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Questions by: Mickaël
With: Alexander Krull (Vocals) & Thorsten Bauer (Guitars)
- Let’s start this interview with a precise question: why have you recorded a new Werk 80 album rather than a regular new album?
Alex: Thanks! Actually we already had the idea in mind while we made the Atlantis record. We just thought it’s the right time to do something like that again. The whole thing actually started out of a mad idea how those songs would sound like if we played them. There were never any commercial ulterior motives or such-a-like to do it. We already did a Metal cover-version from a Demosong by DEATH called “Arch Angel” on the “Todessehnsucht” album. But the idea to do a complete album with non-Metal songs occurred as we made good experiences by working together with musicians from completely different, musical backgrounds. A first step was definitely the acoustic Ethno-Metal album Calling The Rain with my sister Yasmin which was really something extraordinary for a Death Metal band. With WERK 80 another aspect arises as well, which appeals to us by setting completely different songs to our music.
One Metalband covers another Metalband is actually nothing special anymore and to look at it from the musical side it is a much greater challenge for us to attain a new and good outcome from a song which is stylistically different to what you normally do. In 1995, we recorded covers and new versions of our songs on Die Liebe together with the Dark Wave band DAS ICH. On the one hand it was a big step to show that the Metal and Gothic scene was growing together, on the other hand it showed to us musicians that it worked very well if a band like ATROCITY can do something in this way. It is funny and significant that we together did a cover from LAIBACH which are very well known for their covers too.
Anyway, shortly after that we did a successful cooperation with the Gothic band LACRIMOSA and the Synth band SILKE BISCHOFF. It was a lot of fun and suddenly there was an amount of people from the Gothic scene that caught attention to us and wanted to work together. The idea to WERK 80 was in our heads much earlier than that but we didn’t feel that time was right to do it.
When we entered the studio the next time to record an album with some kind of project character (after we did the “regular” and mighty Willenskraft album, which contains some real heavy songs like “Scorching Breath”, “Bloodstained Prophecy” or “The Hunt”), a lot of people started puzzling what comes next. As it came out that we will record WERK 80, a complete album with hits from the eighties, a lot of people said we went absolutely crazy without even listening a single note from the album. Many of them asked themselves why the hell does a Metal band do a cover album of eighties Pop and Wave classics? But this is IT, this adds zest to it, man! Many ignorant people didn’t get it until now. It is guaranteed not the case that we wanted to become a Pop band and to dissociate from Metal music. This is complete nonsense and in principle we do the exact opposite of it! We transform Pop and Wave songs into Metal songs and not the other way round. We do our thing and we are not a band that wants to record the same thing over and over.
I know a couple of musicians who really envy us for doing something like WERK 80. As WERK 80 became a real seller and entered the charts besides all the prophecies of doom and killjoys, a lot of people suddenly came up to us completely enthusiastic, the same people who once threw their hands up in horror! I got inquiries from all different places if I’d like to do similar projects with other bands and producing it. And many bands have tried shortly after that to do similar cover-versions, as nowadays, when it got clear two years ago, that we work on another WERK 80 album again. Who cares, it doesn’t matter to us now as in the past.
In fact we think it’s much cooler that for example in Wacken, thousands of raised fists from Metalheads from all over the world scream along “Shout” and the other songs. Or as we cleaned up as headliner of the biggest Gothic event in this world, the Wave Gotik Treffen in Leipzig (Ger) ! Who would ever have thought before?
Well, now we thought it is a good idea after ten years to record an album like this, to play compositions from others in our typical band style. It was clear to us that if we want to do something like this again, we need to have a break in between and also we had to receive new and fresh musical input. One idea was to boost the classical parts on the album and to substitute the electronic elements with them which was a lot of work but well worth it! WERK 80 II is dynamic, vital and rocks like hell!
- If we compare it with the previous Werk 80, we can find this one get more popular songs.
Tosso: I think like on the first Werk 80 album we have again some real smash hits on the record like the number one hits "Relax" or "Fade to grey" as well as a bit more unusual songs like "Hey little girl". And while we had on Werk 80 I the song "Der Mussolini" on board we have this time again a song from the German music movement "Neue Deutsche welle" on the record. This time we chose "Keine Heimat" from the Berlin-rooted band Ideal. So I think both albums have a very nice mix of well-known songs, one-hit wonders and some unusual songs.
- Moreover how did you choose the songs for this new act?
Alex: We wanted to do "the darkside of Werk 80", so we decided to work with a symphony orchestra and a choir. So the election of the songs was made with that idea in our mind. Of course there have been lots of tracks we could chose but it all went pretty quick after we decided to do it with a more symphonic background.
