Nieuw SODOM interview, ik ben 2 uur bezig geweest met vertalen
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Hi Tom, you got a new record coming out, now the question are you satisfied with the results?
T: Very happy man, of course we are NOThappy with all the delays. We already recorded the drums last year with Achim Kohler (PRIMAL FEAR, SINNER etc.) but he had to quit the job because he accepted another carreer offer at Nuclear Blast records. Of course that sucked ass because I hate it to records the drums and then record the guitars a year later. In the end we recorded the bass and vocals here in Hagen with Andy Brings. We are very happy with what he has done for us, I especially thought he did a great jobb on the vocals.
Keyword Andy. How the hell did you came up with recording with him, we all know you didn't always had the best relationships with ex-members.
T: Yeah true, I had some difficulties with some. But some time ago with had kinda a "class reunion" and I invited all ex-members, I wanted all of them to be involved and be part of the DVD and most of them were really willing to cooperate. That's how I came into contect with Andy again, he also is the only ex-member which is still actively involved with making music. We met each other on a few festivals and so on, told him about the situation with Achim and he basically said "well, why ot try my studio it's not that far from your home". he could really get thebest out of me while he knew me and he is a singer himself too you know, so we just went ahead and tried and the results really blow me away. It was kinda hard to get used to ANdy telling me to "so this that way, do that this way" but in teh end it worked. I am not perfect, and when somebody has a cool idea well why not try it? This is why the record sounds pretty different from "code red" or "M-16". I think especially the vocals are much better.
And much more variation like you can hear in the beginning of "blood on your lips".
T: Andy told me, "man you can do so much, screaming, deep, brutal, high pitched screams" he told me he thought I was one of the best thrash singers in the world. And I said to myself "hey he's right, I CAN do much more than I normally do". He also knew my limits how far I can go. And with ONKEL TOM I sometimes really have to sing, you have to vary about 2 to 3 octaves sometimes. So we basically just tried, and while every song calls for a different approach vocalwise, but we managed to get the optimum out of it. We also didn't distort the bass as much as we used to, we lowered teh requency a little to get a little more low end pressure. We lowered the D string a little so it drives a little more. But overall it's a very homogenous production, which doesn't need to cost € 100.000 because we simply don't have that much money. It's not always about the money, or the amount of equipment, or the studio, it's just what you do with the means you have.
You already mentioned delays but in general 5 years is a very long time for SODOM understandings.
T: Well that's something I have to give the record company credit for. They have to grant us an option in order for us to make a record. This time they waited a long time for this. they wanted to wait and see how the songwriting came along and how the record sales were and so on. But of course we worked on the DVD for a long time too, when we didn't had the DVD coming the new record would have been released in 2004 or maybe even end of 2003. But hell, years seem to pass like days lately. We didn't wait with recording on purpose, we always start writing new songs right after we record a new album. I think we are capable of delivering a good album every year if we want to. We practise a lot too at least two times a week and that's something you hear back. We had the stuff gong with Achim quitting, the DVD for which I had to be in Berlin a lot, and, and, and....but I need to apologize with the fans, but we don't have control over everything, the business side of things also plays a role. The DVD has been delayed for like 3 times because of business stuff. We had to redo a lotta stuff, cut some stuff and make some new stuff all the time. We had to cut our appearance in Stefan Raab's Vivasion TV show, when you don't cut that stuff you immediately get lawyers on your back, it's all about the money, and that is stuff we don't have much of, what poor bastards we are. Then you have to find a way to accompany both sides, the fans and the busniess, but I think we succeeded as well with the DVD as with the new album.
The artwork for the new record has become pretty simple!
T: Yeah, yet the black cover is not the original cover, The REAL cover is in the inlay. It was to detailed for a small CD cover and much too brutal, I think many record stores wouldn't put it in the shop because of it. So we compromised, we put the simple one on the CD cover and put the REAL one on the booklet plus the fans will get a free posterf with the CD on which the artwork will feature in it's full glory.
Also the title "SODOM" is pretty back to basics.
T: That kinda came with the cover, normally you add the title to the coverart later, then I looked at the coverart and said to myself "man, this cover doesn't really need a title". It looks great on it own. So I said to the guys well why don't we simply call it "SODOM"! And they all liked that idea, I mean we are SODOM, we have been togheter for 10 years in this line up. We talked to the record label and they also agreed. Of course we could have called it "city of god" or "bibles and guns" that would also have been cool, but we thought we'd leave it this way. It's not like we lost inspiration or anything. many bands call their first album after their bandname and become really succesful that way HAHAHA!
