Make some noise for endangered species: Krombacher and Wacken Open Air present the "Growling Creatures" - the first metal band consisting of endangered animals
Growling world record at Wacken Open Air 2023
Presented by Krombacher, the fans of the Wacken Open Air 2023 have set a new world record for the "loudest growl by a crowd (heavy metal)". Together with the animal metal band "Growling Creatures", the metal fans got really loud for the protection of species and caused the loudest minute of silence in the world at 110,3 decibels.
About
What do grey seals, cuckoos, and lynx have in common? They are all rare, European native species whose survival is threatened and they are part of the "Growling Creatures" - the first metal band formed by endangered animals. Presented by Krombacher and the legendary metal festival Wacken Open Air (W:O:A), the Growling Creatures are drawing attention to their threat and are making some noise for endangered species.
Learn more about this band with a real purpose and their first own metal EP.
Songs
The Growling Creatures present their songs: “Nest Destroyer” (featuring cuckoo / great grey shrike / tree frog), “Furry Inferno” (featuring brown hare / lynx / otter) and “Small Number of the Beast” (featuring European bison / grey seal)
About us
The cuckoo
The grey, pigeon-sized cuckoo is famous for its call that can be heard far and wide and reach multiple pitches and tones. With its call, it adds a melodic voice to the Growling Creatures, which makes perfect sense; as climate change is increasingly depriving the cuckoo of its food source. It is becoming active to inspire fans for species protection together with its other band members.
The tree frog
One of Europe’s best-known amphibian species, the leafy green frog is not only in the Growling Creatures band line-up, but tragically also on the red list of endangered species in Germany and is considered "strictly protected" under the Federal Nature Conservation Act. The tree frog, which only measures around three to five centimetres, is increasingly losing its habitat, due to constant environmental change and sealed surfaces. It knows that many other animal species’ habitats are also under similar threat so raises its croak, together with its bandmates, in order to draw attention to the threat. Thankfully, loudness is in this special species' genes and with a sound bladder on their throat, the male can reach around 90 decibels, which means it can even compete with trucks.
The great grey shrike
While the word shrike translates as strangler in German, the great grey shrike is much less dangerous than its name suggests. Although species of shrike have been known as the ‘butcherbird’ and also to impale their prey on beds of thorns, it’s probably the great grey shrike’s black mask that adds to its threatening image. Habitat loss that is affecting the great grey shrike is far more threatening though. Due to the loss of wetlands and heathland, the rare bird is among many others losing their breeding grounds. That is why the 75g sparrow bird with its simple yet chilling trilling chooses the stage of the Growling Creatures.
The lynx
Lynx were extinct in Germany, now they are coming back. Now that the lynx is slowly reclaiming more and more of its habitat, it is already setting its sights with its very good eyes on the next target: the charts. Europe's biggest cat is actually a loner, but pricked up its famous brush ears when it heard about the Growling Creatures. With the band, the lynx can draw attention to its threat and makes itself visible.
The European bison
Convincing the largest and heaviest land mammal to become part of the band was not difficult for the band founders. The European bison (or wisent) is an absolute herd animal and its long shaggy hair is just made for wild metal headbanging. From the musical perspective, the two to three-metre-long animal is an absolute heavyweight. With its roaring voice, the giant bovine is perfectly suited as the lead singer of the Growling Creatures. The wisent has plenty to growl about. Free-ranging wisents were extinct in Germany until 2013, when eight wisents were released into the wild in the Rothaar Mountains - the home territory of the Krombacher brewery - to preserve the population. In 2008 and 2014 the European wisent species was named Animal of the Year.
The brown hare
The brown hare has excellent hearing but is too polite to point out to his bandmates that someone has missed the note. Since its habitat is being reduced by increasingly cultivated areas, the brown hare is looking for new ways to raise a call to action. The long-eared hare feels at home in almost all of Europe, North and South America, New Zealand and Australia so it is excited to go on a big tour with its band to spread the message "protect endangered species" everywhere. The shy brown hare is actually rather reserved, but as a mostly nocturnal creature, it loses all inhibitions at evening concerts, especially when it comes to its passion for metal.
The grey seal
Germany's largest predator lives on the little North Sea Island of Helgoland and was almost wiped out by hunting. Despite its habitat comeback, it is still considered highly endangered. Weighing up to 300kg, the animal can dive for up to 20 minutes and thus proves its staying power - perfect for long growling sessions. In addition, the sensitive hearing enables the mammal to assign sound waves to different directions - excellent for giving tips to the other band members and discussing the stage set-up. So the seal has the best musical prerequisites: 'From the dune to the stage', the grey seal thought and joined the Growling Creatures.
Donations
All proceeds from the sale of the limited edition merchandising articles as well as income from the music distribution of Growling Creatures will be donated by Krombacher to the Vogelschutzfonds (Bird Protection Fund) of NABU (Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union of Germany) e.V. for projects benefiting endangered bird species.
You would like to donate yourself? Here is the donation account:
NABU
Bank für Sozialwirtschaft, Cologne IBAN: DE65 3702 0500 0008 0518 05
Keyword: "Spende Vogelschutzfonds Krombacher".
The Growling Creatures are the first metal band consisting of endangered animals. Presented by the Germany brewery Krombacher and the legendary metal festival Wacken Open Air (W:O:A), the aim is to draw attention to the importance of species protection. The objective: Good metal for a good cause! True to the motto: Making some noise for endangered species.
The Growling Creatures want one thing above all: to draw attention to the protection of species with good sound power. Human activity and climate change and its consequences threaten the survival of many species in Germany and around the world. Representing this endangered biodiversity, the project "Growling Creatures" makes native animals getting loud and released the mini EP "Growling Creatures" with three metal songs and the corresponding videos.
The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness for the protection of endangered species. Possible proceeds from the sale of the limited merchandising items as well as income from the music distribution of Growling Creatures will be donated by Krombacher to the NABU (Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union of Germany) e.V. Vogelschutzfonds (Bird Protection Fund). More information about the NABU Vogelschutzfonds can be found here.
Numerous bird species are threatened. That is why NABU has been working to protect our birdlife since its foundation - also with the NABU Vogelschutzfonds. The money from the NABU Vogelschutzfonds is used to promote local and regional NABU projects and to support NABU's national and international work on bird protection. More information on the NABU Vogelschutzfonds can be found here.
Merchandising articles of the Growling Creatures will be available exclusively in limited editions at the Wacken Open Air. From the 4th to the 6th of August 2022 you will be able to purchase stickers and T-shirts with motifs of the front singers of the Growling Creatures.