and energy required at that level. Watching these bands up close helped us refine our own stage presence and understand how to truly connect with a large crowd. Being selected as support for such namable acts gave us the confidence and validation and then a “do or die” test to prove that our sound can hold its own on big stages. And there is nothing quite like the adrenaline of a festival or a support slot to remind us why we spend so many hours in the rehearsal room. It’s that special «kick» that keeps us motivated to write even better songs.

At the same time, your story also includes difficult periods — line-up struggles, lost opportunities, even the pandemic right when things were getting stable. During those moments, what kept you going?
Honestly, it was a mix of stubbornness, friendship, and a shared passion for making music! There were definitely moments where it felt like the universe was trying to tell us to take up knitting instead of metal—especially when the pandemic hit just as we were finally finding our rhythm again. What kept us going was the realization that for us Timeless Rage is more than just a project. Even during the «quiet» years, we never stopped talking or sharing ideas. We have a rule in the band: if a song doesn’t «kick» everyone in the rehearsal room, it doesn’t make the cut. That collective excitement when a new riff finally clicks is like a drug—it makes you forget about the lineup struggles and the lost shows. Also, we have never lost the support of the scene. Knowing there were people out there waiting for Untold and then My Kingdom Come gave us the push to keep going.

Let’s talk about the scene for a moment. From your perspective as a German band, how do you see the current metal scene in Europe? Is metal evolving… or just surviving?
It’s definitely evolving! If you look at our home region in the Black Forest, there’s a strong lean toward darker, harsher sounds like Black or Death Metal and more modern sounds with more “core” in it. Metal isn’t just surviving; it’s becoming more diverse. People put strange instruments in it and create something completely new, you see more technical skill than ever—thanks to the «YouTube generation»—and more women on stages, which is fantastic for the scene.
Is it harder for a band to get noticed today with so much going on? Absolutely. It’s a crowded world, and social media can feel like two full-time jobs. But as long as there are fans who are willing to look past the big headliners and support their local clubs and underground bands, the scene will keep breathing.
To anyone reading this: Be the evolution! Support the bands you haven’t heard of yet. Give a new track more than a minute of your time before skipping. If you like it, tell a friend. That’s how the scene stays alive. We are so grateful to be part of this community—without the fans, we’d just be six people making a lot of noise somewhere in the Black Forest!

Looking ahead, with everything you’ve been through and everything you’ve built, where do you want Timeless Rage to go next? What would be a dream milestone for you?
Our next big goal is simply to stay as loud and visible as possible! After all the line-up changes and «forced breaks,» we want to make sure there are significantly more «signs of life» from us than in previous years. We’re already back in the creative zone, writing songs that we love and hoping to hit the stage much more frequently now that things are predictable again. Getting some more people involved behind the scenes can surely help us a ton. As for a dream milestone? Well, to play at Wacken is an open checkbox for us. Beyond the Holy Ground, we’d love to take our sound to international fans—a tour through Mexico or South America is high on our bucket list because the support from there on social media and on streaming providers has been absolutely overwhelming. This interview might help to get us one step closer to that, so thanks again for the opportunity!

And to close, a classic question here… For you, who are the true “Gods of Metal”?
That’s the «holy grail» of interview questions! If you ask the six of us, you’ll get a wild mix of answers that range from “Where it all came from”, «Happy Metal» “Progressive” to «Dark and Evil». Since our musical backgrounds are so diverse, our personal «Gods» are spread across the entire metal spectrum. For some of us, the path was paved by the Grandfathers like Deep Purple or Iron Maiden, others prefer the legends of the golden days of Power Metal like Hammerfall, Stratovarius or Primal Fear, while others think musicianship peaks at Dream Theater or Symphony X. Some find their inspiration in much darker territory, leaning towards the atmospheric intensity of bands like Dimmu Borgir, Omnium Gatherum or Behemoth. The common denominator for all of us, however, is anyone who successfully combines massive melodies, rich harmonies, and raw heaviness.

Thanks guys for your time! It’s been a pleasure.
The pleasure was all ours! Thank you for the great chat and for giving us the platform to share our story. Metal is all about community, so we appreciate your support very much.