MP: So you always liked to operate with unusual elements?

TB: Exactly! At that time a title like "Todessehnsucht" was still very unusual. In America the album was released as "Longing for Death". Meanwhile there are bands like Rammstein, that are hyped in the US because their second disc is called "Sehnsucht". (laughs) So you see how things change.

MP: What happened then?

TB: 1994 Atrocity changed to Massacre Records, because Roadrunner were too big and had too many bands and we didn't get sufficient attention. At Massacre we recorded "Blut" with the Dracula/Vampire concept behind it. By the way: the video was shot at original places in Romania. And because of the folkloristic elements that opened completely new field for the band. "Liebe" came in 1995, which for the first time was something like a pioneer album. At that time Dark Wave goes Metal was still something thrillingly new. You could see that on the next tour, as all the different groups showed up: on one side the Dark Wave audience and on the other metal fans.

MP: That sounds almost regretful!

TB: Nope, is not regretful, for God's sake! But it was really exciting, when these two scenes mixed. Already before bands like "Paradise Lost" worked the way. Anyway, a real trend developed from that - and even if it sounds as if I'm a loudmouth? When we recorded our albums things weren't that far. 1996 "Willenskraft" was released - quite an ordinary record. After our projects "Calling the Rain" and "Liebe" we were very much into heavyness again.

MP: And then again something new came around...

TB: Yes, soon afterwards our "Werk 80" came out. That was developed during the "Willenskraft" period, where Alex and me were on our way to a show in Sweden. We went by car and listened all the way to those New Wave songs. And all the time we were saying "we could do that as well" and "Ohhh, what a cool song"! We had then sometime the idea "let's just try to make it". So each one added his favourite New Wave songs to a list. We tried not to choose songs that were "easy" to cover but decided to take "Let's Dance" by David Bowie and "Don't go" by Yazzoo.

MP: Was it very hard to obtain the rights of the songs?

TB: Yes, indeed! But there were also some reactions like the one from Real Life who wrote us several times and who really liked our version of "Send me an Angel". Anyway it was risky, as we didn't know how the metal fans would like it. I still remember, that when the first single (note: "Shout") was finally released a musician - whose name I probabely better keep to myself - said: "Who is to buy this shit?"

MP: Did your label support you at that time?

TB: Well, it was our idea, but Massacre really worked along with us on that. I must say that we always had absolute creative freedom. Otherwise albums like "Die Liebe" or "Werk 80" would have never been made.

MP: And then you were rich and famous and lived happily ever after...

TB: Of course we have thought about how we should continue. So we decided to invest the money into our own studio.

MP: So you share profits and royalties evenly between you?

TB: Yes, that runs relatively democratic, I must say. Even if Alex is the best-known band member we function well as a band.

MP: How did you land at Motor Music?

TB: They simply made the best offer! So we signed the contract with them and are really happy about it.

MP: Also because of the other bands there like Rammstein?

TB: Absolutely, there are so many artists with Motor - like Brian Adams and Sting - that you could of course get the impression that we are only nobodys for them. This fear exists very often with others.

MP: So you don't fear the big bad major?

TB: This fear is known to any musician that you are neglectable with a major label. But so far this is not the case with Motor, they stand by the band and don't have their heads in the clouds. So they know exactly how to handle us and it's definitely not one of these "well, let's see what happens" scenarios. That's why we are so happy with them.

MP: Was it important for you that Motor has with Rammstein already experience regarding heavy bands and will not suddenly expect you to become softer?

TB: That's true. Motor is definitely not a label that focusses only on mainstream, but where music still counts and which also promotes niche music. It is really a very agreable situation.

MP: What was actually the reason why you left Massacre?

TB: Well the contract expired and we got the first offers. Of course we told Massacre that they will get a "priority right" but we also wanted to check the market and look what would be best for the band. Massacre Records is an Indie label that has not too much power in other countries than Germany. Motor on the other side has done a pretty good job with other bands in this respect. We simply thought it would push the band and so we signed.

MP: What effect did it have on your latest album "Gemini" that was a Motor-release?

