Emerging from Castrop-Rauxel, Germany, the up-and-coming heavy metal outfit Biwo has swiftly garnered attention. Their recent release, “Life and Death,” not only revealed their musical evolution but also their unwavering passion. We had the chance to speak with Sven about their journey and forthcoming plans, and it’s evident that Biwo’s talent and determination are poised to leave a substantial mark in the heavy metal realm.

THE NWOTHM: Thanks for agreeing to this interview! First of all for our readers, can you introduce the band, yourself and where you are from?

Sven Biwo: Hey Rob and thank you. I am Sven, guitarist, vocalist and founder of the Heavy Metal band BIWO from Germany. We play Melodic Heavy Metal from our heart. There is no concept that sing only about war or religious things. We sing about life and everything that goes with it. Highs and lows. Happiness and sadness. Life and death. Besides me there is Hanno the Beast on drums, Justus on bass and Finley on guitar. A classic four-man metal combo. I would see us in the 90s and early 2000s. We are too well styled for the 80s. (laughs)

THE NWOTHM: How did the band form and do you have any fond memories from that period?

Sven Biwo: Justus (bass) and I met at a benefit concert. He and I were wearing our metal shirts and quickly got talking. He also brought his friend Hanno (drums) into the conversation. But before the first rehearsals started, Corona came and so everything was put on hold. So no, I don’t have any fond memories of that time. But I used the time to work on material for an album. After Corona we got together and I brought Finley (Guitar) into the band. I knew him from the local music school. But the time after that was very intense and the rehearsals went really well. Now we have an album and are ready to play live.

THE NWOTHM: How did the band name come from?

Sven Biwo: It’s my last name. Short, concise and memorable. We do it like Van Halen, Bon Jovi or Axel Rudi Pell. As long as I live, this band will exist!

THE NWOTHM: And who has helped shaped the sound that Biwo has? Who has been your biggest inspiration?

Sven Biwo: These are some of them. Manowar, Iron Maiden, the first Majesty Records, Iced Earth and the whole Power Metal phase in the early 2000’s. Rhapsody, Highland Glory and also Stratovarius were just great at that time. But in the end I never tried to sound like another band. But in the end, I never tried to sound like another band. Everything comes from my heart and how I feel at that moment.

THE NWOTHM: You have only been around a few years! What is the metal circuit like in your home town? Do you think nwothm is big in Germany?

Sven Biwo: In our hometown Castrop-Rauxel we are the only heavy metal band! The rest only play metal-core. They all try to emulate the band Eskimo Callboy, which also comes from Castrop-Rauxel. You might think heavy metal is dead, but shows by Riot City or Visigoth are very well attended or even sold out. There are simply no new young bands from our region that play simple heavy metal. Most NWOTHM bands come from the USA or Canada etc.. In Germany it’s time to start a new wave, like back in the 80s with Running Wild, Helloween and Grave Digger. The fans are there, but the bands are missing.

THE NWOTHM: When your crafting metal what is the process like? Do you all get together in a room or separately and share files on line?

Sven Biwo: That is quite different. But usually it’s mainly Hanno, Finley and I who come to a rehearsal with some ideas. We then play the song and afterwards everyone contributes their ideas. Some great songs have already been created that way. I’m looking forward to the finished result. Justus says about himself that he’s just the bass player (laughs). He is happy to play with us and does some back office.

THE NWOTHM: You released your demo ‘Win This Fight” back in 2020? How did the pandemic help your creativity and writing?

Sven Biwo: The pandemic has bought me a lot of time. We were all trapped at home but that was good because it gave me enough time to work on the songs. The whole album was made during that time. I think without the pandemic the album wouldn’t be finished until today. So at least it had something good for us. Win This Fight was the first song that was really finished and was written within 2 hours. We removed the single in the meantime because it was re-recorded for the album. It was a first attempt to gain experience to make less mistakes for the album release.

THE NWOTHM: If you were given one million euros to put on the biggest show, where would it be held, what would you do for it and who else would you feature?

Sven Biwo: I think if I only invite Manowar my budget is used up, isn’t it? (Laughs). I would like to invite the NWOTHM. Riot City, Visigoth, Seven Sisters and Ironflame spring to mind. It’s time for new heroes.

THE NWOTHM: Can you tell us about your debut release “Life and Death” and what has the writing process been like for the album?

Sven Biwo: “Life And Death” was written, recorded, produced mixed and mastered entirely by me in my home studio due to the pandemic. I didn’t know when all the shit would be over and I didn’t want to wait any longer until we could release it. The plan was to have an album ready to go and play live quickly. And that worked out wonderfully. When we play a show we always have something solid that people can listen to. Most of the time I got up in the middle of the night because that’s when my creative half of my brain got active and I worked on the songs. I was in a really bad mood during the day at that time (laughs). I really missed a lot of sleep.

THE NWOTHM: Who is the team behind the record?

Sven Biwo: My family was my team. If my wife hadn’t taken care of everything else, I wouldn’t have found the time to make the album. All my thanks go to her. I actually did everything myself on the album. Arranging, recording, mixing and mastering. The lovely Gudrun Müller had painted “Mother

Earth”. I also created the design for the CD and the T-shirt myself on the computer. You simply can’t rely on others. Then you are simply lost. The only 2 people who gave me enormous encouragement during this time were Markus Eck from Metal Message (https://www.metalmessage.de/ ) and André Krause from Epic Metal Blog (https://epicmetalblog.com/).

THE NWOTHM: What are your plans for the rest of 2023 and 2024?

Sven Biwo: A mix of live performances and working on a new album. It will be an exciting phase and I am curious how much the sound will change. Hanno has a very thrashy drum style and Finley has a very modern touch in his playing similar to Children Of Bodom. I think it will be a great mix. It is important not to stand still but to keep going.

THE NWOTHM: What shows do you have coming up?

Sven Biwo: We play at this year’s Turock Fest in Bochum. It’s one of the biggest metal festivals in West Germany. Next year we will play some gigs. Amongst others we will open the “Epic Metal Night II” in Oberhausen. It’s organised by epicmetalblog.com and From Beyond Events. And there are a few more shows in West Germany.

THE NWOTHM: Where can fans old and new buy your merch?

Sven Biwo: Simple via E-Mail or Bandcamp. We have really cool merch. T-shirts, CDs, patches, posters and stickers. We have also a new shirt at the start. The motif is by Rainer Kalwitz, who has also worked for Firewind and Metal Church.

THE NWOTHM: Is there anything else you would like to mention?

Sven Biwo: Don’t waste your time and stay Heavy!