Global Metal Brotherhood: Mike Stark and the Rise of Feanor

Global Metal Brotherhood: Mike Stark and the Rise of Feanor

From the frostbitten forests of Sweden to the blazing heart of Argentina, Feanor’s latest incarnation is a global force of heavy metal fury. At the helm of the mic is Mike Stark, whose commanding vocals and storytelling prowess drive the band’s new album Hellhammer—a 60-minute epic released via No Remorse Records. In this exclusive Highwire Daze interview, Stark dives deep into the mythic origins of Hellhammer, the siren-haunted seas of its first single, and the pirate tributes that fuel “Heavy Metal Jesus.” He also reflects on his past with Steel Attack and Starblind, and teases what’s next for his other band, Stormburner. No rehearsals, no borders—just pure metal passion across continents.

First of all, Mike, how did you wind up joining Feanor?
I was actually asked by David Shankle, who was the guitarist in Feanor at the time. He and I had worked together on a few projects that never saw the light of day, but we’d known each other for years and had recorded together before. So, when he asked if I was interested in joining, I thought, “Alright, maybe this will finally be the project where David and I get our first release together.” And then… he left the band.

Is there an overall story or concept behind the album title Hellhammer?
Yeah, the base of the song “Hellhammer” was written by Thilo Hermann. We were sitting around discussing the track, and I told him I was thinking about writing lyrics and working on melodies. I asked if he had a working title, and he said, “Hellhammer.” I was like, “Perfect.”

So, I wrote a lyric about this guy wandering alone in the woods as night falls. He stumbles into a clearing where a circle of witches is conjuring the devil around a giant cauldron. The devil appears, wielding the Hellhammer, ready to crack the earth and destroy the world. The guy gets caught in their spell and witnesses everything. That’s the story.

The first single is “Sirens of Death.” What’s the background on that one?
“Sirens of Death” was also written by Thilo and was the first song I recorded for Feanor—back when David was still in the band. He helped arrange the track and produced some of my vocals. David actually came up with the title and said, “Let’s call this one ‘Sirens of Death.’” I thought it was great.

So, I wrote lyrics about young sailors heading out to sea in search of adventure and gold. They’re lured by the sirens’ voices, crash their ship against the rocks, and everyone dies—except the captain, who miraculously survives. That’s the tale.

Tell me about “HMJ.”
“HMJ” stands for Heavy Metal Jesus. Thilo and I wrote it together while I was down in Germany at the studio. He wanted to pay tribute to his past in Running Wild, so we created this track as a homage to the heavy metal Jesus himself—Rock ’n’ Rolf Kasparek.

The bridge of the song is made entirely of Running Wild song titles. It goes: “Under Jolly Roger,” “Black Bart,” “The Privateer,” “Port Royal,” “Black Hand Inn,” “Stay Forever,” “Running Wild”—and it keeps shifting through other titles. The song itself is about pirates heading out to sea, sinking enemy ships, and looting their gold. Classic metal storytelling.

With band members spread across the globe, how do you rehearse?
We don’t really rehearse in the traditional sense. We write music and collaborate online—sending files back and forth, giving feedback. It’s a tight-knit process. We’ve got two members in Argentina, I’m in Sweden, Thilo’s in Germany, E.V.’s in Brazil, and Diana’s in Japan. So, it’s all video meetings and digital communication.

When we finally do a tour, we’ll probably meet up a few days beforehand and jam through the set together.

Has this lineup of Feanor played live yet? Is that about to happen?
Not yet, but we’ve been talking about it. Promoters have reached out, and we’re hoping to do some European dates, maybe hit the U.S. and South America too. It’s all on the wish list. Will it happen? I hope so.

Feanor’s debut album Invencible came out in 2005—20 years ago. Have you heard it, and what do you think?
Yeah, I’ve listened to it. Gus filled me in on the band’s history. I’ve only been in Feanor for a couple of years, so that album was way before my time. I believe they were singing in Spanish back then.