No big surprises lyricwise, doesn't it bother you to always write about socially motivated issues, about all the shit in the world?
T: I started wrtiting songs right after 9/11 because that stuff really got to me. I wrote "Axis Of Evil" but also "Buried In The Justice Ground" in that period. I think a metalband needs to use their platform to show how they think about things like that. Of course not really a political message, just stuff based on historical facts, I need to shout that stuff off me! We have that possibility and the only thing you have to do for inspiration is turn on the TV! I think it's very hard to top 9/11, but who the hell knows what is still ahead! In teh first line I am a Lyricist a Text poet, I have to write about thing like that, and make them rhyme a little too haha! I mean I have to be able to live with my lyrics my whole life. Of course it's against Bush and Bin Laden. lately someone came up to me and said "Hey man! you wore a Bin Laden shirt" and all I could say was, yeah well...he sucks! I mean you can say so it's not really a political opinion per say, I know Bush is also making big mistakes, I even said so on stage in the USA. I know we cannot change the world but we can make people aware through our lyrics. I don't think we have to preach political messages like Bush and Bin Laden are doing, it's simply no use.
I have to say 9/11 really got to me, I simply sat down and wrote. For me that was a turning point in the world history. An aquintance called me and said "turn on the TV!", I asked "which channel?", he said "doesn't matter it's everywhere!". I couldn't believe my eyes!
Don't you think some people have had enough already about 9/11 and simply wanna get away from all that grim stuff by listening to music, and do not wanna get confronted with it again in their music?
T: Yeah I can imagine, of course we tried to keep our lyrics as wide as possible. It's not like all lyrics are about that topic on the record e.g. "City Of God" was influenced by a movie. It's about childtrade, drugs and stuff like that also a little political, but hey what's left to write about? I mean listen to the lyrics of JUDAS PRIEST or SAXON, "the eagle has landed" and so on, that has no real content, no message. I try not to wrote in a very explicitly formulated way, I wouldn't want people to directly link "Axis Of Evil" to e.g. Bush.
Well it's a famous line from Bush.
T: Well...yeah it is, Axis Of Evil......transatlantic...that really hit it for me, I had to write about it, But I don't believe many fans really put THAT much value in the lyrics. And when they do, maybe the'll learn something..I mean heavy music like ours has to deal with heavy topics you cannot always write about drinking and fucking you know.... We have a certain style and so on lyricwise, just like e.g. SLAYER, and we will not really deviate from that. I mean with SLAYER there's also lyrics which nobody really understands what they are about. It's also important that the Lyrics go well with the music!
Musically it's pure SODOM yet more varied than ever before with e.g. the dark "Blood On Your Lips" or the classic sounding "Axis Of Evil".
T: We also took a differnt approach to the songwriting this time, normally we used to take a few guitar riffs and I sang to them. This time I already had the lyrics done and already figured out some vocal lines. I sat togheter with Bernemann and we tried to write riffs to the lyrics and not the other way around. Andy said "Man you are the key figure in the band we have to try to evolve the songs around your voice, since it's a SODOM trandemark". We are a band that really practises and not just sends around MP3's and stuff so we really sat down in the rehearsal studio and exchanged ideas and melodies. We wrote the best part of the material to the vocals, we even threw away some killer riffs because I couldn't find the right vocals for them.
Is there a "core" song around wich the album is built up?
T: Many think "Blood On Your Lips" is an unusual opener, beuase it starts pretty slow and then becomes slightly heavier and heavier. We had a though time to decide on the tracklisting for the CD, everybody had it's own opinion about it and also the record label was involved. But we decided conciously on that song as the opener because it grown to a climax and after that it continues full speed with "wanted Dead". After that probably our most unuasaul piece "Buried In The Justice Ground". from the chorussus we had similar SODOM songs like "Peacemaker's Law" or "Fields Of Honour". Most of the times you have this obvious openers, many time the title song which is a lot of the times the best song. This time we had a hard time deciding we only knew we didn't wanted "The Enemy Inside" early on on the record, because that song si already a little older. We also slready played "Nothing To Regret" live so we didn;t put that one early on either and we kinda just played around with the rest of the songs.
My personal faves are mostly the faster tracks like "Lords Of Dapravity" but I also thought "Lay Down The Law" was a killer track. many, however thought "City Of God" was killer, I personally didn't like "Blood On Your Lips" as much as the songs mentioned earlier.
And "Axis Of EVil"....that's a really old school song, could have been written by another classic metalband, RAGE, GRAVE DIGGER or JUDAS PRIEST. of course with different vocals....