TB: Well, I think the new CD is substantially harder, the guitarwall is massive again. So we became heavier musicwise - if I think about songs like "Das elfte Gebot" or "In Black". And we became more melodic, more accessible as in "Gemini" or "Liebesspiel". The disk actually consists of two rough blocks. One part is the rythmic, rock and dance-orientated element and the other is the melodic, hymnic element. And this musical duality is also transported via the bilingual vocals. In fact this is the reason why we decided to release the album with two different covers.

MP: Isn't it dangerous, if you own the studio anyway that you spend to much time in there? If you have no financial limit to stop the record session somewhen?

TB: Yes, naturally it's dangerous and I won't say that we do not succumb to it at all. We have consumed practically all the time until the first Promo came out so it was in total some one and a half years that we recorded the album...

MP: How do you work on the visual elements? Since "Werk 80" you have pretty notorious shows...

TB: You mean our girls? That somehow happened after "Werk 80". In any case we always wanted to offer our fans something to remember with Atrocity. In the new show we have completely crazy clothes that can be seen already in our latest video "Taste of Sin".

MP: And how do they look like? Describe!

TB: They are a mixture of Mad Max and the Borg of StarTrek, I'd say! Well, actually we are pretty much huddled and look somewhat weird.

MP: How long does it take to get into the costumes?

TB: That's a good question. These costumes are from neoprene, a material used for diving costumes. We will sweat ourselves to death at the live shows... Probably there will be dancers again. And the drums and all guitars are completely chromium-plated. Maybe there will be a wizard onstage - I can't confirm these things yet.

MP: Atrocity went quite different paths musicwise since their early days. Was that something logic or was it due to the different personalities?

TB: The band philosophy was always not to repeat what we had done already but to try something new... So it all happened quite naturally. It would have made no sense for us to repeat "Blut" after the success we had with it. Nor to do a "Willenskraft II" and it made no sense to make a sequel of "Werk 80", too.

MP: But many bands would have done exactly the same again to play on the safe side!

TB: Yes, in a certain way that would be very easy. On the other hand our fans almost expect, that we offer something new. Also our fans are very tolerant and relatively open to our experiments. I think True Metal is o.k., also bands like Hammerfall but we stand on the opposite end. We try to question ourselves and to stay in progress and look for new challanges. That is something like a corporate identity thing with the band.

MP: On your homepage you ask the fans for help to bring your video on rotation with VIVA and MTV. Is the time over for heavy tunes?

TB: Yes, that is still a problem. We shot a relatively baroque video and of course it looks pretty wild how we look like - with a lot of fire and dancers and on a large theaterstage. VIVA has troubles with German bands that offer a big show. According to their opinion german bands should show more understatement and of course this is nothing that applies for our recent video.

MP: Have you been accused of using brutal aesthetics?

TB: Yes, mainly with our last video. Otherwise not really - we have never had the label of being fascists, as we always had a very clear position. Also with the Song "Lili Marleen" which we covered now it was never in question. In early shows we crushed swastikas on stage, if we did a song like "Mussolini" or "Willenskraft" or in interviews we always stated very clear that this is not our way. With "Taste of Sin" is our problem that we seem to violate an unwritten law that only US-bands are allowed to play big shows.

MP: And do you live the spirit of Rock 'n Roll? Sex and drugs and endless parties?

TB: Now I have to disappoint you a bit. First of all: all five of us live in stable relationships, then we have four vegetarians and three non-drinkers in the band. We live privately completely different lives than we seemingly appear on stage... Oh, this just brings a funny story to my mind. Somebody told me at a video-shooting: "Oh, this is such an old cliché that you represent - heavy music done by vegetarians!" But believe me, we do know how to party!

MP: Could you imagine to cut off your hair - just like Metallica?

TB: Well, Matze just did it. I believe it's simply a question of how you look at things. Metallica have been dissed heavily for that and as I first saw the pictures I admit that I was taken aback at first. On the other hand I can quite understand if the band says: We hung around for 15 years with long hair, now we simply want to do something else. For the moment being we are still quite proud of our hair - especially because it's completely out and uncool to have long hair. But who knows, perhaps if they start to get less...

MP: Now that I call fitting "last words". Thank you!

© MEGALOMANIAC PRODUCTIONS 2000 | 12

If you want to know more about the band than simply visit their Homepage at: http://www.atrocity.de
In case you want infos for upcoming tours, etc go to their label's site at: http://www.motor.de/_kuenstlerseiten/_atrocity/index.html