Atrocity

Interview date

23 Novembre 2009

Interviewer

Ostianne

I N T E R V I E W

Interview Mathias Röderer


Why did you choose to do a special Werk 80 show and not a show with some songs from Werk 80 and some from the others albums?

Because, actually it's the current release we have, and we have so many songs from the eighteens stuff so we thought it's cool to have an all show with these songs. And we have the opportunity to have the dancers with us. And if we would mix again... I don't know... I prefer to have a Werk 80 show on itself because it's something special and something else than a normal Atocity's stuff. And in the past time, we already mixed, but I was never happy with that, none of us was happy with that.

You released Werk 80 in 1997 and Werk 80 II in 2008. Why did you choose to do a second album with covers?

Because on the fist one, it was like we have one million of songs we wanted to do on that album (laughs) and so it was really hard to choose the songs we wanted to make. There was still so many songs left that we wanted to do. And we wanted to do with a different approach for the next album, not as much as industrials, electronics sound, and with more or less orchestral sounds on it. It was fun to do it again, so much fun.

And how did you choose these songs?

Everybody gave more or less a list of songs he would like to do. The thing is, we maybe didn't take our favourite songs of these times. We just thought about songs that are really capable of having a heavy sound on it. It just has to fit to the songs, not to destroying them, but adds something to it.

Do you think you will record a third album with covers?

I think it's enough now! I mean, I think it will make no sense to make a third record. We have love doing projects and things like that, also an album with Alexs' sister, Yasmin, on which we are working at the moment. Being experimental, trying something else it was always the way of Atrocity of doing music, and I think that will never change.

You may know, there are some people who don't like your albums with covers. Do you understand why?

Yeah, it's something else than the normal Atrocitys' songs. That's why we also do these things separate. People should know that we will play eighties show tonight and not normal Atrocitys' songs. So people can know what they can expect and not think about: "oh, what will they play tonight?" So it's really clear! And of course, people don't like this album, but there is also a lot of people who just like these two albums and not the others stuff of Atrocity. So it's always different! (laughs)

And do you think we have to listen to them with second degree to appreciate them, or with serious?

Of course it's serious! But it's more or less a funny thing. We have dancers with us. Unfortunately, the stage is too small tonight to have the cages on. Normally we have cages for the dancers. It's a little space, but I hope we will have a good party!

Talking about the dancers, and also the artwork, why do you choose to use this image of girls on stage, covers etc.?

Because I think it really fits to the songs we make. And when we think about the video of the band Frankie Goes to Hollywood for example, they always have this kind of video, and this SM, fetish stuff on it. So yeah, it fite to that !

And no one feminist woman accused you to degrade the image or the cause of the women?

(surprise) No, no, no! I never heard stuff like that ! (laughs) Nobody, really ! I mean, there is more hardcore things than this! (laughs) It's shall not be dirty or something like that. It's hot style, but we always want to have a certain level of quality.

And so far, how was the audience and what kind of welcome did you get?

Great, especially yesterday in Strasbourg. It was a great audience, maybe the best one for Atrocity until now. We really think that French people are into that kind of stuff !

Excepting Sirenia, all of the bands of this tour are in the same record company. Is it a coincidence or something done in purpose because it's easier to organise?

Of course it's easier. It's always like that, the record company wants to fence all package because they have a promotion for all the bands. Of course, they want to have more than one band on the tour. Especially this festival tour, it was easy to pick other bands because there is a lot of females vocals bands, and as it's the Beauty and the Beast fest... So it was easy to pick up the band and choose the one we wanted. And also Sirenia used to be on Napalm Records too. And it's not a big deal to be together on the tour.

Alla is not on the tour with you. Do you have some news? How is she?

She has been on the show in Essen. She still having problems with her back spine, she has a problem with a nerve, and her hand is still death. She can move, but she cannot feel anything. So when she is playing bass, she doesn't have control over the strings, she doesn't know what she's really do because, she cannot feel it. So it's impossible for her to play bass at the moment. But we are very glad that we had a great substitute bass player on this tour,Oliver Holzwarth, the guy who is playing bass for Blind Guardian or Tarja Turunen. We are old friends, his brother played for Leaves'Eyes show last year. It's really great to have him on tour and he is a fantastic bass player.

According to you, being in Atrocity and Leaves'Eyes is an advantage or a disadvantage?

To be honest, playing sixteen shows with two bands, it's really a hard thing to do! After twelves shows, I can tell that now! It's not ten shows we do; it's twenty shows we do! We are not the youngest guys but I think we still can make it! It's fun to play both bands, because we have the opportunity to play with both bands, present it to the audience and then they choose what they like more, they prefer. I'm happy to be in this band, and in the other. I'm happy in both!

I interviewed Liv few weeks ago. We were talking about your shows and the fact that all of you will play twice an evening. She was saying that for you, going on tour doesn't mean having fun. Do you agree?

Of course, when you are in a band, you go on tour, you have to tour, to spread the name, to give people what they want. They want to see a band in live; just not listening to it just on records. So of course it's not a fun thing, but these things doesn't mean it's not fun being on tour! It's fun being on tour of course!

She was saying Atrocity is working on a new album. So can you say few words about it?

Yeah, we are doing a lot of projects. We record a full album with Yasmin, the sister of Alex, our singer. Actually, everything is already recorded except the vocals of Alex and then the all thing has to be mixed then it will be done. All the songs are finished! It was a great time in the studio to record all the stuff because we use a lot of natural instruments, all the percussions we did, I don't know how many instruments we used, but we used congas, bongos etc and a lot of other things. There is a lot of natural and dynamic songs on this records, a lot of acoustic stuff in it, but also experimental stuff, strange melodies, strange rhythms and things like that!

And do you have an idea about when it will be release?

I hope for spring, next year. Maybe April, May, something like this.

The next year, it will be the twentieth anniversary of the first Atrocity album so do you think you will do something special to celebrate it?

Yes, there is plan. There will be a special show in Wacken Open Air. It's already confirmed actually, but we didn't really talked about what is going to happen on that show. We want to have a really special show, with maybe all band members but no decisions are made already. We just know that we have a good flock at Wacken Open Air and we want to present a really special show to everybody. So we are still in discussion about what we are going to do and it's a little bit early to say something about it.

The last time you came in France with Atrocity was in 2004 and in 2007 with Leaves'Eyes. What do you remember of the French audience from this time?

I think for Atrocity, France has always been a great place to play. I only have good feelings and good remembrances about these shows and I think they really like the sound of Atrocity.

As I asked all my questions, I think we can end this interview with some words for your fans!

I just can say that we are really happy to go on stage and play for all the people who come to the shows and we really appreciate people coming to the shows, and buying the albums of course of Leaves'Eyes, or just ours. I hope people will still come to the next tour too (laughs). We will play the album of Atrocity songs. And thank you very much !