FLESHCRAWL

Few are the bands that can say they’ve made it for 40 years. Germany’s FLESHCRAWL is one of the few. If you’re looking for an example of bull-headed persistence in the underground metal industry, look no further. FLESHCRAWL has written the book, even managing to survive the tragic passing of a former frontman.

2026 sees these death metal fiends releasing their latest epic of mayhem, “Epitome Of Carnage”. As with all FLESHCRAWL albums, this one reeks of good old Swedish death metal and is full to the brim with tales of killers, zombies and gory demise. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! A cliche to be sure, but all cliches are rooted in some kind of truth.

Drummer Bastian Herzog has been there since the very beginning. It was certainly an honor to speak to this true veteran of the metal wars…

WORMWOOD CHRONICLES: Greetings and hails to FLESHCRAWL! The band can trace its’ origins to 1987…a different world back then! Does it seem like a long time since the band started or have the years gone by in a flash?

BASTIAN HERZOG: No, next year, in 2027, it will already be 40 years. It definitely didn’t go by quickly. Over that time, the band went through many ups and downs. We had numerous lineup changes over the years, several breaks, both intentional and unintentional creative pauses, and of course the tragic passing of Sven, vocalist.

While all of those things were happening, it often felt like an eternity. Looking back now, it somehow all seems easy, fast-moving, and straightforward, but it really wasn’t. And who would have thought back in 1987 that we’d still be going strong today? Nobody.

 WC: The band has lasted through many phases of metal. Was there ever a time when you thought FLESHCRAWL was done or was there never a doubt you’d continue?

BH: There were certainly doubts over the years about whether the band should continue or call it a day. Those doubts usually came up during major lineup changes, because every time that happened, we basically had to start over and bring new people up to speed.The most recent moment like that was, of course, when Sven became ill and eventually passed away. At that point, we had to seriously ask ourselves whether there was still a future for the band.

But despite all the challenges over the years, one thing never changed: our passion for music and our love for death metal. In the end, that was always the decisive reason why we picked ourselves up again, got back on track, and kept going. And of course also the feeling that we simply haven’t reached the end of the road yet. There are still plenty of things left on our bucket list.

WC: What was the band or the concert that introduced you to the power of extreme metal? Was your love for real heavy sounds there since the beginning?

BH: That was when I attended one of SLAYER's shows on the “South of Heaven” tour here in Germany. That blew me away, especially the kick and snare was killing me. From that day onwards I just wanted to play extreme metal music! I actually got into heavy metal in general when a friend of mine gave me a tape with OZZY and PRIEST on it. That was 1983. I ditched any other stuff I listened to before haha. Bought my 1st two LPs in 1984, “Powerslave” and “Ride the Lightning”.

WC: The band has been through many members over the years. Has the songwriting process stayed basically the same or has it changed?

BH: No, the songwriting process is still exactly the same for us. The guitarists mainly write the music, either coming in with finished songs already or with individual fragments and riffs, which we then piece together, arrange, try out, and jam on.That’s how it used to be as well. So in terms of songwriting itself, nothing has really changed.

There is always music first, and then the lyrics are written - but first we look for a fitting song title. So it’s music first, then the song title, and then the lyrics are created.That approach and way of working has always been the same for us.The only difference now is that more people are involved in the songwriting. As I already mentioned, that includes the guitarists, but also our singer Borisz, and myself also contribute something to it.

WC: What’s the chemistry of the members like right now? Would you say FLESHCRAWL is now the best it’s ever been or are you still working towards that goal?

BH: In terms of band chemistry, I would say this lineup is definitely the best the band has ever had. We all get along really well, and that’s also why songs like the ones you hear on “Epitome of Carnage” come about. As for band chemistry, that wasn’t always the case in the past. There were occasional small conflicts and skirmishes between individual band members, between some of them. And that wasn’t good for the overall atmosphere within the band.

WC: The band’s subject matter has always remained the same…zombies, killers, monsters. What would you say to those who say it’s just cliched stuff?

BH: Exactly, our themes have always been death, the devil, blood, destruction, and other typical death metal clichés. And that’s exactly how it should be, because bluntness is king. FLESHCRAWL has never been a band that tells elaborate stories.

WC:“Epitome Of Carnage” is the latest FLESHCRAWL. What were the specific goals you were trying to achieve with this one?

