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Interview REGICIDE
Atalk With FRAUKE
METAL TO INFINITY
How did REGICIDE originally get together and what’s the main goal you want to reach?
About 3 years ago our former violin player Philipp and our guitarist Jan started a studio project with the intention of integrating the violin into some kind of rock and metal music, while replacing the usual solo guitar and without inevitably serving folk or classic cliches. This idea inspired 5 musician friends with different musical backgrounds and so the once planned studio project turned into a band .
Introduce the rest of the band if you please. What’s their individual job in the band?
Heiner plays the piano, keeps the overall view of the harmonical context and does the sequencer programming and other technical stuff. Timo (male vocals) takes care of everything that´s related to the internet – homepage, online mail-order and so on. Til is our drummer, minister of financial things and helps Jan (guitar) to manage the “Regicide office”. Jan also keeps in touch with our label, booking agency and marketing management. Malte is our new bass player and is pretty busy with practising all of our songs right now. And Jonna plays the violin and takes care of the merchandising and public relations, just like me (Frauke, female vocals).
HEINER-Piano
Was it difficult to find the right musicians? How does an audition look like?
No, it was not too difficult, because we mostly knew each other from school. We never had real auditions, because it takes some time to really know someone – we grew together by experience. The only conditions are personal sympathy, a whole lot of time, getting along with our democratic chaos and beeing very patient and flexible.
JONNA-VIOLIN
What is the musical background of the members of Regicide?
Al lof us had band exoeriences befor Regicide. Besides metal and rock some of us played in folk, new metal, progressive, jazz, punk or reggae bands, others in acoustic projects, classic orchestras, big bands or sang in choirs.
TIMO-VOCALS
Can you give me a more detailed discribtion of your style of music?
Light a fire, put a big kettle on top of it, pour all our musical background into it, stir it up and decide what you hear. We can not give you a very detailed discribtion of the style, because we never defined it for ourselves. It is just the sum of the seven of us.
MALTE-BASS
With your quite diverse sound, are there any bands and artists that could be named as influential or inspirational?
Everyone has bands and artists that inspire and influence them - a lot and very different. Just to name a few: Dreamtheater, Ayreon, Deftones, Foo Fighters, Ani Di Franco….
JAN-GUITARS
What makes you to put up a Metal band like Regicide?
It is just where we meet, when we do our songwriting. We did not come together to decide precisely what kind of music we will write for Regicide. It just happens that way. Besides that, I do not think that Regicide is a classical metal band, but it is not classical rock band either. It is somewhere in between, meeting artrock of the seventees, gothic and musical.
TIL-DRUMS
Do you think the mainstream is interested in a style like this?
In times when Nightwish is on top of the charts, I guess the question is answered. But some parts of our music could make it a little harder for Regicide to become mainstream, because some of the songs are nearly conceptional and not as easy to listen to. But on the other hand the music is made out of many different styles, and that could possibly help many people connecting to it. We will see.
Regicide just released a masterpiece called “Viorus”. Tell us everything we have to know about that new album. I’m really curious cause I’ve heard great reactions so far.
Just check it out!!! It is the best Regicide-Album so far. We had a lot of fun working on it, and are looking forward to the release, the tour and other reactions to come.
What does the lyrical stuff on “Viorus” deal with?
One of us comes up with an idea, sometimes a whole song, sometimes just a riff, a chorus. Then all seven sit together and write and change and write again. Once the instrumental structure is done we let the music inspire us. Depending on the emotions we have while listening we write the lyrics by telling storys, digesting dreams, discussing personal emotions or problems, thoughts –subjects that keep us busy…
What do you want to express with an album title like this?
After you´ve listened to the album a few times without restrain, there is a likely danger to get a shake attack in your arms… besides that viorus is the collision of the two words “virus” and “violin”. Because this instrument infected us the last few years in such a big way, we think that it´s going to infect other people as well. J
How did you get in touch with your nowadays record label? Did you have to choose between different record companies.
After a rewiev in the “Metal Hammer”, a few record companies showed their interest. We chose “F.a.m.e” because the label is not too big but has major power. We did not want to be one of a thousand bands on a big label and besides that we had a very good feeling with “F.a.m.e” and felt confident in terms of how to work in the future.
What about the distribution. Is it a world wide job and who’s in charge for that?
The distribution is the BMG. The Album will be released in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria and we are right now dealing with Mexico and South America.
Do you have some other releases below your belts?
As already mentioned, in the beginning Regicide was just a studio project, where we recorded a CD called “Travelling Minds”. After we became a band we went into a studio to record “Behind Your Eyes”.
Satisfied with everything you did in the past or not?
Our steps were pretty big during the past and it´s hard to realize all that right now. We´re mostly just standing on by – uncritical. It´s just a big dream.
I suppose you guys are going on the road to promote the new album, right? If there is a tour planned, where is it started and if it’s possible, tell me a bit more about your live experienced of the past?
The tour dates are not quite fixed yet, but since the release date is at the end of august the tour will very likely be in september. A tour all around Germany, a few gigs in the Netherlands and Belgium are planed. For current and surely coming concerts please surf to our homepage (www.regicide.net)and click to “tour”.
Our past live experience was very interesting, because we supported many different acts, like Uriah Heep, Saga, In Extremo, Schandmaul, … We learned a lot and itwas always fun to be on stage.
How could we envision a Regicide live performance?
Harmony of sound and light in an eventful atmosphere – melancholic, hopeful, desperate and powerful
What’s your point of view about…
70smusic: At that time bands like Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin leveled the way to the prog rock that we have now – a very important time
80s Metal: Everytime has its big bands, this one Metallica for example.
Black/ Death Metal: These types of music are to unmelodic for us, not our cup of tea.
The nowadays Metal scene world-wide: Has turned into a very eventful typ of music. Gained a lot of beautiful facettes.
Internet: Agreat opportunity to reach many people, to get fast information and to communicate quickly.
The world of today: “Es ist nicht deine Schuld, dass die Welt ist, wie sie ist, es ist nur deine Schuld, wenn sie so bleibt” – Die Ärzte
This quotation means: It is not your fault, that the world is the way it is, it´s only your fault if it stays that way!
The mainly things that bothers you most of all are: Money…
I won’t bother you with more questions and wanna thank you anyway for giving me the answers. All the best with the band and new album! Some final words to say to our readers?
BEWARE OF THE VIORUS… J
Best wishes, Frauke