Wayfarer, Inter Arma, Ayahuasca; Backstage, Munich; 2.8.2025

The multinational band Ayahuasca from Cologne and Munich blends progressive metal, death metal, world music elements, and experimental construction with percussion, clean vocals, and slide interludes into a concoction that is at least as mind-expanding as the Amazonian herbal mixture ayahuasca, known for visions, spiritual journeys, and consciousness expansion through DMT. The band features two drummers who, like the "Swans," not only drum with each other but against each other, or even play drums and percussion. The rhythms are of both Western and universal origin; from Latino to tribal, Asian to Native American, everything is represented. The same applies to the sounds, which, while predominantly rooted in death metal, are occasionally spiced with clean guitars, Jew's harp, or a cabasa. With eight nations in the band, there are also eight cultural and musical backgrounds and socializations, and the whole thing is definitely not without potential for conflict, because otherwise the music would not have been so interesting and gripping.

When Inter Arma opened their set with "The Long Road Home," I had the obligatory tears in my eyes after just five minutes. This song, dripping with beauty, fragility, and sheer brutality, has gripped me ever since I first saw the band at Hellfest 2022. And this band achieves this exploration of extremes without apparent effort and without being solely concerned with destruction and catharsis like Amenra. After every attack of noise, blast beats, and screams, a melody, a hook, or a simple chord progression emerges from the newly created ruins, captivating you with its beauty and simplicity and touching you deep down. The essence of Inter Arma is concentrated in "The Long Road Home," and this piece should really come at the end of the set; the apotheosis actually comes at the end; all the songs should be subordinate to it. But the star of a team can only shine if all the others—in this case, the highly varied and complex songs—support it.

After the Netflix series "Untamed," we decided to delve deeper into the darker America and experience this atmosphere musically. My wife knew 50 Native American tribes as a child and went to school as an Indigenous person for years. I was profoundly influenced by my father's work in the American armed forces; I grew up with the imperial system, muscle cars, and AFN. My love of Gothic Wave and dark country makes it easier for me to access the highly complex music of Wayfarer. It's the mood that emanates from these memories and builds a coherent image of this country in me. On the one hand, the beauty of country guitars and the melodic lines of the lead guitar; on the other, the brutality of black metal. This balancing act between the extremes of this country embodies the music of Wayfarer. We experienced it; we were deeply touched and fascinated by this concert. The band is on a European tour, and even if you're not into black metal or even country, two negatives make a positive.