At We Shoot Music, we live for bands that makes us alive, you know that quote – No Music, No Life – and Kadavar is one of those band that we appreciate a lot Their music is raw, electrifying, and constantly evolving – so when they drop something new, we pay attention. We had the pleasure of seeing them absolutely destroy the stage at Mystic Festival last year, and now, they’re gearing up for their next big chapter.
The Berlin-based rockers have just released “Hysteria”, the second single from their upcoming album, “I Just Want To Be A Sound“, due out May 16 via Clouds Hill. It’s a pulsing, feverish trip through mental and emotional overload, driven by relentless rhythms and hauntingly urgent vocals. If the title track introduced us to the album’s vision, “Hysteria” cranks up the tension, dragging us deeper into Kadavar’s transformed soundscape.
“We wrote this song down from the feeling of words losing their meaning, when even a stream of consciousness can’t keep up to make sense of the inner chaos” says the band “As a state mixed with constant overstimulation and terrifying news, it might just fit this time we’re living in”.
“We teamed up with our friend James Barry and award-winning DOP Lucas Fiederling, developing the idea of a dystopian fever theme” adds the band on the new music video “It serves as an extended trailer for a fictional film about a virus that drains the life from humanity through “smart” technologies. His main inspiration was Tetsuo: The Iron Man. We shot the video on the coldest days of the year – but it was worth it!”.
A Fever Dream of Overstimulation
Kadavar has always had a knack for translating the anxieties of modern life into sound, and “Hysteria” captures the chaos of a world drowning in noise. The band describes it as a song born from “the feeling of words losing their meaning” – a desperate attempt to make sense of internal disorder while being bombarded with external madness. It’s dark, hypnotic, and almost trance-like, reinforcing Kadavar’s shift away from their early retro-psychedelic roots into something more cinematic and visceral.
The accompanying music video, directed by Maximilian Wiedenhofer and featuring rising German-Turkish actor Caelian del Mare, leans into this dystopian atmosphere. Inspired by the cult cyberpunk film “Tetsuo: The Iron Man“, the video paints a grim picture of a world consumed by technology – a virus slowly draining the life out of humanity through “smart” devices. Filmed in the harshest winter conditions, the visuals mirror the song’s intensity, making it a must-watch for fans of both retro sci-fi horror and hard-hitting rock.
From Retro Rock to Sonic Liberation
Kadavar’s journey has been one of constant reinvention. From their early stoner rock and psychedelic doom influences, they have continuously expanded their music. “I Just Want To Be A Sound” promises to be their most dynamic and free-spirited record yet – a manifesto of transformation, movement, and complete surrender to the power of music.
The album’s title originates from a comment made by bassist Simon “Dragon” Bouteloup back in 2013 when asked why he didn’t have any social media: “I just want to be a sound“. Over time, this statement became Kadavar’s philosophy, a mission to dissolve the self into music without distraction. That ethos has guided them across 15 years of relentless touring, high-profile collaborations (including with Wolfmother and even Ozzy Osbourne), and a discography that refuses to be pinned down.
“I Just Want To Be A Sound“ Tracklisting:
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
