Heisskalt
Heisskalt ("Hot cold") are a German indie rock band from Sindelfingen and Böblingen, near Stuttgart, formed in October 2010.
Members:
** Vocals, Guitar, Bass: Mathias Bloech
** Guitar, Backing vocals, Bass: Philipp Koch
** Drums, Backing vocals: Marius Bornmann
Ex members:
** Bass: Lucas Mayer (until 2016)
** Support Bass: Dennis Machleidt (Sommer 2016)
** Support Bass: Daniel Weber (2016–2018)
** Support Bass: Lola Schrode (2024–2026)
History:
The band was formed by singer and guitarist Mathias Bloech, drummer Marius Bornmann, guitarist Philipp Koch and bassist Lucas Mayer. Their music combines alternative rock, post-hardcore and punk rock with progressive and experimental elements. Over the years, Heisskalt have become one of the most distinctive bands in the German-language post-hardcore scene, known for their intense live shows, dynamic arrangements and emotionally charged lyrics.
Bloech and Bornmann had previously played together in the trio On Top of the Avalanche, while Koch and Mayer were members of Big Spin. Heisskalt played their first show in the summer of 2011 in Horb am Neckar and soon established themselves on the Stuttgart-area live circuit. That same year, they released their first self-titled EP, Heisskalt. In 2012, the band won the Play Live band competition, earning a performance at the Southside Festival and a place in the German Music Council's PopCamp development programme. They also appeared at the New Music Award and quickly became regulars on major German festival stages.
In late 2012, Heisskalt signed to Chimperator Department, the alternative imprint launched by Chimperator Productions, and became the label's first rock signing. Their second EP, Mit Liebe gebraut, followed in January 2013. The band toured extensively that year, including as support for Jennifer Rostock, before appearing at festivals such as Southside, Hurricane and Open Flair. Their growing reputation was also recognised with the Music Award of the German Association of Concert Directors in 2013, whose jury praised the band's distinctive sound, memorable melodies and powerful live presence.
Heisskalt released their debut album, Vom Stehen und Fallen, in March 2014. The record reached No. 16 on the German album charts and established the band's characteristic blend of melodic alternative rock and forceful post-hardcore. In 2016, they followed it with Vom Wissen und Wollen, which reached No. 14 in Germany. Later that year, founding bassist Lucas Mayer left the band. Heisskalt continued as a trio, with Daniel Weber temporarily joining them as a live bassist.
The band documented their 2016 tour with Live, released in March 2017, and also toured France for the Goethe-Institut. In 2018, Heisskalt took a more independent approach with Idylle, their third studio album, recorded and released largely on their own terms. They also released a split single with Munich's Blackout Problems.
After stepping away from the stage, Heisskalt entered an extended hiatus. In December 2020, the band announced that their previously declared break would continue indefinitely. After several years of silence, they announced their return in 2024 with a series of festival appearances and a new run of concerts. Bassist Lola Schrode joined the touring lineup, marking the band's first live activity since 2018.
Their comeback culminated in Vom Tun und Lassen, released in January 2025. The album marked a return to the band's intense post-hardcore sound while expanding its more experimental and atmospheric side. VISIONS described the record as a confident return that plays to Heisskalt's strengths, while highlighting its combination of tension, melody and heavier outbursts. The album entered the German charts at No. 4, becoming their highest-charting studio album to date.
In 2025, Heisskalt also revisited their debut era with a new edition of Vom Stehen und Fallen, accompanied by a newly recorded version of “Nicht anders gewollt” featuring NIKRA. The collaboration was released as a new single in July 2025.
Today, Heisskalt continue as Mathias Bloech, Marius Bornmann and Philipp Koch, with Lola Schrode on bass for live performances. Their 2026 touring plans include a special series of shows dedicated to their early material, with Mit Liebe gebraut and Vom Stehen und Fallen being performed in full.
Across their career, Heisskalt have remained difficult to fit into a single genre. Their sound moves between alternative rock, punk, progressive textures and post-hardcore, balancing driving guitars and explosive dynamics with melodic passages, spoken and shouted vocals, and introspective German lyrics. That tension between vulnerability and aggression has become one of the defining characteristics of Heisskalt's music.
