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Interview
Deutsche VersionInterview mit Artillery (30.07.2009)
HH: First let's go back in time. One year ago there was the DVD One Foot In The Grave - The Other One In The Trash. I think this gig in poland isn't really that good, because the sound isn't really well-balanced and the band looks a litte bit shy. What do you think about this gig and the DVD?
Michael: Yeah i think you are right, it was only our third gig with Søren so if you compare with todays performance we have progressed a lot. We got the offer to make the DVD and sometimes you had to take the opportunities and it also opened a lot of doors from us since that!
HH: In November 2008 Artillery played the Keep It True festival 11 and I have to say Artillery really rocked this night. The performance was tight and the sound quite good, far better than the gig on the DVD. How would you rate your performance on the festival compared to the one on the DVD?
Michael: I totaly agree and as I said we played a lot of gigs before Keep it true, so we were in a lot better shape at this gig than in Poland. Also the audience was great so it was easy to give yourself 100%.
HH: What do you think of the Keep It True fesival in general?
Michael: I think it's a great festival and many people are talking very nice about it. Infact it's a festival I would like to wach myself because of all the great bands there are playing!
HH: In 1990 Artillery released their comeback record B.A.C.K. after a nine year break. Now, nearly ten years later you're back with a new record called When Death Comes. Why did it take so much time since B.A.C.K. to do a new record?
Michael: It's was mainly because of Flemmings lack of commitmens for the band, who made it so difficult to go on! At the Keep it true festival 2007 he first said yes to play and then 3 weeks before he suddenly could'nt do it. So that's the reason we wanted a new singer and you can see how much we are playing live now!
HH: Is this a sort of second comeback for Artillery?
Michael: Maybe this is the real comeback, cos now we are a unit who love to play live and record.
We have a lot of fun being together these days and I can promissed you that there wont go ten years before the next record to be released!
HH: Do you really think it will take another nine or ten year to hear a new Artillery record?
Michael: No next year will we record the next album!!
HH: Who had what role on the new record? Who wrote the songs, who wrote the lyrics, who did the solos and who did the vocal melody lines for example?
Michael: Morten came up with most of the riffs, I did some of the riffs, Søren wrote most of the lyrics.
And all bandmembers was involved in the arrangements.
HH: To be honest I miss a little bit the rough voice of Flemming Rönsdorf on the one side but also to be honest there are some real great vocal lines on When Death Comes. Søren did an outstanding job and gives more possibilities to the band in my opinion. What do you think?
Michael: We are very sastiesfied with Søren and as I told you Artillery would never had come so far if we was continuering with Flemming. And according to the reactions so far, the fans has taking Søren to their hearts.
HH: What's Flemming doing at the moment? Are you still in contact with him?
Michael: He performing with his acustic guitar and sings to weddings and partys, infact he is doing a full time job, living of it. No not really, his last words to me was let's see how far you can go this time without me!
HH: My favorite tracks on When Death Comes are the opener and titletrack because of it's speed and it's great vocal lines, "Upon My Cross I Crawl", again because of its speed, vocal lines and the guitar leads, "10.000 Devils" because of its heavyness, the combination of speed and Midtempo parts and again becaus of the great guitar and vocal work. Finally there's "Rise Above It All" with its typical Artillery melody lines and the killer chorus, which will be an absolut live smasher in my opinion. What are your favorite tracks?
Michael: I really like them all, but as you said some of the tracks, have the live feeling, and will definatly be a part of our live set!
HH: Which tracks do other people like best so far?
Michael: I think the four songs you mentioned and "Sandbox" and "Delusion" is the songs who most people talks good about!
HH: Some time ago Metal Mind Productions rereleased the old Artillery-records as stand alone Digipacks and a box with all records. Have you been involved in the rerelease process?
Michael: We was involved all the time, finding bonus tracks and rare photos etc. We really have a good team work.
HH: Imagine When Death Comes is something to eat. What Danish speciality would it be and why?
Michael: That's a tough one, maybe Boller I Karry (meatballs with curry and rice) with a strong beer! The meatballs and rice because it's easy to eat (When Death Comes is easy to listen to), the curry because it's strong (hopefully the fans think the same of When Death Comes ) and the bear because it makes you want to party (and the same goes for When Death Comes that's what we are hoping).
HH: What's up next in the Artillery camp?
Michael: Touring and writing new songs!
HH: Thanks for your time and good speed! Any last words?
Michael: Hope to be back in Germany and mayby at KIT! Thanks for the support,
Michael