Doomed Confessionary: Sven, Peter, Dierk & Heinz (Stonebourne)

Stonebourne is a four-piece grunge band from Nuremberg, Germany.

They have released their new studio album »Play This Record Backwards« on October 17th, 2025 via Subwave-Music. Compared to its predecessor, »Play This Record Backwards« feels darker, heavier, more melancholic – but also deeper. Frontman and guitarist Sven Kartscher lures listeners into his brooding inner world with hooks that linger, laid over the pulsing groove of Dierk von Tesmar’s driving basslines and Heinz Salomon’s pounding drums. Lead guitarist Peter Loy alternates between crushing riffs and intricate solos laced with bittersweet harmonies.

The echoes of Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Stone Temple Pilots are there for anyone with an ear, but the quartet from Franconia don’t stop at Seattle’s city limits. Their brand of heavy, uncompromising Über-Grunge kicks the doors wide open with urgent riffs and soulful dual vocals, carving out a sound that’s unmistakably their own.

Somewhere between Seattle and Franconia spins a record that breathes, sweats, and bleeds raw intensity, full of soul. Grunge isn’t dead. It just moved to Nuremberg.

Can you please say a few words about your band?
Peter: It’s fucking great Uber-Grunge.

Sven: When we were younger we loved the grungy tunes from all these bands of the nineties and now we are only a little bit older and still love it. And we find it as our mission to bring that sound to all the kids all around the world to tell them, there is still hope in your dispair you just neeed a heavy guitar sound, a malming bass, kicking drums and howling vocals to quench your thirst for real good music.

Dierk: Stonebourne – the coolest band since the Stone Age.

Heinz: Just four crazy old men.

What was the biggest challenge for the band?
Sven: It was, has always been and still is to stay alive on stage and rock your guts.

Dierk: Going through a bunch of line-up changes.

Heinz: Having to find a new guitarist during the studio recordings for the PTRB album.

Peter: To finally find a guitarist like me 😀

What can you be most proud of so far?
Dierk: To have the coolest line-up now.

Heinz: Our current album published on vinyl.

Sven: Don’t you listen? We are still alive and still can hold a guitar in one Hand and a beer in the other.

Peter: Yeah! We dont give up.

What was your biggest regret?
Dierk: When my co-founding members left the band.

Heinz: When only a few come to the show, even though we play such awesome music.

Sven: Just as I sing in one of our tracks: “No regrets! No regrets! No regrets!”

Peter: Never regret anything.

What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
Sven: Well, the best concert should always be the one you are playing today, whether there are 1000 or only 1 guy in the audience. This is such a satisfying Feeling, it lasts and lasts and lasts.

Peter: Munich – Feierwerk.

Dierk: All the year 2024-2025.

What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
Sven: I always considered music as something special, but found out: there are so many mediocre acts out there who don’t really care about. And most suprising even the audience don’t care at all!

Peter: Why we aren’t famous yet.

Dierk: To have not hit the masses with our music (yet).

Heinz: That Lemmy isn’t immortal.

What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
Peter: Kaiser Franz Josef.

Dierk: Rush.

Heinz: A mix of Soundgarden, Life Of Agony, Stone Temple Pilots.

Sven: Silence – I really enjoy it after the show and at home. Otherwise I love to listen to all these shitty pop tunes from the 80ies in between and then I finish the day with a little bit of Slayer.

What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
Sven: Don’t stop, don’t ever stop!

Dierk: Do what you love!

Heinz: Play the drums (from my big brother, when I was about 10 years old).

What are your guilty pleasures?
Sven: Are you crazy, my wife will kill me if I…

Heinz: I have nothing to hide 😉

Peter: German Hackfleisch.

Dierk: Doing nothing.

Can you say something more about the current music scene in Nuremberg?
Sven: Yeah, a lot of bands out there from all genres and for Gods sake a lot of rock’n’roll, ’cause the kids wanna go back to when music was important and full of vibe and they want get the real stuff!

Peter: I find it very provincial here.

Dierk: Too less grunge. But actually we’re here to change that.

Heinz: There aren’t enough clubs, even though there are so many good bands. Plus, a lot of people can’t be bothered to go to concerts.

Where can we see you live soon (concerts/tours)?
Heinz: Of course on our current “Play This Record Backwards” tour.

Sven: Plan your next holiday trip to Germany, we are on the road. You’ll find all dates on our homepage stonebourne.de and all our socials. And the tour is growing.

Peter: This Friday in Bavaria.

Dierk: We will be on a stage nearby you soon.

What are your plans for the future as a band?
Sven: Playing live again and again, big fun on tour with my buddies from the band. Meeting people and making new friends out there, just enjoy all that shit a life with music can give you.

Peter: Getting rich and famous.

Dierk: Getting rich without being famous 😀

Heinz: Wealth and world domination.

How can people best support your band?
Peter: Come to our show and rock hard!

Dierk: Have a great time and be impressed. Listen to our stuff wherever and whenever possible.

Sven: It’s so easy, everyone knows, but hey, i tell you all: Go to fucking concerts of your local undergound, enjoy the party and let the band know you do, buy a record or a shirt at the show and I really hate to say so, but it’s so important: The cheapest and easiest way to support your band is to click their YouTube, to stream their songs in your playlist and to fucking follow, like and comment on socials – costs nothing but helps so much!

Do you have any message for your listeners?
Sven: You’ve proven a really great taste in music by listening to our tracks, thanks for that and stay as you are!

Peter: Make Grunge great again!!

Dierk: If you miss us, you don’t know what you are missing!

Heinz: Come to our concerts, it’s worth it!!!

Links:
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify | YouTube

Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well