Hi,
first off I just want to congratulate you on your new album. To
new fans could your please fill us in on the history behind it
all?
Requiem - Thank a lot. We are totally overwhelmed by the
brilliant responses on the new album. “Government Denies Knowledge” was recorded in a small studio near Zurich
and mixed and mastered by Dagenais of Kataklysm and Belley in Canada.
REQUIEM
was founded in 1997 with three CD releases. “Nameless Grave”
in 2001, “Formed by Birth” at 2003 and the newest effort
“Government Denies Knowledge” on the 27th of
January 2006. Now we have a stable Line-up of Michi Kuster (vocals,
Ralf Winzer (Bass Guitars), Phil Klauser (Guitars), Ralph
Inderbitzin (Guitars) and Reto Crola our devastating Drum Animal.
How
has your new album been received by the media?
Requiem - As I said before we are totally surprised by the
fantastic reviews in most of the print and online magazines all
over Europe. Death metal fans and journalists seem to like our style of sound
and gave us very positive critics.
I
know artists don¹t like to put a label on their music - but a
spaceship from outer space has just landed in your backyard, and
is demanding an answer - so how would you describe your music to
an alien from another galaxy?
Requiem
- We
are REQUIEM and we play fuckin’ DEATH METAL! A mixture of old
and new styles combined and developed with precise technical
playing of all instruments. Like a Swiss clock. Reliably, brutal
and ear piercing sound so to say.
If
your music was an emotion, which one would it be?
Requiem
- All what’s inside man’s mind and heart. A mixture of
released anger, frustration and aggression. Good friendly violent
fun.
Who
and what inspires you when you write a song? Walk us through the
creation of a song?
Requiem
- Phil and Ralph (both guitars) are our main songwriters. They
usually start by writing the basic structures for each song before
everyone in the bands try to fit in with his very own instrument
and playing technique. The inspiration reaches from different
styles of Death metal to Crust and Hardcore sound. Comparisons are
Malevolent Creation, Terrorizer, Suffocation and lyric wise Napalm
Death.
Which
subjects do your lyrics refer to, and who writes them?
And
what inspires you when you write your lyrics?
Requiem
- We process many themes from political, social criticism and
also personal subjects. Once in a while there are some fictional
lyrics. Usually I write the lyrics in co-operation with our singer
Michi. We are inspired by daily news and even historic themes that
caught our interest. On the new record we even wrote a lyric as an
homage to famous Band from the UK called Bolt Thrower.
Who
has produced and mixed the album? Are you pleased with the result?
Requiem
- The new album was mainly produced by Phil (Guitars) the
bands head so to say. He is one of the original members and knows
exactly how we have to sound. Another reason for this decision was
our low budget because we financed all the sessions by ourselves.
Afterwards it was mixed by Jean-Francois Dagenais of KATAKLYSM in
his origin in Canada. We were introduced to him by Phil Fasciana of MALEVOLENT
CREATION.
Who
has done the artwork? And how important do you feel it is to have
a great cover?
Requiem
- Anthony Clarkson did it. It was the idea of our record
company Massacre. He is known for his work on covers for Hypocrisy,
Blind Guardian and Shadows Fall. In my opinion a cover has to be
an eye catcher for people who doesn’t know the band and the
sound that’s behind the packing. If I look back to my youth I
often made my decision of buying or not buying a record by its
cover artwork. In that case it’s very important to have a great
and interesting artwork.
Do
you have any touring plans?
Requiem
- We’ll go on tour in February as support for Swedish Death
Metal institution DISMEMBER playing in seven different countries.
Additionally DEBAUCHERY from Germany and INFERNAL POETRY from
Italy
will join us as the tour package.
Let’s
speculate – you have been granted a free slot on a tour of your
own choice – who would be your ideal touring partners?
Requiem
- For me personally it would be definitely OBITUARY, ENTOMBED,
BOLT THROWER, PUNGENT STENCH and MALEVOLENT CREATION. Not very
realistic but that would be great. Even we have to go on tour with
every single band one after another for a full year or over.
How
do you feel about the co-operation with your label, Massacre
Records?
Requiem
- We are very glad and satisfied with that. Massacre is doing
a great job for us and they have given us the chance to reach even
more metal heads by touring
Europe
now and in the future. It’s a company of metal fans for metal
fans in my opinion.
The
internet is a very important source for many metal fans – how do
you use the internet and how important is it for you and other
bands?
Requiem
- In comparison to the 80s when I raised up with metal the
possibilities are absolutely unbelievable. Mainly I use the
internet to get info about tours, new records, reviews, new
instrument stuff and obviously also to communicate with friends
and people all around the world. Nowadays a band without an own
website is not possible. It’s given the opportunity to fans and
interested people to get all what they want. I personally did get
very used to the internet and its comfortable way of working with
it. It’s inconceivably to live without it.
And
how do you feel about the metal scene in general at the moment?
Requiem
- There are many talented new bands and also older bands that
put out new brilliant stuff. I think in the last couple of years
the underground scene has grown a lot. The use of internet
platforms is on reason for that. Death metal is again very popular.
Some older bands still hold up their flag high but new bands will
replace them by time. In general the metal scene is still very big
with commercial streams but the underground is still there to keep
the idea of metal alive like it’s used to be in the 80s.
Which
song do you consider to be the best one you have ever written?
Requiem
- At the moment it’s “Diary of a Damaged Brain”. A
brilliant very catchy but brutal song with a great “to shout
along” refrain. It’s definitely fun to play it live with the
response of the people listening and banging their heads to it.
Name
an album, person or event that has had a huge influence on your
life … and why?
Requiem
- That’s
really not very easy to answer. There has been many situations.
First of all it was a small concert in my hometown in Germany where I used to visit a show of a local Thrash band that was very
famous back then. I saw the show and knew I have to get up on the
stage sometime too and play. A couple of years alter I played in
that band. Another thing was when I played my first bin open air
show with another band in front of 15000 people. I nearly shit my
pants J
And also the very first DEATH record. I was listening with my
mouth wide opened and couldn’t believe what I heard. All my
friends told me that is fuckin noise but I loved it from the first
time.
Which
music do you listen to at home?
Requiem
- Very different kinds of music. From Death Metal to old
Thrash sound like Exodus and Forbidden and also old school normal
metal like Accept. And even rock sounds like Black Label Society
or old Kiss songs from the 70s. And sometimes doom sounds like
Saint Vitus too. Generally sounds that kicks my arse. My girl
likes the Chili Peppers a lot. Some tunes I like most of it I
don’t like. I hate songs with slapping bass guitars.
Vinyl
has had a small comeback lately – do you still prefer “the old
sound” or are you a CD/DVD kind of guy?
Requiem
- I prefer CDs and DVDs. They are more comfortable to use.
Sometimes I have an old school day and listen to my vinyl records.
Mostly because I couldn’t get the CD Version of some vinyl
records I own.
Last
question - do you have any famous last words for our readers?
Requiem
- Watch
out for our new record “Government Denies Knowledge” and for
further shows in venue near you. You won’t be disappointed by
drinking with us after the show.
Thanks
for the interview, thanks to everyone that supported us and a big
horns up to every Metal Fan out there. Watch yourselves and keep
the metal spirit alive.
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