Germany’s Der Weg einer Freiheit – one of The Bad Penny‘s favorite black-metal bands that are criminally.underrated in the U.S. – recently checked in with us to discuss the refashioned version of their rad record Innern sans vocals. Watch the compelling conversation with guitarist Nikita Kamprad and bassist Alan Noruspur as they explain why they made the unorthodox decision to issue an alternate version of the record, which we declared one of the best metal albums of 2025.
Continue readingArchive for Der Weg Einer Freiheit
German Black-Metal Behemoths Der Weg einer Freiheit Explain Why They Re-Released ‘Innern’ Sans Vocals
Posted in Features, Interviews, The Visionaries, Videos with tags Alan Noruspur, Der Weg Einer Freiheit, Nikita Kamprad on 11/06/2026 by Kurt OrzeckThe 10 Best German Heavy Bands, According to Native Black-Metal Sons Der Weg einer Freiheit (Exclusive)
Posted in Exclusives, Features, Interviews, Lists with tags A Secret Revealed, Der Weg Einer Freiheit, Heisskalt, Heretoir, Imperium Dekadenz, Lantlôs, Lunar Aurora, Nagelfar, Nocte Obducta, Zerre on 09/17/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
As musically gifted as they are hyper-intelligent, as hyper-intelligent as they are kind, and as kind as they are wise, there was no better band to approach than atmospheric black-metal masters Der Weg einer Freiheit for The Bad Penny Passport‘s stop in Germany. That’s the name we’re calling our latest series, in which we check in with musicians in countries across the globe to get the real deal on the best bands their homelands have to offers. We’re blown away by your positive reception of the series, dear readers; we surmise it’s because you’re refreshed to be getting listening recommendations from musicians instead of Spotify, the algorithm or AI.
On Friday, Der Weg einer Freiheit released an instrumental version of Innern, the studio album they released last year, and we’ll bring you an interview with vocalist/guitarist Nikita Kamprad and bassist Alan Noruspur post-haste. But before we do, we’re gifting to you a list of Germany’s top 10 metal bands that Kamprad – one of our best comrades, and who we’ve interviewed before – in turn gifted to us. (Der Weg deserve a lofty place on the list, but Kamprad is too humble to have put his own band on it.)
Without further ado, here’s his list, with generously ample descriptions of the featured bands and explanations as to why they deserve to be on it.
Continue readingNew Releases 9.11.26: Fluisteraars, Locust, Green Lung, Frogs, Shudder to Think, Pixies, Der Weg einer Freiheit
Posted in Lists, New Releases, Videos with tags Der Weg Einer Freiheit, Dreadnought, Fluisteraars, Frogs, Green Lung, Hug, Locust, Pixies, Shudder to Think, Tubs on 09/11/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
Jhené Aiko – Westside Whimsy (ALLEL/Artclub/Def Jam)
Angela Autumn – Believer (Gar Hole)
George Benson – Inspiration: Tribute to Nat King Cole expanded reissue (Candid)
Beth Cameron – The World. Oh. No. (Submissive Grin)
Cartilage – Operating Altar (Everlasting Spew)
Chrome Sparks – Ball of Light (Chrome Sounds/ AWAL)
CoreLeoni – Generection (Reigning Phoenix Music)
Damn Truth – s/t (Deluxe Gatefold Edition)
Der Weg einer Freiheit – Innern (instrumental version) (Season of Mist)
• Der Weg Einer Freiheit’s ‘Innern’: Two Cent Review
Dreadnought – Wars of Spirit // Wards of Light (Vesperian/ Metal Blade)
Veil of Sound Shares Bad Penny’s Favorite LPs, Gigs, More From 2025
Posted in Lists with tags Agriculture, Chat Pile, Chat Pile and Hayden Pedigo, Cloakroom, Deafheaven, Der Weg Einer Freiheit, Messa on 01/16/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
The Bad Penny‘s friends at Veil of Sound have assembled a nifty 2025 recap that encompasses the records, concerts and other highlights that the German website’s 10 contributors enjoyed the most last year. Check it out here.
The Bad Penny’s Top 50 Best LPs of 2025, Pt. 2: Drain, Castle Rat, SOM, Mawiza, Blackbraid, Bleed
Posted in Album Reviews, Lists, Reviews with tags Blackbraid, Bleed, Castle Rat, Cave Sermon, Der Weg Einer Freiheit, Drain, In Mourning, Malevich, Mawiza, SOM on 12/09/2025 by Kurt Orzeck
A lot of fucked-up up shit happened in the U.S. this year. Way, way too much of it. For many of us Americans who actually carry values in our hearts instead of bloviating about them or slapping bumper stickers on our monster trucks, it was almost too much to bear.
Fortunately, 2025 also saw the release of a staggering number of stellar records, which made the year a little more … well, bearable. Hence, for the first time ever, The Bad Penny is deviating from its usual annual tradition of limiting out favorite listens to just 10 and breaking them into a five-part series containing 10 records per installment.
What follows is the second batch. (Go here for The Bad Penny‘s favorite albums, #41 through #50.)
31. Blackbraid – III (Wolf Mountain)
Der Weg Einer Freiheit’s ‘Innern’: Two Cent Review
Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags Der Weg Einer Freiheit on 09/29/2025 by Kurt Orzeck
Der Weg Einer Freiheit’s new album, Innern, will be regarded as one of the year’s greatest metal records: one that hits hard by virtue of masterful execution of musical adeptness, and that simultaneously leaves listeners feeling better about themselves than when they pressed play. In a world that is completely upside-down, perhaps black netal is our best hope of survival. Read my review on Veil of Sound.
Video Interview: Der Weg Einer Freiheit Frontman Nikita Kamprad Delivers Straight Talk
Posted in Interviews, Videos with tags Der Weg Einer Freiheit, Nikita Kamprad on 09/18/2025 by Kurt OrzeckThorsten Schaeben and I recently interviewed from Veil of Sound interview Der Weg Einer Freiheit frontman Nikita Kamprad about the German melodic death band’s new record for Season of Mist, Innern. The very well-spoken music vet was about as candid as you can get. Check out the conversation:
Best Albums of 2021: Gojira, Dying Wish, At the Gates, Der Weg Einer Freiheit
Posted in Lists with tags Amenra, At the Gates, Carcass, Der Weg Einer Freiheit, Dying Wish, Gojira, Harakiri for the Sky, Malist, So Hideous, Violet Cold on 12/31/2021 by Kurt Orzeck
1. Gojira – Fortitude (Roadrunner)
2. Dying Wish – Fragments of a Bitter Memory (SharpTone)
3. At the Gates – Nightmare of Being (Century Media)
4. Der Weg Einer Freiheit – Noktvrn (Season of Mist)
5. Harakiri for the Sky – Maere (AOP)
6. So Hideous – None but a Pure Heart Can Sing (Silent Pendulum)
7. Amenra – De Doom (Relapse)
8. Carcass – Torn Arteries (Nuclear Blast)
9. Malist – Karst Relict (Northern Silence)
10. Violet Cold – Empire of Love (La Petite Mort Prod.)
