In Words: Messenger

 

  
- Messenger -
  
Sept. 2008
  
- Philip Thelen -
 
 

  
- Siggi Schüßler -
  
Nov. 2011
  
- Lars Bjørn & Philip Thelen -
 

© MessengeR




Siggi Schüßler - November 7th 2011 (by email)e





 

  
 

  

In September German true metal newcomers MessengeR released their second album See You In Hell. After their tour with Blaze Bayley we had the chance to get some questions answered by vocalist Siggi Schüßler. Read about the tour, the album, future plans and there very own metal festival with biker-camping ground for free!







Please tell us about the beginning of the band, as it could seem there are still many metal fans who do not know you yet. By the way, why did you choose the name MessengeR?



Siggi (Voc): The beginning of the band was in the early 90s, we have played some kind of hard-rock that was inspired by Queensrÿche and Ozzy, then we had a long break and did our comeback with new band members and more power-metal. 2006 was the release of our debut album Under The Sign.



Do you write songs as a band? Or is there a main songwriter at MessengeR?



We work as a team during the songwriting, but sometimes the songs are composed by a single member. We don't have rules for that because we have a great variety on our CDs and we are proud of it.



What inspires you to write music / lyrics?



The real life (being a metalhead), heroic fantasy, science fiction & Vikings. The song Make It Right is inspired by an experience we had during the 'Headbangers Open Air'. We were playing on stage and a beautiful girl was watching us. She was standing in front of the stage and you could see it in her eyes that she did not only love the music... Then her boyfriend came and tried to hug her – and she pushed him away. That was great! For us. Hehe.



Was there any bands / artists that made you start playing, I know that music is your life....  And what bands / artists are you listening to these days?



We have many influences, my band mates love German metal like Helloween etc., some of them prefer the eighties, others love Hardcore... you see, our musical taste is different. I personally started playing my own music after listening to Bathory, although I am normally into true-and melodic-metal.



Who produced the See You In Hell album? And who did the artwork?



This CD was produced by Rolf Munkes in the Empire-Studios, this guy did a fantastic job again.
he Artwork was painted by our gifted guitarist Frank Kettenhofen.



Which songs do you think represent See You In Hell in the best way? And why?



Every song is a perfect representation of MessengeR and our new CD, otherwise it would not be a part of the album. We are proud of the variety in our compositions, this makes it impossible to prefer one just one title to represent us. There are songs that are working live better than others for us and this is why they are on our tour-set list.



Will you do a video? Which songs would you like to visualize?



We already have some professional live-videos on Youtube, but we do plan to make a real music-video with story etc., we will make a choice very soon.



I guess you already got some feedback. Are you satisfied so far?



The fans love See You In Hell, we are blasted away by their feedback. They had to wait long and they got now a piece of fine music that is about 75 Min. long and worth every cent. Some people have never heard of us before, they were standing in front of the stage, 200 men and women were going crazy while we were playing in Poland for example. It was (and it is still) unbelievable!



To be completely honest, have you ever got any comments from Manowar fans that you are using the same basic ideas in the band logo as Manowar do?



No, this is the first time we hear that. Not kidding, that's true. A lot of people make some comparisons with the music and the lyrics – especially on titles or parts that do not sound in ANY way like Manowar, but no one has ever mentioned the band logo. Ok, the bigger-thing with the first and last letter is similar, but how would you do it? mEssenGer? MessenGer? messENger? No! MessengeR, that's great!  ;-)



Interesting that you have been on tour with Blaze Bayley. How did it work out with Gérard Sormani as tour guitarist? And how was the concert tour in general?



The tour with Blaze was fantastic, those guys are great and they know the meaning of being a metalhead. Gérard did a great job, because he is a very good guitarist and a real brother of MessengeR since a long time.



Do you plan to record some live footage - not talking about Pro Shots - for YouTube or similar platforms?



Yes, it will come very soon!



Talking about the internet.... social network is both a blessing and a curse. What's your opinion about it?



Everything is both blessing and a curse! It depends on the people that are using it. And the metalheads are real special people because they prefer the real life, real music played by real people. Most of them love social networks, but they use it to coordinate the real life, to see new bands, to meet each other and go to concerts. This is great and we are proud to be metalheads and to have such great people as friends.



Can you give us some details about your festival Saarbangers Metal Festival, the plans, and are there bands confirmed already now?



Sorry, not yet. But you will see, there will be a fantastic billing again.



For example it would be useful for the guests to know if there are plans for open air in the summer, camping area location in the forest etc...



The fans at the Saarbangers will have the opportunity to use the camping area for free. We will have a shuttle-service during the two days from the camping-ground to the venue. Just imagine, you will enjoy two days of metal-insanity, meet great people in leather and take your rest at the camping-ground of the local biker-club. More Metal-lifestyle is impossible!



