A BLACK/DEATH METAL band from a small town in eastern Germany did not expect to find some of its strongest listeners more than 10,000 kilometers away.
But as HKSPK prepared for the release of their second album “Heimkehr,” the band noticed something unusual in their streaming data: listeners from the Philippines had become an important part of their growing international audience.
Among the cities appearing particularly strongly were Cebu City, Quezon City and Davao.
For HKSPK, an independent three-piece from Brandenburg, Germany, the development came as a surprise. The band has never toured the Philippines, has no Philippine record label and has never worked with a local promoter there.
Yet Filipino listeners found the music anyway.
“We started looking at the numbers and suddenly saw cities in the Philippines appearing among our strongest locations,” says HKSPK. “Davao being there was especially fascinating because there was no campaign behind it. We had never specifically targeted the city. People simply discovered the music.”
The connection is particularly fitting as HKSPK prepare to release an album called “Heimkehr” – the German word for “homecoming.”
The album will be released independently on September 11, 2026.
Across eight tracks and just over 25 minutes, “Heimkehr” begins with short and violent bursts of Black and Death Metal before gradually changing its character. The songs become longer and more atmospheric, while the lyrics increasingly deal with memory, loss, comradeship and the question of what it means to return to a place after the person returning has changed.
The six-minute title track closes the record and represents the furthest point in that development.
HKSPK consists of Jim Tonik on vocals and lead guitar, Leon on rhythm guitar, and Arne on drums.
Although the band remains firmly rooted in the underground, its audience has increasingly crossed national borders. HKSPK currently reaches more than 12,000 listeners within 28 days on Spotify, with more than 1,600 followers and thousands of playlist additions.
The United States and the Philippines have emerged as two of the band’s strongest international territories.
That growth has happened without a major label behind the band.
HKSPK have also begun attracting international media attention ahead of the album release. Germany’s LEGACY Magazine has confirmed coverage including a review and a two-page feature, while US-based extreme-metal publication No Clean Singing will host the exclusive full-album premiere on September 10, one day before the official release.
For the musicians, however, seeing listeners connect with the songs in places they have never visited remains one of the most interesting parts of the album campaign.
Extreme metal might seem an unlikely bridge between rural Brandenburg and Davao City, but music does not always follow the routes its creators expect.
HKSPK’s songs are written in both German and English. Some listeners therefore connect with songs whose lyrics they may not fully understand.
The band believes atmosphere and emotion can travel beyond language.
“We never expected the Philippines to become such an important part of our audience,” the band says. “Knowing that someone in Davao can discover a song made in Brandenburg and connect with it is something we don’t take for granted.”
And that has already raised another possibility.
HKSPK have so far performed in Germany and the Czech Republic, including shows alongside Asagraum, Enisum and Waldgeflüster. There is currently no Philippine tour planned.
But after discovering how many listeners are already waiting on the other side of the world, the idea no longer feels quite as distant.
“If the opportunity ever comes to play in the Philippines, we would absolutely love to experience that audience in person.”
Until then, the connection exists through headphones, playlists and thousands of kilometers of distance.
For an album called “Heimkehr,” perhaps that is an appropriately unexpected beginning.
“HEIMKEHR” by HKSPK will be released independently on September 11, 2026.
Released track – “Rot In Despair”:
Spotify:
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