BH: First of all, we simply wanted to deliver a follow-up to the 2019 album “Into the Catacombs of Flesh”, which was the ninth record at the time, and we definitely wanted to release album number 10, which is now “Epitome of Carnage”. Back in 2019 and 2020, there were quite some people who weren’t really satisfied with “Into the Catacombs of Flesh”. And we didn’t want to - and couldn’t - just leave it like that.

Furthermore, with the formation of the new lineup featuring two new guitarists and also a new singer, it was clear that we needed a strong new musical statement. And that’s exactly what we wanted to deliver - properly, so that the band gets fully back on track and we can show everyone that we are still a force to be reckoned with.

With this new album, we also deliberately aimed to move more back towards an old-school direction - more old-school than before. Essentially, it’s a good mix of different trademarks that FLESHCRAWL has always stood for: an old-school sound, but with a bit of a modern touch here and there, and of course catchy riffs and melodies. That has always been part of what we do.

WC: This is your first record for Distortion Music Group, which is a part of Reigning Phoenix label. How did this deal come about? Were other labels interested in signing you?

BH: We created a demo with a few songs toward the end of the songwriting process. We then sent this demo to various record labels - basically labels we were interested in. We did receive several offers in return.In the end, however, Reigning Phoenix Music made us the best offer, and we obviously couldn’t really say no to that. We are also very happy with that decision.

WC: In 2021, you lost your lead singer Sven…a terrible blow for any band. How difficult was the process of finding a suitable replacement?

BH: We held several auditions and tried out different singers. There were quite a few good people here and there. However, in one case the person didn’t have the time, in another the voice wasn’t quite right, and somehow there was always something that didn’t fully fit with anyone. At that time, Borisz had a cover of our song “Beneath a Dying Sun” on YouTube - a guitar and vocal cover. That really blew us away, so we got in touch with him and asked whether he could imagine joining us.

Logistically, it was of course a bit more complicated because he lives in Budapest. But in the end, the logistics didn’t matter. We ultimately decided for him because it fits perfectly on a personal level, and because he is also able to deliver the songs vocally in the same way Sven used to.

WC: FLESHCRAWL has always been a busy live band. What are some of the touring plans for “Epitome Of Carnage”?

BH: We’ll first be playing a few festivals over the summer, such as Underground Deathfest, Obscene Extreme in the Czech Republic, Party.San Open Air as well as a few other festivals and standalone shows.Then in November we’ll do a smaller European tour with 11 dates alongside AVULSEDand VIOLENTOR, and in December we’ll head to Spain for five shows. We’ll see what else 2026 still has in store for us.

And in 2027, we want to attack a lot more live, armed with “Epitome of Carnage”.

WC: Any chance for some U.S. shows?

BH: In fact, we are currently working on and planning some U.S. shows, but it’s still too early to say more about it.

WC: Are you or any of the other band members involved in other bands or projects? Or is FLESHCRAWL the only musical outlet for you all?

BH: I don’t play in any other bands myself, because I simply don’t have the time for it.

Borisz is also the singer and plays guitar in his other death metal band called DEPRIVED OF SALVATION. Our guitarist Chris is also active in GUTFUCK.And our other guitarist Apu is involved in various other bands such as MOTORCULT, KHAOS,  and a few other additional projects.

WC: If you could have dinner with any 3 people for history, who would they be?

BH: I don’t go to dinner, only to breakfast, hahaha

WC: Has FLESHCRAWL ever had a “Spinal Tap” moment where things went crazy that you could share with us?

BH: Somehow we keep having these Spinal Tap moments, especially when it comes to the band name. It sometimes gets written as “Flashcrawl” with an “A”, or “Fleshgrowl” with G -O, or stuff like “Fleshcrawler”, or all sorts of strange mix-ups. It seems like, in general, things sometimes just tend to go wrong for us. No goddamn idea why haha!

WC: Are you already thinking ahead to your next album or is it too soon to ask?

BH: We have in fact already started writing songs for the follow-up album, but it’s still far too early to say anything concrete. We’re simply collecting ideas, riffs, and sometimes small song fragments, and then we’ll see where the journey takes us.

WC:Any last words for all the fans out there?

BH: Thanx a lot to everyone out there who‘s supporting or supported us in the past and right now! Keep on listening to old school death metal cause it is the real deal!

FLESHCRAWL