Discography:
Albums
2014: Vom Stehen und Fallen
2016: Vom Wissen und Wollen
2017: LIVE
2018: Idylle
2025: Vom Tun und Lassen
EPs
2011: Heisskalt
2013: Mit Liebe gebraut
Split
Split (with Blackout Problems)
Members:
** Vocals, Guitar, Bass: Mathias Bloech
** Guitar, Backing vocals, Bass: Philipp Koch
** Drums, Backing vocals: Marius Bornmann
Ex members:
** Bass: Lucas Mayer (until 2016)
** Support Bass: Dennis Machleidt (Sommer 2016)
** Support Bass: Daniel Weber (2016–2018)
** Support Bass: Lola Schrode (2024–2026)
History:
The band was formed by singer and guitarist Mathias Bloech, drummer Marius Bornmann, guitarist Philipp Koch and bassist Lucas Mayer. Their music combines alternative rock, post-hardcore and punk rock with progressive and experimental elements. Over the years, Heisskalt have become one of the most distinctive bands in the German-language post-hardcore scene, known for their intense live shows, dynamic arrangements and emotionally charged lyrics.
Bloech and Bornmann had previously played together in the trio On Top of the Avalanche, while Koch and Mayer were members of Big Spin. Heisskalt played their first show in the summer of 2011 in Horb am Neckar and soon established themselves on the Stuttgart-area live circuit. That same year, they released their first self-titled EP, Heisskalt. In 2012, the band won the Play Live band competition, earning a performance at the Southside Festival and a place in the German Music Council's PopCamp development programme. They also appeared at the New Music Award and quickly became regulars on major German festival stages.
In late 2012, Heisskalt signed to Chimperator Department, the alternative imprint launched by Chimperator Productions, and became the label's first rock signing. Their second EP, Mit Liebe gebraut, followed in January 2013. The band toured extensively that year, including as support for Jennifer Rostock, before appearing at festivals such as Southside, Hurricane and Open Flair. Their growing reputation was also recognised with the Music Award of the German Association of Concert Directors in 2013, whose jury praised the band's distinctive sound, memorable melodies and powerful live presence.
Heisskalt released their debut album, Vom Stehen und Fallen, in March 2014. The record reached No. 16 on the German album charts and established the band's characteristic blend of melodic alternative rock and forceful post-hardcore. In 2016, they followed it with Vom Wissen und Wollen, which reached No. 14 in Germany. Later that year, founding bassist Lucas Mayer left the band. Heisskalt continued as a trio, with Daniel Weber temporarily joining them as a live bassist.
The band documented their 2016 tour with Live, released in March 2017, and also toured France for the Goethe-Institut. In 2018, Heisskalt took a more independent approach with Idylle, their third studio album, recorded and released largely on their own terms. They also released a split single with Munich's Blackout Problems.
After stepping away from the stage, Heisskalt entered an extended hiatus. In December 2020, the band announced that their previously declared break would continue indefinitely. After several years of silence, they announced their return in 2024 with a series of festival appearances and a new run of concerts. Bassist Lola Schrode joined the touring lineup, marking the band's first live activity since 2018.
Their comeback culminated in Vom Tun und Lassen, released in January 2025. The album marked a return to the band's intense post-hardcore sound while expanding its more experimental and atmospheric side. VISIONS described the record as a confident return that plays to Heisskalt's strengths, while highlighting its combination of tension, melody and heavier outbursts. The album entered the German charts at No. 4, becoming their highest-charting studio album to date.
In 2025, Heisskalt also revisited their debut era with a new edition of Vom Stehen und Fallen, accompanied by a newly recorded version of “Nicht anders gewollt” featuring NIKRA. The collaboration was released as a new single in July 2025.
Today, Heisskalt continue as Mathias Bloech, Marius Bornmann and Philipp Koch, with Lola Schrode on bass for live performances. Their 2026 touring plans include a special series of shows dedicated to their early material, with Mit Liebe gebraut and Vom Stehen und Fallen being performed in full.
Across their career, Heisskalt have remained difficult to fit into a single genre. Their sound moves between alternative rock, punk, progressive textures and post-hardcore, balancing driving guitars and explosive dynamics with melodic passages, spoken and shouted vocals, and introspective German lyrics. That tension between vulnerability and aggression has become one of the defining characteristics of Heisskalt's music.
Discography:
Albums
2014: Vom Stehen und Fallen
2016: Vom Wissen und Wollen
2017: LIVE
2018: Idylle
2025: Vom Tun und Lassen
EPs
2011: Heisskalt
2013: Mit Liebe gebraut
Split
Split (with Blackout Problems)