What's next on your schedule? Playing live? What's new there?



There are a lot of festival appearances already planned for the rest of this year and for 2012. We have already started with the songwriting for the next CD.



And finally your ambition and trademark: To kill DJ's how is that progress going?



We will keep going on with that every night we are playing! Someday there will be a world without them. To be honest: there are some DJs we really like – as long as we are talking about Metal-DJs!



Thanks for the interview, anything you want to add?



Stay true, stay metal and never change for other people. And last, but not least, you have to buy our stuff, because you should never forget: someday, we will meet again and then, we will 'see you in hell'!!!

  
  

 




Lars Bjørn & Philip Thelen



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Messenger -  September 2008





 

  
 

  

Metalheads Messenger from Germany's county Saarland released their album Under The Sign in 2006. In the following interview you can read about Under The Sign, future plans and other pieces of wisdom from Saarland.




Your album Under The Sign is now released for a long time. How did the fans react to this album? How did the press?



Well, that´s typical when you are playing true metal. Either you love it or you hate it. The ones who loved it honored it and the ones who hated this metal style in general didn´t know what to do with it.



You mean that they had a certain averseness to this music before listening?



I noticed that even professional reporters not realized that this album is not only about swords and witchery.



That´s right. For example all your songs about aliens or maybe the epic Pray To Odin.



Exactly! That is very necessary (laughs)! Most of them are writing down your band biography or the info without thinking of it by themselves.



Tell me about the reactions outside the Saarland. How was it on the Headbangers Open Air or for example in Belgium?



The Headbangers Open Air was a great success for us! I think that we won many new fans and we also met some people we didn´t saw for a long time as well. We played on the first day as opener in front of about 400 people instead of 4 at the last year! It was perfect!

And as for the Belgian fans... I think, I can extend this to every French-speaking fan: They are fantastic!



Rolf Munkes mixed and mastered the album at his studio. How was working together?



This was a very good and professional collaboration. He knew very well how to focus on our sound. I mean we recorded the album at our own and he only had to mix and to master it. And this work was brilliant. You will recognize that he worked with many professional musicians and knows how to do this work.



And how was working with STF Records?



They released our CD and the work was all in all good. You have to consider that STF Records is a little label which hasn´t got a great financial background.



Please tell me something about the successor of Under The Sign!



We are intent upon writing! This will be amazing! There will be few surprises, I think.



I know! Before the interview you played two new songs.



Yeah, one of them is Falcon. We played it in June 2008 for the first time at the Saarbangers Festival. We already have a new drummer, Markus Merl, and because of him, this album will be a little bit harder.



Is there a release date?



No. We know that time is running, but because of the long search for Merlin (that is how they call their new drummer), we were thrown back in our schedule. We were searching for our new drummer before we began to write the new songs, because we wanted the new drummer to write together with us these songs. That´s teamwork. We did Under The Sign in modular conception. And we are giving our songs the breath of life in our rehearsal place. We will begin recording the album when every single song is accurate while playing it in rehearsal.



True to your slogan Kill The DJ!. What do your fans say about this? And how about the press?



I already saw a famous RockHard journalist singing the refrain at the last Keep It True Festival while headbanging in the first row (laughes)! I think the press is thinking positive about this... A Stuttgart / Esslingen local radio even got this theme as a jingle!



And now tell me please: What does it mean to you to play music?



Siggi: We let out every note which sounds stupid (laughs)

Deckes: Well, we need two guitars, one bass, one drum and some vocals (more laughter)

Siggi: Ok, faithfully:  Music is our life. For everyone of us.



Well, I am attached to that, too!



See!



Are there shows planned for 2008 / 2009?



Well, there is only one show planned for the future: The Dragonslayer Festival in NRW. We want to reserve some time for writing down the album.



What about the Saarbangers Festival? Will there be 2009 another one?



Well, we are in proceedings. Maybe?!



How do you stand to your fans?



We really love our fans! Just think of this: There are people who have our logo tattooed on their whole arm! (You can see it in the booklet of Under The Sign). That´s a sympathy we will give back 1000% by releasing our next album or perform live!



So I guess you will all tattoo the name Timo (name of the tattoo owner) to our arms?



No! We are doing this with our music and by our live performance.



And that is the same?



Exactly! Everybody of us is carrying the warmness of our fans in our hearts and we are sweating every drop of blood  while rocking at the stage. That is that what we are giving back. 



Ok, that was it. Is there anything you will tell our readers?



We thank you very much for this interview! To everybody: KILL THE DJ & STAY METAL!

  
  

 




Philip Thelen



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