[Interview] Exclusive interview with German Progressive Stoner/Doom act Minus Mountain

Greetings from Italy! Today, we’re thrilled to connect with Minus Mountain, the rising Stoner/Progressive Metal force from Lübeck, Germany. With the release of their self-titled debut album this July, the band is carving out a distinctive space in the German Metal scene, merging crushing Stoner grooves with intricate Progressive elements. Join us as
we delve into their musical journey, creative vision, and what fuels this dynamic quintet.

Let’s begin at the roots—how did Minus Mountain come to life? What brought the five of you together in Lübeck, and what was the spark that ignited this project?

Max put out an ad “Guitarist looking for a drummer to form a doom-sludge-progressive band” in 2015 and Ingo heard the call. After the first meeting in the cellar, the first step was made. Soon after this the rest of us followed one by one.

Your sound bridges Stoner Rock, Progressive Rock, and Progressive Metal. How would you define your musical identity, and what draws you to this unique fusion of genres?

The sound is the result of all five of us bringing different influences into the band. Songwriting is a very collaborative process, so everyone brings in their own flavor. We love to experiment with time signatures and inticrate structures but want to keep the songs accessible at the same time.  Whenever you start feeling comfortable in the groove, we like to throw in an unexpected hit over the head to keep you on your toes.

Which artists or bands have had the biggest impact on shaping the Minus Mountain sound? Are there any surprising or unexpected influences that fans might not anticipate?

Again, all of us are different, but to name some big common ground artists: Black Sabbath, Crowbar, Paradise Lost, Grand Magus, Kyuss, Metallica, System of a Down, Mastodon. We listen to a lot of music outside of rock and metal, which might sneak its way into our music, but no artist in particular stands out.

Your debut album bears the band’s name—Minus Mountain. What was the creative process like behind this record? How long did it take to develop these tracks, and are there overarching themes or concepts that tie the album together?

Geez. It certainly took a while. “Grim”, The first track on the album was basically written in 2015. All the other tracks would be written over the course of the almost 10 years between foundation of the band and the release of the album. We kept working on these tracks, changing little things here and there, and even put the final touches on a lot of them during the recording process, which was planned in early 2020, but didn’t actually start until the end of 2021. From then on the pandemic, schedule and technical difficulties, and a certain degree of perfectionism led to the album finally being finished in 2025. Lyrically, the album deals with the fragility of the self and of society at large, while also tackling some personal topics concerning loss and betrayal. Also, some cool space shit. 

Releasing the album independently gave you full creative control. How vital was artistic freedom for your debut, and what challenges did you encounter managing everything on your own?

Artistically, having the freedom to do what we want ist absolutely vital. We write the music first and foremost for ourselves, and not to please any third party. Managing an album production by ourselves however was quite challenging and costly. As touched on before, simply scheduling everything between 5 adults with jobs and families, who do this only on the side, is a massive hassle, but we did manage to pull through in the end.

Could you highlight one or two tracks from the album that you feel best embody the essence of Minus Mountain? What makes these songs stand out for you personally?

While we all have our own favorites, one track we can all agree is emblematic of the band is, naturally, the one bearing our Name: “Minus Mountain”. It is the longest the track on the album and a song that just grew and grew over the years into the beast it is today. It features some of the most ambitious instrumental and vocal arrangements on the album. Lyrically, it is probably the most personal track.

The album dropped in July 2025—how has the reception been so far? What kind of responses have you received from fans and critics alike?

We are overwhelmed by the very positive reception we have received so far. The vast majority of people we have talked to had nothing but good things to say. Reviews are only slowly starting to roll in, so we are eagerly awaiting more
feedback, including yours! Aside from that dude in Australia ordered the album, which is pretty wild. Shout out to that guy!

Given the complexity and atmosphere of your music, how do you approach live performances? What’s your strategy for translating the studio experience to the stage?

For live performances, we like to be well prepared. We rehearse regularly and tend to arrive on time, maybe even a bit early to properly get acquainted with the venue and the tech. And you don’t want to piss off the sound guy. As for translating the studio experience, actually, it’s the other way around. We have stood on a lot of stages before we ever hit the studio, so the challenge was more like how to capture our live sound and faithfully reproduce it on the record.

Speaking of the stage, what’s your live experience been like so far? Any memorable shows or stories from the road that stand out?

One of our early goals was to play the “Treibsand” in Lübeck. Everyone of us had seen a lot of bands there, even bigger, international acts. In our opinion, it is one of the best venues in northern Germany, with always excellent sound and extremely friendly staff. So when we finally got to play there with Gnome and Camel Driver it was like a dream come true. We have since played there a couple times, like as support act for Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol and we absolutely love the place. Getting out of town, like when we played in Kiel, Berlin or Hamburg is also always nice. Another very special show was our release show, which took place at the VeB, a small venue here in Lübeck, that was absolutely packed that night with lots of people very dear to us. It was a complete blast.

Looking ahead, what’s next on the live front? Are there any upcoming tours, festivals, or special performances that your fans should be excited about?

Right now we’ve reached a milestone by finally releasing the album, that will hopefully put us on the map and let us reach more people. We’re also hard at work writing songs and already have a lot of material for a follow up. We would love to
play some festivals and other shows now that we finally have something to present to the world. Maybe some venues need some sludgy goodness in Italy? wink wink.

What’s your perspective on the current German Metal scene, especially within the Stoner and Progressive subgenres? Are there any emerging bands or trends that have caught your attention recently?

The local metal scene is facing the same difficulties all small subcultures are facing right now, with lots of smaller venues closing up and the oppurtunities to break out of the local scene are becoming more and more scarce. However, a lot of very resilient and passionate people are keeping the scene alive, driven by their love for metal and music as a whole. We have been blessed to share the stage and become friends with some truly great local bands like Deaf Giant, DeGreaver, 10000 km² gegen die Zeit, Oelgod and Choke The Palm Tree. Generally the scene here is full of lovely people and we all stick together.

Lastly, is there a message you’d like to share with fans and new listeners discovering Minus Mountain for the first time? What can they expect from the band moving forward?

We are so happy that we got out our first album, it’s a dream coming true. Take your time to listen to the tracks and if you like’em, follow us on instagram, order the record via bandcamp and tell your friends about us. Your support is appreciated and vital, not only for Minus Mountain but for the underground in general. We will keep pouring our hearts and souls into new music.

Thanks so much for taking the time to speak with us. We wish Minus Mountain all the best with your debut and can’t wait to see where your musical path leads next. Keep those Heavy, mind-bending riffs coming! To our readers—don’t miss out on the band’s powerful self-titled debut, available now on Bandcamp and all major streaming platforms and our YouTube channel. Stay connected and keep an eye out for upcoming shows.

Purchase the album on Bandcamp: https://minusmountain.bandcamp.com/album/minus-mountain

Stream the full album via our YouTube channel below:

Minus Mountain |Bandcamp|Facebook Page|Instagram|Spotify|YouTube Channel|