One of the more unconventional bands on the German metal scene, Van Canto is an a classically trained a cappella ensemble composed of five singers and a drummer. They employ versatile, classically trained vocal skills to re-create the genre's "rakkatakka" (their description) and wah-wah guitar, and "doom bass" sounds. Their 2006 debut A Storm to Come drew notice across Europe for its unusual approach to originals and covers including a widely acclaimed reading of Metallica's "Battery." By the time they issued their fourth album, 2011's charting Break the Silence, they had all but silenced cynical critics. 2016's Voices of Fire was inspired by and conceptually created to be a soundtrack for best-selling German fantasy author Christoph Hardebusch's novel of the same title. 2021's To the Power of Eight entered the international streaming charts inside the Top 30. .