Tosso: The songs came together quite naturally without listening to eighties compilations. There were some songs already after finishing the first Werk 80 album in our heads like "Relax" or "Fade to grey". For the rest we made a pool of 20 songs from the eighties and started to work on them. Pretty soon it was clear which songs would work very well transforming them into our style of music and thus make it on the album.
- Do you have many of other songs that you don’t use or that you would have liked to include also?
Tosso: Yeah. There were songs that we decided not to put on this record, because they didn’t work that well for our vision of Werk 80 II, so we just put them aside.
Alex: There's also another great idea for the WERK 80 concept which we didn't make this time. Well, who knows maybe we do it some time in the future.
- I would have liked to listen to a cover of `Go West' from the Pet Shop Boys. Did you never think of this one?
Alex: No, not really… Do you want to send a wishlist? Hahaha!!! We already have some!
- The other event of this album it is the artwork on which one finds pictures of Dita Von Teese. How came the idea and who got it?
Alex: The artwork of the Werk 80 II album should be like a mystic invitation. If you lift the "curtain" you find inside the great dark artwork containing the dark opera house in fetish style which is really cool, I think. Dita was just the model I wanted to have and she looks fantastic! She has the glamorous look that I was seeking for and that's why I thought about her at once! The artwork reflects our musical intentions to put the eighties songs into a dark symphonic metal way perfectly!
- Why her rather than a Fetish model not so popular?
Alex: Because she has exactly the style we were seeking for. In fact there are a couple fetish models asking to become the new cover-model after we announced WERK 80 II.
- Were you in direct contact with her for the use of her pictures? How did it occur?
Alex: I know a photographer who works a lot with her.
- By simple curiosity, how much does that cost to have Dita Von Teese on the artwork of his album?
Alex: You have to ask the photographer or her manager, not me! Hahaha!
- Liv Kristine was less present on this album compared on the first one. Could you explain it?
Tosso: There wasn’t a masterplan on how many songs Liv would be involved on this new record. Liv added some great background vocals to tracks like ‘People are people’, ‘Forevery young’ or ‘Smalltown boy’ and did also two vocal duets together with Alex on ‘The sun always shines on TV’ and the Bonus Track ‘Feels like heaven’. It was all about what would serve our versions of the songs best, and when Liv could add a nice colour to the songs or support the harmonies she just joined us with her brilliant vocals.
- What can you reveal on the song in which she took part, `The sun always shines on TV'?
Tosso: I think Liv wanted to do that song very much because the original version is from the Norwegian band A-Ha. In the intro of the song, which comes along in a very classical style only with orchestra Liv is singing this remarkably high note, that you would assume only Maria Callas can master… Haha!!
For ‘The sun always shines’ we also did a video clip in an old moody castle near Berlin. Since that castle had no heating system and it was still February at the time of shooting, we were all freezing like hell. The video features a great atmospheric band performance and the singing duet of Alex and Liv and is already running on different TV stations. Check it out and have fun watching it!
- What represents the New Wave era for you? Do you regret this time?
Alex: Actually we are all kids of the eighties so it's on the hand that we pick stuff out of this certain time period. Although I used to be a big Metalhead in these days! We also formed the band in the mid eighties, so that's the time all started for us. Also the Metal and the New Wave and Gothic scene were both founded at that period of time. As a Metal fan it was for me the time to decide to become a musician and to be a Metal musician and producer and it's still my lifestyle!
Even the idea of Werk 80 was born at these days somehow. I had some friends from the New Wave scene. We had always funny fights and discussions which music is better of course… Hahaha!! And of course I thought only Metal bands are cool… Haha!! But there were some dark and atmospheric songs especially the Wave and Electro stuff with heavy Synthie-basses which I found quite interesting. After all, Pink Floyd are my great heroes and they more or less influenced many of these Synthiebands. I just always missed the heavy guitars, that's why you get them now! DAF is a great example for this, even if we didn't interpret them this time, but they really did some extreme songs. That's why we played "Der Mussolini" and some other songs on the first WERK 80.
One thing which I recognized by doing this new album is for sure: many songs of the eighties were done in great detail and done in an opulent way if you consider the technical possibilities of these days. One should give respect to that either you like them or not. Not for nothing is it claimed that even the Mainstream music of the eighties was done with ambitious arrangements. Some songs we are doing now I found very cool in that time already like "Relax" for example!
For the new WERK 80 II we had pretty fast a vision how we would like to do the songs in general together with the classical background! So we picked songs which could fit into the idea in starting something more symphonic than we did before on the first WERK 80.
I guess Tosso is a real eighties freak! Hahaha!! He knows a lot about all kinds of eighties stuff also material you may not remember he knows it all. Especially the NDW (“Neue Deutsche Welle” which means New German Wave) songs. These movements were inspiring for the whole musical scene in Germany somehow, if you look at Rammstein or even stuff we did for example on the GEMINI album. That's why picked out another NDW song again, which is this time Ideal's ‘Keine Heimat’.
