Heavy Metal with sailor's sound: Erdinger Chor participates on album of "Don't Drop The Sword"

Together in the recording studio: the sailors' choir and the Erdinger metal band "Don't Drop The Sword". Everyone involved was enthusiastic about the recordings in the rehearsal room at the Best Western Parkhotel at the train station in Erding and the joint project. © Peter Gebel

The two Erding music groups could not be more different. The metal band "Don't Drop The Sword" and the Seamen's Choir produced the first recordings for a new album.

Erding – The notorious pirate Klaus Störtebeker is the trigger for a memorable project that has brought together two Erding music groups that could hardly be more different. The young Erding metal band "Don't Drop The Sword" convinced the seasoned men from the sailors' choir to participate in their new album. How the coup came about, band and choir members tell during the first sound and video recordings.

While the Seamen's Choir celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, the band "Don't Drop the Sword" (DDTS for short) only came together in 2015. Lead guitarist Max Pfaff, singer Andreas Schätz, drummer Dominik Prexl, guitarist Korbinian Huber and bassist Mathias Müller come mainly from Erding and the surrounding area. The producer and sixth member of the band is Bonifaz Prexl, who runs a recording studio in Niederding. Only their own compositions are played, in the development of which all band members are involved.

Sailors' choir meets heavy metal band: "That's a crazy idea"

For the second album of DDTS, a song about pirate Klaus Störtebeker is planned. Frontman Pfaff wanted a suitable choir for this. He was quickly found through the mediation of Peter Lehan. The 59-year-old is one of the younger singers in the sailors' choir and runs a guitar workshop in Erding, where he also supervises Pfaff's instruments.

The Erdingen sailors, who are known to be not so easy to shake, discussed whether they wanted to take up the challenge. "In the end, we unanimously decided to take part in the project," says choir director Hans Richter, adding: "That's a great idea, and I can show my grandchildren that even the old crackers can still do heavy metal."

Originally, the choir was only supposed to accompany the Störtebeker song, but the band was so enthusiastic about the first recordings that now the whole album is enriched with the baritone-heavy sound of the sailors. "The project builds a bridge not only between the genres of heavy metal and sea shanties, but also between young and old," says Max Pfaff, the youngest band member at the age of 24.

Hit it off right away (from left): Dominik Prexl and Max Pfaff from DDTS, Peter Lehan and choirmaster Hans Richter from the Seamen's Choir as well as producer Bonifaz Prexl (seated). © Peter Gebel

For the first recordings, producer Bonifaz Prexl came with his mobile recording studio to the sailors' large rehearsal room at the Best Western Parkhotel in Erding, because "our studio is much too small for so many people". The choir singers have appeared in official uniform with white shirt, tie and sailor's cap, the tension in the room rises as the young musicians set up the equipment.

Hermann Dichtl, a long-time sailor, says: "It's a crazy idea, but something completely different, we're always there for a fun." Then it's time to line up: With a strong "land in sight", the seamen's choir forms and the technicians take over the helm. The cameraman is drummer Dominik Prexl (43). While the choir slowly warms up, it captures the singers with the small camera. Pfaff now leads the choir as conductor, partly accompanied by the hard metal sound from the tape, which harmonizes surprisingly well. In the end, everyone is enthusiastic about the cooperation.

First joint sound recordings: Album planned for the end of the year

DDTS' second album is scheduled for release at the end of the year – not only as a CD and in digital form, but also as a vinyl record, as Dominik Prexl reveals. In contrast to other music genres, the good old records are in demand again in the metal scene.

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The band can be heard live in Erding on November 18 at the Jugend- und Kulturhaus Sonic as part of the "Night of the Sword-Bearers Vol II", which they initiated, at which "JD" and the Swedish heavy metal band "Vanquisher" also appear as guests. Before that, the Erdingers will take part in the "Pure fucking Metal FestEvil" on August 25/26 in Laberweinting, Lower Bavaria.

The Seamen's Choir is looking forward to many listeners at the public rehearsal on Monday, June 19, at 19 p.m. in the beer garden at Kronthaler Weiher, but only when the weather is nice. Tickets for the anniversary concert in the Bürgersaal Eicherloh on Saturday, July 8, at 19 p.m. are still available from Helmut Bungart by e-mail to oberfrange@outlook.de or by phone (0 81 22) 8 41 09.

When asked if there might be a joint concert of "Don't Drop The Sword" and the Seamen's Choir, Max Pfaff says: "Nothing is planned at the moment, but nothing is excluded either. In any case, we would need a lot of space, such as at the Sinnflut Festival, because otherwise our stage is far too small."