INTERVIEW: OBSCURA IN CONVERSATION WITH STEFFEN KUMMERER
Interview by Cecilia Pattison-Levi
There is just one week to go before Obscura return to play Shred Fest concerts around Australia. They will be joined by American progressive death metal outfit Fallujah and Australian bands Ashen and Anoxia.
“Yes. Shred Fest - it’s 11 shows: eight across Australia and three in New Zealand,” stated Steffen Kummerer. “We are so excited to be getting down to play in Australia and New Zealand. We want to look around, and meet the people and see the countryside. It’s going to be an awesome experience.”
Steffen Kummerer is the frontman, main songwriter, vocalist and guitarist of the technical death metal band Obscura, as well as the black metal band Thulcandra. He was gracious in giving his time to No Barriers to talk about Shred Fest 2026. The festival represents something more than a typical tour. The concept was developed as a travelling festival built around technical musicianship and the wider death metal community.
“I can’t wait to meet the people,” he exclaimed. “We are doing lots of meet and greets at the shows. We want our fans to come and chat and have albums and other things signed before and after the shows. The guitar clinics are also going to be amazing – they come with stand-up comedy as well. We haven’t played in Australia since 2019. We played the Crowbar in Brisbane. We really want to connect to our fans and the metal community. We just want to see much more.”
“We have just played 26 shows across Asia and we got to see the countries and cities,” explained Steffen Kummerer. “It was wonderful. Australia will be the same. We are super excited to come. I mean Australia and New Zealand – you don’t go there every day – it is only in your imagination. When you are a kid in your bedroom making music, over 20 years ago, we started, you never think it will take you to places so far away. And people have welcomed us with open arms and we have appreciated that and enjoyed the different metal fans and their communities.”
It is wonderful that Obscura are playing Shred Fest 2026. The band has for more than two decades remained one of the most technically ambitious forces in extreme metal. They blend progressive songwriting, precision musicianship and philosophical depth to push the boundaries of modern death metal.
“Technique and precision are important but it is not everything in music,” counselled Steffen Kummerer. “Everyone has to start somewhere. You just need to start and have fun. I think back to our demo 25 years ago and it was a very humble beginning. It is fun to see how you improve – you enjoy seeing how far you can go. You have to keep testing the boundaries to keep it interesting. There is also something new – new instruments, new arrangements. If you want to learn, anyone can give it a go and you don’t need to be a professional to write music.”
“With our last album ‘A Sonication’ the band are concentrating on writing about real life problems now,” said Steffen Kummerer. “It was a more reduced album sonically with a melodic, rhythmic base. It sounds more “Scandinavian” – we have been told – and it is a great compliment as the Nordic countries have so many great bands and sounds. What is important for us is that our songs and music must be able to be played in a live situation. We made some great songs when we were young, showing off with our instruments, that sounded very cool to listen to through headphones. But now it’s about writing music that benefits live performance and getting it right live.”
“It is important for young bands as well to have that live playing experience,” reiterated Steffen Kummerer. “Shred Fest is about giving young bands a chance to play live. We really encourage everyone to come out and see all the bands on the line-up. We want to create a live experience that brings musicians and fans together. From the first band to the last band, it’s a full afternoon and evening of death metal and shred. If you want to support underground death metal, support every band.”
This attitude reflects the same grassroots philosophy that helped Obscura grow as a young band from Landshut, a city in the state of Bavaria, in Germany, into one of the most respected bands in technical death metal.
Steffen Kummerer said, “It has taken us more than 20 years. We have built our reputation through recording every three to four years and then relentless touring until the next album is written. It is demanding but wonderful.”
Obscura continue to push forward. “It is amazing that after 25 years as a band we have new fans coming along,” mused Steffen Kummerer. “New generations of death and heavy metal fans are discovering our music.”
For Steffen Kummerer, and the other Obscura band members Kevin Olasz, Robin Zielhorst, and James Stewart, that writing and touring determination is what they are proud of, and their ongoing musical journey that is attracting new fans through Shred Fest.
As Steffan Kummerer simply stated about the tour: “Bring your friends to Shred Fest, and support the metal music community, come early, see all the bands and have a good time and leave the show with a big smile on your face.”
Remember: Free guitar clinics are being hosted hosted by Obscura frontman and songwriter Steffen Kummerer and Fallujah songwriter and guitarist Scott Carstairs. Exact start times for most city clinics are managed via email registration – apply through: yourmatebookings@gmail.com for ticket holders.
Tickets are on sale now for Shred Fest Australian Tour 2026.The dates for the massive Australian tour running through September 2026 are:
Thursday, 3 September 2026: Rosemont Hotel, Perth WA
Friday, 4 September 2026: Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide SA
Saturday, 5 September 2026: Soapbox Beer, Brisbane QLD
Wednesday, 9 September 2026: The Baso, Canberra ACT
Thursday, 10 September 2026: Manning Bar, Sydney NSW
Friday, 11 September 2026: Corner Hotel, Melbourne VIC
Sunday, 13 September 2026: Kalymnian Brotherhood Hall, Darwin NT
Saturday, 19 September 2026: Altar Bar / In The Hanging Garden, Hobart TAS