It’s a great part of the band’s legacy. They made their mark and started the journey. Over the years, the band’s evolved with each release.  Members have come and gone, but the driving force has always been Gustavo “Gus” Acosta, our bassist. He writes, composes, and keeps the band moving forward. He’s a powerhouse.

What’s going on with your other band, Stormburner? Any new music coming?
It is! Check out the shirt I’m wearing. I joke that Stormburner is the laziest band on earth—we released a pretty successful debut in 2019 and haven’t dropped anything since. But we still get great festival slots and fans constantly asking, “When’s the next album?”

The music’s been recorded for about a year and a half. I just haven’t tracked the vocals yet. I’ve started demo vocals, and I’m nearly done. Once that’s finished, I’ll head up to Gävle to work with my producer, Ronny Hemlin. He’s also a singer—he’s in Tad Morose and used to sing in Steel Attack back when I was their drummer. I love working with Ronny. Once I get up there, we’ll track the Stormburner album and wrap it up. So, it’s coming soon.

Let’s talk anniversaries. It’s been 10 years since your two albums with Starblind. What do you think of them now?
I kind of like the first one. I started Starblind with drummer Zak, but before that I was working with a guitarist, and we were trying to form a band. I was supposed to play drums, but we couldn’t find a singer. Then Johan suggested I sing instead and we find a drummer. So, I did.

We brought in Zak, then Daniel from a band I used to be in called Sadauk, and eventually JJ and Björn. We recorded the debut Starblind album after I’d only been singing for six months. I had no idea what I was doing—just pure passion, no technique. I’d think, “I guess I should go up here,” and just try to hit something.

The second album, A Dying Sun, came out in 2015. I love the songs and melodies, but I don’t like my vocals on it. I was trying to learn how to sing properly, but I overthought everything and ended up sounding forced. Great album, but my performance was subpar.

Steel Attack did one show in Hollywood. Were you part of that?
No, I think that was the year after I left—maybe 2005 or 2006. Ronny, my producer, was singing for them at that show. I did play with Steel Attack in the U.S., though—at the New Jersey Metal Fest in Asbury Park, back in 2001 or 2002.

You know, I saw Steel Attack in Hollywood and thought maybe we’d met—but I guess not. I did meet Ronny, though. So those two Steel Attack albums you were on came out over 20 years ago. What do you think of them now in retrospect?
Hey, you met Ronny! That’s awesome. I love Predator of the Empire. We had Dick Johnson on vocals—great guy, great singer. Predator was a classic power metal album, very much in that style. Around that time, we signed with Arise Records, which also released Enslaved, the next album with Ronny on vocals.

Enslaved was darker and more progressive, and it really pushed me to evolve as a drummer. We did a great European tour after that release, and I have really fond memories of that era. It was a turning point for me musically.

Back to Feanor—your new album Hellhammer is out now. What’s next for the band?
Hopefully, shows! That’s what I’m really aiming for. It would be amazing to finally meet up as a band and perform in front of fans—wherever in the world. That’s my number one priority right now.

Do you have any messages for Feanor fans reading this?
To all the Feanor fans out there—I just want to say thank you. I’ve been received so warmly as the new singer, and I truly feel welcomed into the Feanor metal family. I hope you enjoy the new album. It’s over 60 minutes of music, packed with songs we’re really proud of.

I love the diversity and depth of Hellhammer. I think we created something special together as a band. Of course, as a musician, you never really know—when you’re deep in the process, you think you’re making something great, but it’s up to the fans to decide. Still, I truly believe Hellhammer is something unique and powerful.

We poured so much energy and passion into this record. Recording an album across different parts of the world is a huge challenge—it’s not like meeting up in a studio and jamming it out. Everything takes longer. Time zones, communication delays—it all adds up. But it’s worth it. Every member gave their whole soul to this album, and I hope that comes through when people listen to it.

(Interview by Ken Morton)

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