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The
Death Metal underground is on the rise indeed! Another good band is called
DISINFECT from the area around Stuttgart and Ludwigsburg. I happened to see them
live at the EAR TERROR festival in Emden in 2001. There I had a pleasant chat
with their guitar player Chris, so now you get the result of an email interview
we did around X-Mas 2001. Have fun and check out DISINFECT!
What
made you become a Metal
fan? Do you remember your first record and your first
concert?
Which? Do you still like your old Metal records? Are you rather a CD or a vinyl
freak? Which band "introduced" you to extreme Metal?
“Haha
my first record was on tape and I was ca. 5 years old. It was a sampler of AC/DC
my cousin gave me. My first LP was KISS with 9 or 10 years. Had to save the
money a long time before I could by this LP haha. My first gig, there were a lot
smaller underground gigs but the first big one was TANKARD. I prefer CD's it's
easier with them especially when you can put 6 in your player haha. I always
searched for something more extreme: first AC/DC, KISS, MOTÖRHEAD, CELTIC
FROST, METALLICA, SLAYER, then NAPALM DEATH, SOD... now CANNIBAL CORPSE, DEICIDE,
DEEDS OF FLESH,
DISGORGE,
MORBID ANGEL, NILE...“
What
made you grab an instrument? Did you play an instrument before you wanted to
play Metal, for example the piano?
“My
first guitar was with 6 years after the AC/DC tape haha But I was too young and
too stupid and it took 7 more years til I really began to play. No, it was only
the guitar.“
DISINFECT
was founded in 1999. How did you find the other guys? Did you release anything
before "Beinspender", maybe with a different band?
“The
band had a lot of big changes, the biggest was after the SINISTER tour. I was
the only member in the band but it was not so bad some days after I could select
who should play in the band because I had about 2-3 new people for every
instrument! The line-up was complete in the middle of 2000, til now! Before
DISINFECT there were many bands. The last was OBSCURE it was in the way of old
MORBID ANGEL, PESTILENCE or DEATH. I still have 5 tapes! If someone wants a tape
it's just 7,-DM“
I
think you mentioned you're in the graphics business - did you create your logo
yourself? It
looks quite good and yet it's readable! Do you make logos for other bands as
well?
“No,
the logo was created by Christoph Szpajdel. He made logos for bands like EMPEROR,
MOONSPELL, OLD MAN'S CHILD... I'm a photographer and graphic artist. I
made a lot of booklets, pics of bands! If a band, label or mag is
interested just write a mail!“
You
are with Rest In Hell Records right now. Are you looking for bigger labels or
are you satisfied with their work?
“Yes,
sure. We didn't do it first but we sent now promos away since two weeks. We need
much more promotion in mags some big festivals... the problem is our label
is too small to do things like this and you need much more financial power to do
it!“
You
already played many of gigs and even a tour with SINISTER and APOPHIS and you
are known as a good live band. So what led to the bad situation at EAR TERROR
Festival in November 2001? And what made you decide you're gonna bring that gig
to an end? The next day NECOLOGY even gave up...
“There
was nothing to hear on the stage!!!! Only a broken trigger! Secondly, we arrived
just a few minutes before our gig and it was really a long distance to drive
850km and that in winter and if you only sit in the car and then you
had to go on stage and play and then you have a sound like that on stage!
We had to play til the end because the people paid the money to see us and we
don't want to disappoint anybody! Hope we'll get a second chance to show them
what DISINFECT really means on stage!“
Would
you like to be the opening act for a big festival tour like the NO MERCY or the
X-Mas tours? There are so many bands on one evening - do you think it would help
your band? Being a Metal fan, do you attend such shows yourself?
“?!?!
This is a really good question! (Of
course it is – Ramon ;-)) It's good because a lot of people can see you (maybe)
but as the first band in this kind of big festival-tours it could be you
can't play because of the time or you have to play at a really early time and
not too many people will see you. I don't know but I think if someone will ask
we'll say yes haha. I don't like it too much as there are too many bands for one
day.“
What
do you think about writing songs, recording them and playing live?
“Everything
is great. The period til the new song is made or when you record it is very
creative and it's always great to see how the people react on your new songs.
