Obscura Hit With Plagiarism Allegations as Former Members Accuse Steffen Kummerer of Stealing Song Ideas

Obscura has found itself at the center of controversy over its latest single, “Evenfall”, which has been accused of plagiarism by former members of the band. The accusations come from Alex Weber, former bassist/vocalist, and Max Phelps, vocalist/guitarist of the band Exist, who both claim that Steffen Kummerer, Obscura’s mastermind, used their musical ideas without permission.

The drama began after the release of “Evenfall” on January 8th, when Weber posted a video and statement accusing Kummerer of using melodies he had written but was assured would not be used after his exit from the band. Weber stated that before leaving, he had received written confirmation that his contributions would not be included on Obscura’s forthcoming album, A Sonication. Weber expressed his frustration, emphasizing that while it’s not about the money or the melody itself, it’s about the principle of intellectual property theft.

Weber shared:

““I was REALLY hoping it wouldn’t come to this… I’m not one to create drama and stir the pot unnecessarily but I’m sad to hear that the new Obscura tune contains melodies that I wrote and melodies that I did not give Steffen permission to use. Before we all left the band we got written confirmation that the material we contributed to the record would not be used but this video shows clearly that my melody was used note for note.

It would have been one thing if I was credited for this or had given him written permission to use it, but that was not the case. It’s not about money or even being that attached to the melody, it’s a matter of principle and intellectual property theft.

I know because of deadlines, that Steffen was in a tough position when we all left the band but now i’m concerned that more of the music that Chris and I wrote for this album will still be used without our consent.

I’m always more for going the compassionate route but I don’t appreciate how this situation has been dealt with. It’s NOT ok to use someone else’s music regardless of how much or how little was used, especially without credit.”

Max Phelps, Weber‘s bandmate in Exist, also weighed in on the matter. Phelps further expanded on the allegations, claiming the plagiarism went beyond just the melody, including rhythmic ideas, guitar parts, and drum lines. He pointed out that the parts in question were already being worked into a new Exist song, emphasizing the extensive overlap. Phelps remarked:

“I have never wanted to make a post like this, but I’ve got to back up my brother on it…the new Obscura song is stolen. Alex brought the parts in question to the table a while ago and we had currently been working them into an Exist arrangement, so I’m personally very familiar with them. I would even argue that Alex undermined the extent of the plagiarism in his wording…it goes beyond the melody to the rhythmic ideas and development whenever that melody occurs. It’s not just the bassline, it’s the guitars and drum line as well. Here are the parts that are plagiarized:

0:00 – 1:15
2:14 – 2:34
4:49 – 5:35

That’s 2.5 minutes of a 5.5 minute song. These were not Steffen‘s to use and now he’s trying to blow Alex off by claiming that he ‘changed them dramatically’. He didn’t… it’s not even remotely subjective and there are copyright violations all the time over musical ideas that are far bigger stretches.

I do want to clarify that Steffen has been a good friend of mine for years and has done a lot of solids for Alex, myself and Exist including taking us on tour even when our band really didn’t have much traction. Neither of us take this for granted, which unfortunately makes this even more of a heel turn and a huge disappointment.

If Alex still wants to use the riffs then we still will use them and there’s nothing Steffen can do because they are legally not his or his record label’s intellectual property. On a side note, Robin Zielhorst is awesome and I feel bad if he and the other new dudes are getting tangled in this.””

Phelps clarified that while he and Weber have deep respect for Kummerer and his past contributions to Exist, this situation is disappointing and damaging. He also reiterated that if Weber wishes to use the parts, Exist will still proceed with them, as they legally belong to Weber and are not Kummerer‘s intellectual property.

As if this weren’t enough, Christian Münzner, the band’s former guitarist who left in 2024, has also joined the fray, claiming that Obscura’s new material contains riffs he had written during his time in the band. Münzner alleges that he was assured these riffs wouldn’t be used, but now they appear in A Sonication in their original form. He expressed his intent to pursue legal action, calling the situation a breach of trust and respect. Münzner posted on social media:

““I just heard more of the new Obscura. There are riffs I had written and was guaranteed would not be used, and they are being used 1:1, note for note, stolen, copied, as well as entire song structures. Mr. Tech Death Genius strikes again I would say. If Nuclear Blast releases this they are thiefs as well.

I will not let this slide and explore every legal avanue. There are limits to how much shit we should tolerate. These songs were intended for a solo EP I was planning to do after the Obscura split, now I can not do this anymore. This can not go on. Especially if we “agree to disagree” because of creative differences and then you use other peoples work, after you say we are not on the same page what we want musically?”

With the album A Sonication scheduled for release on February 7th via Nuclear Blast, the allegations raise serious questions about the band’s creative process and the future of its relationship with its former members. As of now, neither Kummerer nor Obscura have publicly responded to the allegations.

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