"The Nibelung Saga": Ratlehole unveils an epic rock opera and completes the 13-track album

(openPR) Vienna, November 2025 - The Austrian virtual metal project Ratlehole presents "The Nibelung Saga - A Rock Opera", a monumental concept album retelling the complete Nibelung legend in ten dramatic, cinematic chapters - powerfully staged with a fusion of rock and metal elements, symphonic orchestration and modern digital sound design.

With the release of the final Christmas track "Yule of the Nibelungs" in December 2025, the album is now complete and consists of 13 tracks.

An Epic Cycle in 10 Chapters - Story Overview

The Curse Begins - The theft of the Rhinegold unleashes an ancient curse that seals the fate of heroes and gods.
Dragonblood - Siegfried slays Fafnir, bathes in dragon blood and seals his destiny.
Veiled in Shadows - Intrigues and hidden alliances weave a dangerous web beneath the surface.
Blood and Betrayal - Deception and treachery lead to political turmoil.
Marked for Death - Siegfried becomes the target of a conspiracy led by those he trusted.
Brünnhilde's Oath - Brünnhilde swears bitter vengeance and alters the course of the saga.
Siegfried's Last Stand - The hero falls in an ambush - betrayed, murdered, mourned.
Kriemhild's Revenge - Kriemhild unleashes a violent campaign of revenge that destroys kingdoms.
The Feast of Blood - A royal banquet descends into a devastating bloodbath.
Twilight of the Gods - An apocalyptic finale brings the age of heroes to a fiery end.

Bonus Tracks

The Nibelung Requiem - a solemn, atmospheric orchestral piece.
Dragonfight - a high-energy rap-metal track depicting Siegfried's battle with the dragon.
Yule of the Nibelungs - a festive, symphonic winter composition featuring harp, bells, strings and choir - released in December 2025 as the final track of the 13-song album.

International Radio Support

Songs by Ratlehole have already been played by radio stations in the United Kingdom, Italy, Brazil, the United States, Spain and France.
This broad international attention highlights the cross-genre appeal of Ratlehole's hybrid sound, blending metal, rock and symphonic orchestration for listeners around the world.

About Ratlehole - Name Origin & Artistic Concept

Ratlehole is a virtual metal-rock project by Austrian author, musician and lyricist Franz Habegger, operating at the intersection of human creativity and machine precision.

The Name - from Basement Room to Artistic Identity

The name "Ratlehole" originates from the project's first rehearsal space: an old, dark basement room in Vienna that musicians jokingly called "the rat hole."
From this raw, underground environment, a unique artistic ethos emerged:
creativity rising from the depths, irony from the abyss, and a deliberately rough hybrid of human and machine.
The name became a symbol for a place where analogue inspiration meets digital precision, forming a new style of musical storytelling.

The Sound - Half Human, Half Machine

While lyrics and core melodies are composed traditionally, voices, orchestra and instruments are created using state-of-the-art digital technologies.
Modeled voices, algorithmic orchestras and synthetic guitars merge into a sound deliberately positioned between the organic and the artificial - a new form of digital music-theatre aesthetics.

With "The Nibelung Saga" (2025), Habegger created a modern metal opera combining Germanic mythology, symphonic grandeur and digital innovation.

Outlook: FRANZ & SISSI (2026)

In 2026, Ratlehole will release its next concept project: "Franz and Sissi", a satirical metal series about Austria's imperial couple.
A new genre was created for this purpose: Comedy Metal - a fusion of imperial nostalgia, dark humor and metal energy.

The first single "Back to Schönbrunn" has already received enthusiastic reviews:

Indiefferential Magazine: "Captivating from start to finish... emotionally honest and technically strong."

OverRocks Radio/Website: "Sensational sound, excellent production!"

SSROCK Rádio: "Perfectly balanced, melodically compelling."

Radio-TV Arthis Brussels: "Brilliant and original - humorous and musically refined."

Feedback on "Yule of the Nibelungs"

RTRP Radio: "Impressive atmosphere, thoughtful songwriting."

For Play: "A cinematic, powerful piece full of mythic energy."

W!ZARD Radio: "A creative and refreshing take on a holiday song."

Links

Spotify - Artist Page
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7sY4b6wE7ozJfthLuwKSxL

Website
https://www.ratlehole.info

Franz Habegger
Mollenburgweg 7
A-3653 Weiten
management@ratlehole.info

Franz Habegger is an Austrian author, musician, lyricist and conceptual artist, specializing in narrative music projects at the intersection of rock, metal and digital sound art.
He developed Ratlehole as a hybrid art project that fuses classical composition, storytelling, artificial voices and modern production techniques into a new form of digital music theatre.

This release was published on openPR.