Playing live is the most important thing and the best way to show the power of
your music!“
Who
writes the DISINFECT songs? How do you do it? Do you develop them at the
rehearsal room with everybody jamming or do you rather sit down on you own?
“The
most songs are made by myself. Normally I sit at home and play. The best riffs
are taken then and after we sit at the rehearsal and try to make something great.
Sometimes another member has a good idea to add to the song. But the other
guitarist becomes more and more involved in the music of DISINFECT.“
How
important are the lyrics for DISINFECT? I think you're using German lyrics for
some songs, right? Why? Who is responsible for DISINFECT lyrics anyway?
“Lyrics
are very important! We don't want to write only gore lyrics like 10000000 bands.
There are a lot of different things we talk about in lyrics. But there are some
gory and bloody songs, too haha. It's just one song in German language. Most of
the songs are written by our vocalist, then me and the other guitarist.“
Can
you briefly explain what each song is about?
“Yes
sure!
'Beinspender': It's about a soldier and war mines. 'One Night Steak': One night
stands. One part is always only a piece of flesh to satisfy somebody’s sexual
fantasies. 'Darmmanifest': Our
society and the only god is money. 'After Killing': A serialkiller is doing
his job. 'L
2 A 5': About a tank and the
power
of it.
'Inner
Fear': it's a personal song about fears and that you fight against them. 'Grave
New
World':
The human race and how we handle it with our nature. 'Menschenfeind':
Misanthropist.
'Foxy
Disintegration':
Death and the hope that there's something after this what we call life.“
"Beinspender"
seems to deal a lot with war - is it a concept album?
Where
did you get the
movie
samples from? I bet one of them is from "Stalingrad", one of the most
frightening
movies
I ever saw... What attracts your interest to war anyway?
“Yes,
it's a lot about war but it is not a concept album. The samples are from
Stalingrad and the first from?! Don't know haha. War is something typical for
the human race like to eat or drink. You know its like: "If there is no war we'll
make some". They'll always find a reason.“
When
will we hear a new DISINFECT CD?
“Hope
in the middle of summer 2002!“
What
do you think about the current german extreme underground scene? Are there any
bands you personally like a lot?
“I think the scene
is growing!! It's great to see that there are more and more people at concerts!!
There are some very good bands like ANASARCA, GALLERY OF DARKNESS, OF TREES AND
ORCHIDS (now called INGURGITATING
OBLIVION – Ramon), FLESHCRAWL, APOPHIS, OBSCENITY...“
You're
organizing the DEPTH OF WINTER festival near Stuttgart every year. What's the
idea behind it - I think it's a charity festival for children with cancer? I
think that's a brilliant idea - how did you develop this concept? Did you work
in a hospital? Are there any commonly known bands playing the festival or is it
pure underground?
“Yes
it's a charity one. I spend the money for children with cancer this year. I
think the money will be for animals next year! It was not my idea. It's the one
of Haiko. He was our first drummer and he made this festival for years but he
had no time to organize it any longer and the last two years were put up by
myself and the help of some other people. I got big help from Oliver of
SACRIFICIUM he made the homepage and he was one of the sound guys! I always try
to put some good underground bands on stage but some well known bands, as well!
Last year FLESHCRAWL, APOPHIS this year DISASTROUS MURMUR and next year??“
Do
you have a funny or interesting story for our readers?
“HAHA
I think there are a lot of really good storys. I'll talk about the gig on the
SINISTER tour in Weinheim. At this day some people stood in front of the
place and they didn’t have enough money to come in. I came out in front
of the place and I was fuckin' drunk and they asked me if I can do
something and I let them in. Two of those visitors play now in my band and
one of the girls didn't want to come with me to the hotel room , weeks
later I met her in a club but I wasn't so drunk like on tour haha and we talked
a little bit and she said something about the tour and if I knew her. I was not
100% sure because I had been so drunk that time. Some days after we had a date
and since then she's my girlfriend! That's a funny and romantic story
haha!“
Any
last words? Anything you would like to add?
“Ramon,
thanks a lot for this very cool interview!! Have a nice X-Mass and don't drink
too much haha. The readers should take a look at www.disinfect.de
and if you like our stuff you can buy our new CD! ;-)“
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Interview & Livepics: Ramon Claassen |
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