Tomb of Giants: Holding The Flame of Classic Heavy Metal

Tomb of Giants: Holding The Flame of Classic Heavy Metal

Tomb of Giants presents classic heavy metal in its finest hour – and with the arrival their just unleashed Holding The Flame EP, this German-based collective is ready to enrapture the entire world with their thrilling modern-day visions of a timeless genre.  Highwire Daze recently caught up with guitarist Oliver Nienhüser to find out more about the absolute amazing Holding The Flame EP and other adventures from Tomb of Giants!  Read on…

Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Tomb of Giants, and how long the band has been together.
Hi, I’m Oliver Nienhüser – guitarist and main songwriter for Tomb of Giants. I founded the band back in 2013 together with my brother Mirco (drums) and Daniel Melchior (bass). Over the years, the lineup has evolved, and since late 2024 we’ve been playing in our current formation, with Kai “Roarside” on vocals.

Yannik, our second guitarist, joined a little earlier – and both he and Kai brought new energy and fresh ideas to the band. With this lineup, we’ve just released our new EP Holding The Flame to introduce the new voice of Tomb of Giants.

Where is the band based out of and what is your local music scene like there?
We’re based in Osnabrück, Lower Saxony, Germany. The local scene here is quite diverse – especially in the city itself. There are many small clubs and organizations that actively support live music and give new bands a chance to perform. It’s a great environment for discovering new acts and for building a strong, supportive community.

Is there any overall story or concept behind the Holding The Flame EP title?
Absolutely – Holding The Flame is both a statement and a mission. With this EP, we wanted to show that we’re back – stronger than ever, with a new vocalist, fresh material, and a sound that has matured over the years.
We’ve always been rooted in traditional Heavy Metal, but we’ve sharpened our style to blend that classic spirit with a more modern edge.

The EP features two brand-new tracks (The Flame and Evilnator) and two completely reworked songs from our 2017 debut (Midnight Devil and When Destiny Calls). It’s our way of honoring where we came from, while showing how far we’ve come.

The title Holding The Flame represents our commitment to keeping the spirit of Heavy Metal alive – carrying the fire forward and keeping it burning strong.

Select two songs from Holding The Flame and what inspired the lyrics.
Let’s start with The Flame – it’s our Heavy Metal anthem. Musically, it brings powerful vocals, dynamic guitars, driving drums, and thunderous bass. Lyrically, it’s about the power of music to lift you up when life gets tough. It’s a love letter to Heavy Metal and a reminder to live life with full intensity.

Evilnator, on the other hand, explores the darker side of life – it’s about addiction and how it can slowly take over a person’s soul. It shows how something inside can transform into something destructive. It’s a serious topic, wrapped in a heavy and intense sound.

Who did the cover art for Holding The Flame and how much input did you have on it?
The cover art for Holding The Flame was created by Timon Kokott, who has done all of our artwork so far. What makes it special is that it’s actually painted on canvas – not digitally – which gives it a truly unique and organic feel. We developed the concept together with Timon: we shared our ideas and vision for the EP, and he turned it into something magical.

The result is a piece we’re really proud of. It’s rich in detail, full of little things to discover, and fits perfectly into the visual storytelling of Tomb of Giants. There are subtle callbacks to our previous releases, yet it never feels repetitive. We’re incredibly happy to have someone like Timon onboard who really gets what we’re about and brings it to life in such an epic way.

Give me a little background on new vocalist Kai Nikolayczyk and how he became involved with Tomb of Giants?
After parting ways with our previous vocalist Sergio, we expected a long and difficult search. Finding someone with the vocal range and style we needed isn’t easy.

But fate stepped in. Yannik had posted an ad for a side project, and Kai responded. We quickly saw that his voice could be a great fit for Tomb of Giants, so we invited him to a rehearsal – and it clicked instantly. Musically and personally, the connection was there from the start.

Kai’s voice brings a new energy to the band. He’s managed to reinterpret our older material in his own style while still honoring the spirit of the originals – and that spark is all over Holding The Flame.

What could one expect from a live Tomb of Giants show?
You can expect honest passion and a deep love for Heavy Metal. We give our all – whether we’re playing for 10 or 1000 people. For us, it’s about creating a moment of shared energy with the audience. When that happens, it reminds us why we started making music in the first place. Metal lives – and we’re proud to play a small role in keeping that flame burning.

If Tomb of Giants could open for any band either now or from the past, who would it be and why?
For me personally, it would have to be Iron Maiden. They’ve been a massive influence on me – not just musically, but also in their spirit and dedication. Their songwriting, their live energy, and the way they’ve kept the Heavy Metal flame alive for decades is beyond inspiring. Sharing a stage with such legends and opening a show for them would be a dream come true.

Has Tomb of Giants ever played here in the States, or is that something you would like to do in future days?
So far, we’ve only played shows in Germany, mostly in our regional scene. But playing in the States would be absolutely amazing. The U.S. metal scene has a unique energy and history, and leaving even a small footprint there would be a huge honor for us.

When you look back on the first Tomb of Giants album from 2017, what do you think of it now in retrospect?
Our debut definitely laid the foundation for Tomb of Giants. There are songs from it that we still enjoy playing live today.

That said, in hindsight, some parts could have used a bit more polish. We recorded, mixed, and mastered everything ourselves back then, and while it was a valuable learning experience, we now know the value of working with professionals in that area.

You can clearly hear the difference on Legacy of the Sword (2023) and especially on our new EP Holding The Flame (2025). That’s why we decided to re-record Midnight Devil and When Destiny Calls – so they could finally sound the way we originally imagined them.

Are you involved with any other bands or projects outside of Tomb of Giants? / What’s up next for Tomb of Giants?
Tomb of Giants has always been my heart’s project and still gets my full focus. That said, I’m open to being part of a side project at some point – to explore new influences and grow as a musician. As long as it fits alongside family and work, it could be a great experience.

For Tomb of Giants, we’ve got a couple of small to mid-sized festivals and gigs lined up this summer. We’ve also already started working on material for a full-length album to build on the momentum of the EP. So yes, we’re staying busy – and hopefully we can share new music again soon!

Any final words of wisdom?
In a world that often feels chaotic, never lose hope. Metal gives us strength. Music connects people. It builds bridges where there used to be walls. We need more flames of hope – and fewer flames of destruction. Keep holding the flame.

LINE-UP:
Kai Nikolayczyk • Vocals
Oliver Nienhüser • Guitars, Vocals
Yannik “Moshi” Moszynski • Guitars
Daniel Melchior • Bass
Mirco Nienhüser • Drums

(Interview by Ken Morton)

Thank you to Markus Eck of Metal Message ᴳᴸᴼᴮᴬᴸ • 𝐸𝓈𝓉. 2001 for setting this up!

Tomb of Giants on Facebook