With its military aesthetic and predilection for orange-and-black album covers, one could easily get the idea that Bavarian black metal project Kanonenfieber represents the wrong side of World War II. As it turns out, this German solo artist—whose band name means “cannon fever” (a synonym for shell shock) in English—is a World War I enthusiast. It’s perhaps an important distinction for a musician who writes aggressive songs with titles like “Der Füsilier I” (“Infantryman”) and “Z-Vor!” (a German naval command) peppered with lengthy speeches in his native language. The man behind the project, who goes by the name Noise, says he’s emphasizing the horrors of war, not glorifying it. As for Kanonenfieber’s death’s head mascot Fritz, who appears on the cover of Soldatenschicksale (“Soldiers’ Fates”) in a decidedly SS-looking uniform instead of his traditional Prussian helmet? His nonexistent lips are sealed—permanently.