Van Canto

Van Canto is a German a capella group formed in 2006, describing their style ad “Hero Metal A Capella”. As of 2019, It is composed of six singers and one drummer. No guitars, bass or keyboards. Those instruments are replaced by the “rakkatakka” styled singing of some of the members. The lower rhythm vocalist, Stefan Schmidt, also uses vocal distortion technology to achieve the sound of an electric guitar, with which he sings rapid and complex “solos” in their songs.

Another element the band is known for is their covers of famous metal songs, sporting titles such as Metallica’s Master of Puppets and Battery, Iron Maiden’s Fear of the Dark, Black Sabbath’s Paranoid, and AC/DC’s Hell’s Bells. The band has also brought on many guest vocalists from other famous European Power Metal bands, such as Hansi Kursch, Joakim Broden, Tony Kakko and Chris Boltendahl; as well as guest guitarists Victor Smolski and Marcus Seipen.

(From left to right, bass vocalists Jan Moritz and Ingo “Ike” Sterzinger; lead vocalists Inga Scharf and Hagen “Hagel” Hirschmann; rhythm, or “rakkatakka” vocalist Stefan Schmidt; drummer Bastian Emig; and rakkatakka vocalist Ross Thompson.)

Van Canto has released 7 studio albums, and is currently with Napalm Record label company.