Shtil (song)
A Russian heavy metal song about a shipwrecked crew's cannibalism.
"Shtil" (meaning "Calm" in Russian) is a song by the Russian heavy metal band Aria, appearing on their 2001 album *Chimera* and the 2002 EP *Calm*. The track was originally recorded for *Chimera* and features a duet between Valery Kipelov and Udo Dirkschneider. Its lyrics, written by Margarita Pushkina, draw from Jack London's short story "Francis Spaight," telling the story of a ship's crew lost at sea who resort to cannibalism to survive. The music was composed by Vitaly Dubinin.
In 2003, Till Lindemann and Richard Kruspe—vocalist and guitarist of the German industrial metal band Rammstein—recorded a cover version titled "Schtiel" (spelled to match German pronunciation). Lindemann sang entirely in Russian. A demo version, with an ID3 tag suggesting it was recorded during the *Mutter* era, exists online. The cover was released as a single in an unknown number of copies for the 2003 Harley Party in Moscow, celebrating Harley-Davidson's 100th anniversary. The entire 2003 lineup of Aria disliked the cover and later sold their three copies through their online store; these are the only known copies from the party. Other copies were given to winners of an online quiz hosted by the Russian computer monitor company RoverScan. Due to the single's rarity, bootleggers have produced illegitimate copies, with at least 60 bootleg CDs believed to exist alongside fewer than ten authentic copies. The single's track listing includes "Schtiel" and a Miller Beer commercial video. On the cover, Lindemann handled lead vocals and drums, while Kruspe played guitars, bass guitars, and provided backing vocals.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Aria feat. Udo Dirkschneider
- Album
- Shtil
- Released
- 2001
- Genre
- Heavy metal
- Length
- 4:50
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The song "Shtil" was originally recorded for Aria's 2001 album Chimera, with Valery Kipelov and Udo Dirkschneider performing it as a duet. Its narrative draws from Jack London's short story "Francis Spaight," telling of a ship's crew lost at sea who resort to cannibalism to survive. The music was composed by Vitaly Dubinin, with lyrics by Margarita Pushkina. In 2003, Till Lindemann and Richard Kruspe of the German industrial metal band Rammstein covered the song under the title "Schtiel" for a tribute to Harley-Davidson. Lindemann sang entirely in Russian. The cover was released as a single in an unknown quantity for the 2003 Harley Party in Moscow, celebrating Harley-Davidson's 100th anniversary. The entire 2003 lineup of Aria disliked the cover and later sold their three copies on their online store; these are the only known copies to have left the party. The rarity of the "Schtiel" single has led to bootlegging, with at least 60 bootleg copies believed to exist, compared to fewer than ten authentic copies known to exist. A demo version of the song, with an ID3 tag suggesting it was recorded during the Mutter era, can be found online.
Reader's Guide
"Shtil" holds significance as a standout track in Aria's discography, blending heavy metal with literary inspiration from Jack London. Its duet format with Udo Dirkschneider added international appeal, while the cover by Rammstein members Till Lindemann and Richard Kruspe introduced the song to a broader audience. The cover's limited release—only for a Harley-Davidson anniversary event and a small online contest—created a collector's item, with fewer than ten authentic copies known. This scarcity has fueled a bootleg market, with over 60 counterfeit copies in circulation. The song's legacy is thus twofold: as a powerful narrative piece within Russian heavy metal and as a rare artifact of cross-cultural collaboration between Aria and Rammstein. The demo version, linked to Rammstein's Mutter era, further cements its place in metal history.
Did You Know?
- The song is based on Jack London's short story "Francis Spaight" about a ship's crew forced into cannibalism.
- Till Lindemann sang the cover entirely in Russian.
- Fewer than ten authentic copies of the "Schtiel" single are known to exist, with at least 60 bootleg copies in circulation.
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