Did you considder writing a song with German lyrics this time? you know the fans love it!
T: No, actually I didn't, of course I could have written a German lyric but I have to have a really killer idea in order to make that work. We didn't put one on "code Red" and also not on "M-16" I am done with fun lyrics. I now have ONKEL TOM to express that part of me. Even when I write a serious German Lyric it always sounds kinda funny. It was OK with e.g. "Schwerter Zum Pflugscharen" because that were very dark lyrics. But I feel I have to come up with real good lyrics that fit SODOM, "Die Stumme Ursel" or "Gisela" wouldn't do the trick anymore.
I think lyrics like "Ausgebombt" or "Bombenhagel" always fit.
T: LOL I actually think the "Ausgebombt" lyrics suck. These are not really even lyrics, Of course it was good back then but I coulnd never write something like that now. OK well, maybe we could, I dont say we will never do something like that again. When I have a killer idea or maybe as single/EP whatever, but it has to be killer not some forced made up stuff.
It seems that you will only tour the eastern European countries, why not your birthground?
T: We always wanted to go East, we never played Latvia and Estonia before, it's fun to travel to countries I have never been before. It's a good time to get togheter again to go on tour. We also wanna do a lot of festivals this year. We will be really in the mood then for the full tour at the end of this year! We will finally play a real tour again. I am not shure yet in which form or with which bands, maybe an old school thrash package or maybe with some younger bands......my dream would be with DESTRUCTION and KREATOR again!
Or with the Swiss guys?
T: CELTIC FROST!! hmmm...I really don't think so....that whole reunion stuff and so on...I dunno. I really didn't think the last few FROST albums weer that satisfying. I am pretty shure they'll come up with a killer album now but for me it's not really trustworthy when a band resurfaces after quitting so long ago. It's pretty comical and for me it has a bitter aftertaste.
VENOM are also back again, more or less in original form.
T: I heard some songs, hmmm....dunno, not really as good as "Black metal" or "At War With Satan", "Possessed" or "Welcome to Hell". I thik that time has passed and will never return. I don't wanna slam somebody but liek CELTIC FROST, they are being pushed realy hard now, they are headliners on Wacken Open Air and so on, we are not even allowed to play there. I think that stinks. We have been going for 25 years straight and we are not even allowed to play Rock hard Open Air which is in my backyard. It almost seems like it would pay off quitting and come nack after 15 years in our wheelchairs....
You don't seem to feel too old or tired for metal yet!
T: LOL....no, not really, I still love it. The guys who know me well know that I am still very active in the scene. Of course you feel you''re getting older physically and in the end you will of course not be able to keep it up especially when you smoke and drink like I do. But everyone that knows me knows I still enjoy being on stage, I LOVE that shit! and while my body allows me I'll keep going, I mean look at Lemmy!
But he ended up in the hospital.
T: Yeah I know but they fixed him up! But OK you shouldn;t set him as an example, it's a miracle he's still alive. I bet he will just collapse on stage, get a heart breakdown and be gone, or they'll find him one morning in his hotel room....
Ok back to SODOM, there will be a second DVD?
T: True, end of this year! we already prepared some stuff, but we wanna film another show with full pyrotechnics and stuff. I want to make a roadmovie about the touring life and backstage and so on. But I am not gonna give it all away I made that mistake with the first part and not gonna do it again!
What are your current objectives with the band? Are you maybe interestd in becoming an actor, playing the bad guy?
T: That would be cool, I always dreamed about playing in Lindenstrasse (German soap opera) walking out of the bakery across the street. Not a really high goal I know, but I would do it! I had the cahnce once but I couldn't make it we had a gig then. BUt I am shure I'd be a good actor haha!
Other than that, yeah I hope we can come a little further with SODOM, ONKEL TOM is still a lot of fun. I quit DESPERADOS. Their new record is done, Alex wanted a real band, and I was not able to commit to that. They have a deal with AFM records now though!
How important is ONKEL TOM for you as counterpart to SODOM?
T: Very important, we will soon be on tour. We don't have a new record out but we have to make the show with the classics anyway we profit from party flair! A new album would almost be too commmercial for us. But I really look forward to it as the others in the band do too. I am shure it will be one big Party again!
Well 2006 has just been saved then!
T: Yup, 2006 is a good year for all SODOM and ONKEL TOM fans! Thanx for the interview and see you guys on tour!
Original interview in German:
http://www.musik.terrorverlag.de/musik/ ... archiv=358
