A new sound is being ushered in by the German based rock band, Kadavar. Today, the band revealed details surrounding their upcoming new studio album “I Just Want to Be a Sound” to be released on May 16th, 2025, via Clouds Hill.
With this they also release the title track, “I Just Want to Be a Sound”, check it out below.
“I Just Want to Be a Sound” is a manifesto for freedom, transformation and radical presence. An album that repeatedly abandons itself in order to reincarnate in new forms. Rock anthem, ballad, pop song, epic and earthly alternate seamlessly and virtuously. Free and full of momentum.
Now a four piece led by founders Lupus Lindemann and Tiger Bartelt, and rounded out by guitarist Jascha Kreft and bassist Simon ‘Dragon’ Bouteloup, the declaration “I Just Want to Be a Sound” came from Bouteloup. When Lindemann Bartelt asked him in 2013, shortly after he joined the band, why he didn’t have any social media accounts, he replied: “I just want to be a sound”. A sentence that stuck – and that sums up the band’s self-image. What was casually formulated at the time has developed into a leitmotif over the band’s 15-year history: an uncompromising claim that demands nothing less than to be completely absorbed in the sound without being distracted by outward appearances. A principle to which Kadavar have remained true since their formation in 2010 and which finds its strongest development to date with this album.
“I Just Want to Be a Sound” is more than a song to us – it’s the essence of Kadavar: A relentless yearning for freedom and the unshakable urge to live through music. We poured everything into it – our lives, our spirit, our truth”, says the band in a joint statement.
Kadavar has undergone a significant transformation on this path of sound development. From credible representatives of retroesque, psychedelic stoner rock – which always thrived on the contemporary coolness of Berlin, the city where Lupus and Tiger met in the hedonistic noughties – they soon ventured out into the big wide world. They not only showcased their musical ideas on stages in countless countries but also found new inspiration. While Kadavar initially sounded like the past, their sound became more and more contemporary over the years, shaped by the experience machine of extensive touring, crossing genre boundaries. Sound as a changing, universal language – that is what Kadavar have always known how to create. With its focus on change, “I Just Want to Be a Sound” is also an ode to Berlin.
Kadavar have built a steadily growing fan base that worships them as heroes and follows their every move across five continents. Their successes speak volumes: their last two records landed in the top ten of the German album charts; they’ve written songs for Wolfmother and, most recently, Fantastische Vier. They’ve performed Ozzy Osbourne and the Scorpions and headlined tours around the globe. The fact that the band now sounds surprisingly different in 2025 should come as no surprise to anyone who has observed their previous incarnations.
Change has always been a constant for Kadavar. What remains unchanged is their raw power. Wherever they go, you can feel the intensity–in their songwriting, their dedication, their performances. In the sound! This is the transfer that makes Kadavar incomparable. They explore the potential of music, even in quiet nuances, while always retaining the power of their rock roots. Having grown as a band, they have fulfilled their mission of being completely immersed in their sound.
Pre-order “I Just Want to Be a Sound” here.
Tracklist:
1. I Just Want to Be a Sound
2. Hysteria
3. Regeneration
4. Let Me Be a Shadow
5. Sunday Mornings
6. Scar on My Guitar
7. Strange Thoughts
8. Truth
9. Star
10. Until The End