- Is it safe to say that the roots of Atrocity are much more in New Wave music than in Metal?
Alex: Hahaha!! No way, we have a complete Metal background!
- As you have recorded this new act of Werk 80, did you think in the same occasion to work once again with Das Ich?
Tosso: No, since Gemini we produced all our albums for Atrocity and Leaves Eyes by ourselves. We know best how we want to sound and we have creation and processing experience of many records. And this time we wanted to have an organic and handmade sound. So it was a logic step to work together with a real orchestra rather than using electronic sounds.
- Well, another event, it is the arrival of Nick Barker in the band. Can you tell me more on how you were mutually interested to work together?
Alex: Nick was our number one choice and we are happy that he was becoming a member of the ATROCITY/LEAVES' EYES family! We know each other for a very long time and we are looking forward to play with somebody who is a passionate drummer! There were already like 100 musicians writing us who wanted to join the both acts. But I know Nick since our European tour with Deicide back in 1992. On our UK shows Nick was a drumtech of the British support act. Since then we met from time to time when he was in Dimmu Borgir and Cradle of Filth. We were already thinking to ask him to join us in 2005, but then our latest drummer Moritz joint. I met Nick one year later and he told me why I never asked him because he would love to do it. And he told me that he really loves Liv's voice after he saw her with her solo show at the Summer Breeze Open Air when he was on the road with Morbid Angel! Last year we met again at the Metal Hammer UK awards and so we were talking about joining us and the two bands!
- He used to play Extreme Metal, doesn't he apprehend to play Heavy Metal stuff with Leave's Eyes?
Tosso: Of course Nick is well-known for his works in extreme metal, but with Leaves Eyes Nick has the chance to show the people another side of his drum playing. For example Nick is also dedicated very much to the music from Rush or Judas Priest. So it’s a challenge for him to conquer new territory. In addition the leaves Eyes drum tracks are sometimes quite tricky to play.
- In May, you will release the first Leave's Eyes’ DVD. What can you tell me about?
Tosso: It will be quite exciting since it’s the first DVD for Leaves Eyes and you will get to see a lot of Leaves Eyes and our work so far. The DVD also features the special show from Metal Female Voices Festival in October 2007 which was a real killer show.
- Why have you chosen to shoot mainly this concert rather than another?
Tosso: There were different ideas where to shoot the DVD show. Outside, on big festivals, in South America… In the end we chose the female metal Festival in Belgium, because the festival provided us with all that was needed to film a killer show. A huge stage with enough space for the 5 meters high and 9 meters long viking ship, lots of pyrotechnics and projections on stage. We also like the idea to return to the Metal Female Voices Festival as headlining band after already having played there in 2005 with Leaves Eyes.
- The new album of Leave's Eyes is in preparation too. Can you give me some exclusive revelations on this one?
Tosso: We have already written most of the songs for the next record and I am very happy with the material so far. It will feature very epic, majestic songs as well as some straight ahead killer songs. I am confident that this new record will be the best one we have done so far and will mark a big step in the career of Leaves Eyes. The new songs will be also huge fun to play them live.
- Leave's Eyes it is Atrocity + Liv Kristine. How do you manage the songwriting? Is Leave's Eyes still and mainly the project of Liv?
Alex: We are a band, so that's not a project and it never was! Hahaha!! So after touring around the globe in nearly 40 countries we are happy that we are finally writing the new music together and collecting ideas for a new album release. At the moment we are having some really great song ideas, and we can't wait to finish the new Leaves' Eyes record!
- Well, I will profit to speak a little about the new Midnattsol’s album which I have just received. One can find you, Alex, once again at the production of the album. Atrocity, Leave's Eyes, now Midnattsol: it became a true family business …
Alex: Haha!! Somehow and with Atrocity we will do another record together with my sister Yasmin like we did in 1995 Calling The Rain MCD. On the new Midnattsol we only record Carmen's vocal tracks at Mastersound Studio. Carmen's recording sessions went very nice even there were some problems with airport, her health (we made good tea for her) and some taxi drivers driving the wrong way… hahaha!!
- Can you tell us your opinion about Nordlys?
Alex: I think the new record is more guitar oriented like the first one. It has a more heavy drive and Carmen is singing in a stronger way.
- Have you thought to schedule a common tour with Leave's Eyes / Atrocity / Midnattsol?
Tosso: Would a cool package and give Carmen the opportunity to sing her background vocal tracks on the Leaves Eyes song ‘Into your light’. It’s this great "aaa" in the chorus of the song. I love that one!
- Well I thank you for your answers and your time. Feel free to close this interview as you want…
Alex: Thank you very much for the support, we hope to see on tour!!
Tosso: Thanks to all our fans and people who support us and thank you for this interview!
Alexander Krull & Thorsten Bauer
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