In course of the release of METALMESSAGE V, I did a short interview with the initiator Markus Eck, who presents his opinions in detailed and intelligent manner.

Leo: How long did it last until METALMESSAGE V was completed with all its finesses?
Markus Eck: Thanks for the encouraging commendation and appreciating words. It lasts long to release such works filled with own ideals. I had to work one and a half year for V, normally every day. Luckily, I’ve worked together with an outstanding designer for a long time to do the layout for my release. Apart from the music, I really liked the gorgeous and detailed painted front-covers and I was totally fascinated by the graphic presentations of the releases in Metal. It oftentimes happened that I bought records only because of the cover, though the music did not please me that good. That’s crazy, but that’s the way an addicted collector acts like. Therefore I dislike that some really ingenious cover artists did not get famous concerning the release contrary to the particular band. One day I had the constructive and abundant idea to create a sampler by myself. It should be a possibility for bands as well as acting cover artists to get bigger support. That’s why I work together with a drawer, who does the cover in regard to my associations. I send a lot of promos to many metal mediums, whereby I never get tired to tell the reviewers to write something about the cover artist, too.

Leo: Is it possible for you to keep the overview in the unloading Pagan Metal genre? Are there any new impulses and how will this subgenre develop in the future?
Markus Eck: All relevant bands do have homepages or myspace-profiles – that’s why the discovery and the contact with following communication is happening quite easy-going. I like this convenient way to get in contact with exotic bands, foreign cultures and views have a certain zest for me! I think that every country, however small it is, had his specific spiritualism and a resulting religious sight of the world in history; at least till world religions took away their identity. Unfortunately the gain for power and the cruelty of these world religions eradicated these primitive people – I think about the origins of America or Australia, which were deprived of whole continents in brutal manner – and they have to lead a life in shadowy existence in contrast to their “civilized” usurpers. There are many interesting books about this context and I want to talk about the so called less developed countries, which have been prospering sophisticated cultures for thousands of years until their spiritual traditions and beliefs were erased “in the name of the father”. Let’s get back to topic: I think it is gorgeous that bands from all over the world create their own style of Pagan Metal to render homage to their ancestors, their ancient deeds and transmissions with pride. For me personally the music cannot be too strange and exotic. I like at best, if old instruments come into operation. I desperately hope that more bands from foreign countries from all over the world detect the wonderful expression of Pagan Metal to enthuse all fans with artistic demanding and self-reliant works, Up to now, there is one single acceptable horde from Egypt for example, but I am looking forward to much more. The old Egyptian mythology offers a huge repertoire for such sounds because of the brilliant mysteries.

Leo: Are you content with the Pagan Metal scene and the fans? Can you tell us a bit about the Ragnarök festival which developed to Pagan feast par excellence?
Markus Eck: I don’t want to leave a comment and evaluate other people. Not every fan takes it seriously like I do, but in the end everybody has to decide for himself: Concerning musical trends, it is like life in general: for one the glass is half filled, for another it is half empty. I welcome the enormous mass of bands in Pagan Metal, because it holds a big part of fine new bands. On the other hand, there are many bands just following the trend, plagiarists, copyists and smart copycats among new groups; in addition the scene spills out half-hearted, amateurish and sometimes sucking hordes. I need a lot of time and nerves to listen to all of them. After all the years, I can fortunately hear after some minutes of listening in precise way, if a band consists of adept musicians or not. It is positive for the scene that a big audience is attracted by this enormous load of creative genre presenters, because the idealistic, unspoiled bands’ pure and timeless human values are very important. Every human being with character will appreciate, if a group tells us about the relevance of love and loyalty to nature and fellow men in contagious belief. The Ragnarök festival was a probate possibility to meet old and new friends again after ages; I normally can only write emails and phone during the year. The choice of bands this showed up as the best and most variable since a long time – and because of the new concepts concerning waste disposal, the problem with refuse could have solved at best as far as I know.

Leo: You are a music-freak since decades. Did the Metal-fan change during the course of time? In your supplemental sheet you write about whole--blood-fans – but are there any left?
Markus Eck: One thing is clear: the number of fans increased because of the augmenting offering with every year and the commercializing brings dilution as we all know, and that’s also true for the addicts of a musical subculture. Therefore the named “whole-blood-fans” are existent and will ever exist, but the number decreased, at least I got aware of it in the last years. Many fans are overstrained by the excessive supply and cannot buy all new releases or just listen to them. I came across some surprises during the years as Heavy Metal addict and these surprises proved that the most precious pearls have to be angled from the depths of the sea. There is no end in sight – and I hope that I can still enjoy my musical passion as mental conscious retiree

Leo: Is there any proverb which reflects your own attitude towards life in short?
Markus Eck: Experience is the spectacles of intelligence!