Van Canto is a German a cappella metal band formed in 2006 by Stefan Schmidt in Berlin, Germany. Composed of six vocalists and a drummer, the group utilizes vocal arrangements to imitate electric guitars, bass, and keyboards alongside traditional drums. In December 2006, the band released its self-produced debut studio album, A Storm to Come, which featured original tracks alongside covers of Metallica's “Battery” and music from the film Ronja Rövardotter, supported by music videos for “The Mission” and “Battery”. Signing with GUN Records and Sony BMG in 2007, the band reissued A Storm to Come and released its second studio album, Hero, in September 2008, featuring a guest appearance by Hansi Kürsch of Blind Guardian. The band subsequently signed with Napalm Records and released Tribe of Force in 2010, which reached number 83 on the German Albums Chart and featured guest appearances by Chris Boltendahl, Victor Smolski, and Tony Kakko. Their fourth studio album, Break the Silence, was released in September 2011 and reached number 23 in Germany, featuring a collaboration with Joakim Brodén of Sabaton. Subsequent studio releases include Dawn of the Brave in 2014, the concept album Voices of Fire in 2016, Trust in Rust in 2018 following the departure of lead vocalist Dennis “Sly” Schunke and the addition of Hagen Hirschmann, and To the Power of Eight in 2021, which featured Schunke as a guest vocalist.
