With
my overwhelming reaction to the sound of DARK AGE’s
new album, I was honored and privileged to interview this band.
With the outburst of musical talent on the new album, DARK
AGE have picked up quite the fan following as well as
excellent reviews from all those who have taken a listen. I caught
up with Martin Reichert (electronics) of DARK AGE,
to ask a few question about this incredible and intensely remarkable
band.
Stacie:
First and foremost I wanted to congrats on the album. Seeing that
the new material got some killer reviews, what is your take on
the responses that DARK AGE has got thus far?
Martin: Cheerz Stacie! Thanx for the congratulations,
it means a lot to us. Well, we are very overwhelmed by all the
reactions on the new album. Of course we think that it is our
best album thus far, but we really did not expect such good reactions
from the press, to be honest. So, we are very, very pleased. Thank
you!
Stacie:
How did DARK AGE come into existence?
Martin: That’s a long story. To keep it short:
The band was formed by Eike and André in 1995 coz they
wanted to let out their inner needs of expressions. Jörn,
Torsten and me, Martin, joined later on. From then on DARK
AGE developed into what it is today: A bunch
of chaotic guys just want to kick ass on stage and on record.
Simple as that!
Stacie:
Seeing that the band is gearing up to play Rock Metal Zone, Stralsund,
any gigs after that?
Martin: As you may know, the gig in Stralsund had to
be canceled coz Eike broke his foot due to some more alcohol he
was able to handle… Of course we will play Stralsund as
soon as possible!
The next gig will be in Hamburg in June and the Metal Bash Festival
in Hamburg in July. Then we have a gig in France in October. Still,
there are a lot of gigs in progress, watch out, DARK AGE
will shock you live this year a few more times!
Stacie:
What was it like to finally conquer the Wacken Roadshow with Primal
Fear, Metalium and Freedom Call, what was that like?
Martin: The tour was a very interesting experience for
us. We had so much more fun that we ever could imagine. The other
bands were very cool and we learned a lot concerning our performance,
and so on. It was really great to meet all the DARK AGE
fans all over Europe. When we came back from the tour we could
imagine nothing else than get back on tour right again, coz the
every-night gig and every night party is just right our thing!
Stacie:
How would you describe that sound of DARK AGE since the band in
my terms has a sound unlike any other?
Martin: The official formation was “Dark Metal”
until these days. There are so many different parts in our music
that it is truly hard to describe. I think the music on Dark
Age is best described with “New Death Metal”.
The music is very intense in every way. It is very melodic and
also aggressive at the same time. Always with a dark touch. We
have pretty much influences from the Metal scene, they reach from
Metallica and Iron Maiden, over At The Gates and Machine Head
up to Fear Factory and A Perfect Circle. You see, not really one
direction…
Stacie:
With the past changes of former members was it hard in a musical
sense to keep the perspective of the bands sound, or was it more
of incorporating the essence of the new members that gave more
to the DARK AGE’s musical finesse?
Martin: I don’t really know what you mean. We had
no new members in the band since 1998. We recorded every album
with the same line-up. So, there was no problems with the “new”
members. The sound of DARK AGE began to form
with the first album and since we had no line-up changes since
then there was no problem in finding our sound.
Of course every member gives his piece to our sound and we very
belong to different musical directions. But we all come together
in the end.
Stacie:
With the release of the prior albums of The Fall (1999),
Insurrection (2000), The Silent Republic (2002),
how does this album Dark Age (2004) differ as far as
musical and lyrical substance from the others?
Martin: For the very first time we managed to define
a very brutal and as well melodic sound on the new album. We bundled
our strengths on the new album. It seems for the first time that
we really knew what we were doing and knew what DARK AGE
has to sound like. With Eike as our producer we had a band member
who really knew how we have to sound like, so everything went
right on this recording!
Stacie:
Any bands DARK AGE shared a bill with?
Martin: Do you mean other bands we played with? ... Oh
yes, like Sodom, Primal Fear, Freedom Call, Die Apokalytischen
Reiter, Holy Moses and further more on festivals like Slayer,
Twisted Sister, In Flames, Hypocrisy, Immortal, … .
Stacie:
As far as musical influences go, is there a band that DARK AGE
would like to share an ultimate concert bill with?
Martin: Of course: Metallica! For us, this is THE band
to play with. This would be our very dream. To stay realistic,
it would be great to play with In Flames or Killswitch Engage,
coz this guys also really kick ass!
Stacie:
Why the name DARK AGE for a band name and the new entitled release
of the same name?
Martin: The new album is named Dark Age
because it’s 113 % DARK AGE. We were able
for the first time to work on our own with producing and stuff
and we had no producer whom we had to explain how we have to sound.
With Eike as a professional engineer we had the right man who
knows how the sound of DARK AGE has to be! We
are very satisfied with the result, more than ever before.
Stacie:
Is there anything that the band has not tried but wanted to do
in a musical sense that is?
Martin: Thus far there was no need. But as it may occur
we will try it. For example: Take the song My Own Darkness
on the new album. Eike came along with the idea of a “just-acoustic-song”
and this fucking great chords and vocal line. So we said: “Why
not?”, and just did it. As soon we have an idea, we try
it. You’ll never know what you’ll find on the next
DARK AGE album. Surprise, surprise!
Stacie:
Other from DARK AGE is there any other side projects that the
band has going?
Martin: At this point: Nope.
Stacie:
DARK AGE’s favorite pastime (things such as hobbies, etc…..)
Martin: Partying a lot! At the weekend we are out to
have some fun in Hamburg.
Real hobbies do not exist, coz we are really occupied with the
band. So every one has it’s part: Eike, Jörn and Torsten
are doing most of the songwriting in their “free-time”.
André is doing the layout things for the albums, shirts,
flyers and stuff and I’m doing the homepage for www.suicidecrew.com.
Stacie:
To Eike? What are you wearing?
Eike: Shorts, pants and a shirt...
Thank
you very much for answering these questions |
