Dornenreich and Empyrium

Founded in 1996, Dornenreich are a German-language metal/folk band known for expressive German lyrics and intense live shows. Their third album earned an Impala Silver Award for 20,000+ copies sold in Europe; key albums include Her von welken Nächten and Freiheit.

Empyrium, a German folk/doom metal band founded in 1994 by Markus Stock (Ulf Theodor Schwadorf), blends symphonic death metal and neo-folk. Known for albums like Wintersunset, Turn of the Tides, and Über den Sternen, they have evolved from melancholic metal to acoustic and back. Notable for their early releases on Prophecy Productions, they’ve created a unique mystical atmosphere in their music. After a hiatus, they returned with a heavier sound in 2014.