The band ASP, along with their eponymous singer, have been captivating fans since 1999 with their deeply profound yet entertaining songs, whose poetic lyrics are just as responsible for the band’s success as the powerful melodies of their rock songs. The songs’ sometimes disturbing subject matter tackles themes orientated towards horror literature, casting listeners in their spell, even though the shiver it sends down their spines is not always exclusively pleasant. With song titles such as ‘Wechselbalg’ (‘Changeling’), ‘Ich will brennen’ (‘I Want to Burn’), ’Krabat’, ‘Demon Love’, or ‚Abyssus’, they entice their fearless listeners into the emotional depths. If Edgar Allan Poe had not indulged in writing, but had instead formed a heavy rock band, they would have perhaps sounded like ASP. A further factor is surely the musicians’ unusual concept, which has always revolved around the extremely demanding lyrics and narratives that mastermind Asp has developed, and which together with hard yet melodic rock music form the basis of the total works of art the band produces. The somewhat sinister themes are often part of larger scale narrative cycles spread across multiple albums, which is why the band describe their style as ‘Gothic Novel Rock’. ASP have reached the top 10 in the official German album charts a number of times, including achieving the number 2 spot with ‘Maskenhaft’ in 2012.