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Glenmore exists for 12 years now, in the last months they had their very first line-up change. What started as a fun project which rehearse in a house of the local church became a seriously band. The guys from a German town near Stuttgart released their debut in 1993. The critics reviewed Materialized very well. One of the huge German newspapers wrote "guitar sounds and at first the very special voice of Jürgen Volk make Glenmore a band which we will hear about in future..."
For The Sake Of Truth is the reason why I met Jürgen Volk, the voice of Glenmore.
What changed since the release of Materialized? You been on tour with Saga, and then... What happened?
After the tour with Saga we played a few festivals and a small club-tour. Then we just started writing new songs that was at the end of 1993. We felt a little pressure while we wrote the songs. For the debut you have all time, this time we had to hurry a little bit. We had to work very intensively, we need new songs. That's it! Then all the changes take place, management and producer been changed. It takes time and a lot of patience. Later we entered the studio.
This time with a guest-drummer. Are you looking for a new drummer as a band member or do you want to work in future with studio drummers?
We have a new drummer. That's the story: Didi, our former drummer, had the 3rd time a serious ear illness and his doctor told him to stop playing drums or he would lost his hearing. He stopped drumming that was 2 weeks before we entered the studio. It was a huge problem for us, but we understand him and his reason. Our new manager know Jörg Michael, he called Jörg, we sent him a tape. Jörg liked the music and we rehearsed, little later we entered the studio. With Jörg we played the shows with Accept, it was fantastic, but we wanted a drummer who is part of the band. Jörg is a professional who played with nearly everyone in the past. He is everywhere, he has his own band and it's okay. At the other hand it would be a problem of the distance, he lives in Dortmund and we live near Stuttgart. Now we found a new drummer, his name is Michael Kasper. He is very good, 23-years old and lives near us. He can play everything from Jazz to Heavy Metal, fantastic!
With the new record you be under pressure with the song writing. As far as I know there been lyrically changed. Please tell a little bit about the lyrics.
The lyrics became very critical. When we wrote the debut I had a positive time, I still live it, for 6 or 7 years now I practice positive thinking. That document the lyrics on the debut. I hope the people start living that way, too. I thought why should I see only the worse. Through the problems we were going through after the release of Materialized my opinion changed. For example before that I take a look in the newspaper saw just bad news and stopped there reading it. Nowadays I see the bad things, but didn't give up r try to kill myself. That was the cause why I wrote about 80% of the lyrics about critical themes. Everyone can build his own opinion, show the own opinion without bad thoughts. Through that it became more rough.
What song is the most important for you?
For sure the title song For The Sake Of Truth. It's the most important theme at the moment, sadly everywhere. If you take a look at Europe, everywhere the political direction is becoming more on the right. I thought I should use the media to reach people, 'cause I have the possibility. I can sing about something positive and someone feels good, but I prefer to give a statement, a message. On the other hand I saw the movie Mississippi Burning before I wrote the lyrics for For The Sake Of Truth. This movie touched my soul that's why I wrote this lyrics. We tried to show on the album cover the meaning of the title track - racism! I think it's worth to write about.
As long as the people don't think about, nothing won't change.
In every interview I've been told that 10,000 bands do songs about racism, that we just copy them. There is nothing to say against it, primary I think the theme is to perverted to just make money with it. On the other hand I don't think that someone can do too much for it. There are other themes, if I sing about love, I'll get more commercial success.
Many do so!
If I write a love song with a smooth melody, I'll get a video clip sooner and it sales much better. That ain't an argument.
What are your plans for the future?
I could tell you what will happen, 'cause there are 2 things we talk about in these days. I believe we'll tour this winter.
Just Germany or Europe?
It is possible that we pay some shows out of Germany. At the moment we negotiate about.
Where do you think you get bigger market shares, in Europe or Japan?
Japan, for sure. Our second album is also released in Japan. Even with the first album we got very good reactions. We hope we can go on tour in Japan this time. For a German band which plays rock music it's easy to get success in Japan, the Japanese like that kind of music.
It's nearly a bonus to be from Germany.
Right, I was really surprised when I met Naomi from the Japanese Burn magazine. The Japanese get the essence of the lyrics, they catch the message. They know what you want to tell with the music. In Germany it's very rare; the Japanese know the lyrics and the music exactly. It was a positive surprise.
Here they just consume music, but didn't ask for the meaning.
There are less who deal with the music. I think it depends on our time, everything is short-lived. There you buy a CD, listen to it a few times and then put into the board. Perhaps you take it back after months, years.
What do you do beside the music? What are your hobbies?
Music is still our hobby. If you play such a long time in the same band, it's more. For us it's important that it's all right inside the band. We all are very good friends, we want to have fun, otherwise you couldn't do it for so long. It's like a huge family, even our girlfriends are friends, a huge family otherwise it wouldn't work. In Germany it takes time to build up a band. You have to be true to yourself and to your music. We are true to each other, we make holidays together and so on. That's why it hurts us when our drummer have to left us. But he hadn't another possibility, he would be deaf in a few years if he had continued. Sometimes he visits us in our rehearsal room, but it ain't make it easier for him.
Do you been satisfied with your producer?
We are very pleased with the work of Charlie Bauerfeind. The album makes us very happy.
What's about your relation with your label Polydor?
We are satisfied. They know we need sometime to make it and that the 1st album wouldn't sell without promotion. We also know that, they could have done more, but it was okay. Sure it's not always 100% satisfying, in the end the music make it and not the money. For a short time you can make a band big with money, but that didn't pay, The music is what's important.
Just a dew bands which been pushed stay at the top. A loyal fan community will follow a band through ups and downs.
Right, a band is at the top and a little later down on the ground. The real fans help you going through tough times. The pushed bands don't have that kind of fans.
Glenmore ain't a trendy band, they make their kind of music and they live it. True guys which make true music, no fake. A recommondation for the fan of melodic metal.
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