1) So how was the show last night ?
Great great it was kind of a historical moment, all the ex-members on the stage, we got some problems at the beginning because the Saxon's set was so close, we didn't have time for the soundcheck and for the drums kit. It was crazy you know, with all the ex members on the stage it was wonderful.


2) It's not the first time you play in Wacken ?
No first it was in 1991 with Onkel Tom my second band and it was one of the very first band that played in Wacken. Wacken was in the beginning a very small festival you know and it's growing more and more from year to year. And today we have thousands of people there. It's great, it's like home you know for me. And we are going to play with Onkel Tom every 2 years and between there is sometimes a Sodom show. The last time with Sodom was 2001.


3) Yesterday there was a great response from the crowd on Axis of Evil. My question is do you think that some people listen to Sodom for the lyrics, for your engagment in your lyrics ?
Hum no I think the most important for the fans is the music. Some special fans gonna read the lyrics and try to translate it or try to read between the lines you know because you never find any political opinion in the lyrics, I just describe. There is a difference. Most fans just like the music, they know the lyrics but they don't know the message behind, messages about war. That's what I'm writing about, looking to the tv, tv shows, reading the newspaper, get so much information through our lyrics. And metal bands has the chance to scream it out you know, Mr President stop the war. We can't change anything but we can scream it all.


4) For sure you talk a lot about war in your lyrics to fight it, it's your way to fight it. I think it's kind of your dream to live in a world without war.
That's my dream, a peaceful world. If there is no more war, we are growing up. I could write lyrics about flowers or about love, but with what we have in the world nowadays there's so much inspiration for writing lyrics.


5) And are you part of a kind of anti-war association or are you a militant activist in your every day life ?
I'm against all this stuff you know, I hate it. The holy war you know and as I said before live in a peaceful world. I hate it, I'm not a racist but everybody have to, each person, each individual have to live in a peaceful world. That's what I'm writing about. I'm interested in and you know I write a lot about Vietnam war because there's a lot of movies about it. I can't write about WWII because I'm a German and people will think we are a fascist band and we are not ! We are liberal you know. But I still think the most important thing is the music. I have to write lyrics but I do the lyrics for me.


6) But the people like it anyway, they feel concerned about the lyrics too.
Yes, there are Sodom fans that like it and try to translate it.


7) I don't know if you will accept to answer this question but what is your opinion about the war in Iraq and the position of GW Bush and the US in this conflict ?
I think US army has to leave all of Iraq you know because if they are going to stay there it couldn't help you know. It seems it would be better for the US army, for the germans whatever to go back. When America will leave Iraq, what will happen to this country ? I don't know the reason why president Bush continues, hundred of soldiers die every month, it's not a war, it's kind of a sniper war. In my opinion, you can't leave Iraq alone, what will happen with the talibans or Afghanistan. The biggest problem I think is between Israel and Palestina, there is a conflict and this conflict is growing up over the whole world and it's the main conflict. We have to try to finish this conflict between Israel and Palestina. We wanted to play there, we got a date in Israel Tel-Aviv but I got a phone call from the promoter who said that it's very dangerous that if we are going to play in Israel some bad things could happen because we're a German band.


8) And you're going to play there anyway ?
Hum no, we will never get this chance. There is a lot of places we can't play because of the political situation. That makes me sad because I know we have metal fans worldwide in every country. And because of the fucking politics we can't play you know, no metal concerts allowed. And that's what I hate and I can't change that anyway. I can just scream it all on the big stage !


9) And I think a lot of people around Wacken heard you (laughs). Let's talk about music now. Why did it take so long between M16 and Sodom ?
I think it was because of the big production of the Sodom DVD. It's our first one and it is so massive, we have so much material we have to cut. There was also problems with record company about the record deal you know, there is business behind. The fans don't realize. We, as Sodom are able to write an album every year and tour but there is some business behind. That's what the fans don't know. I worked 2 years for the Sodom DVD the first one, it took so much time you know so that was the reason why we needed 4 years. And the next album will come definetely next year.



10) This was my next question. Are you working on a new album ?
Yes we finished The Final Song Of Evil with the original member Grave Violator and Chris Witchhunter on the drums 'In The Sigh Of Evil' was in 1984 an EP 5 tracks we had more songs. So that was an idea from the record company, they asked me if there was any material left, or special songs and I said 'Yes there is'. We finished this album The Final Song of Evil for the Sodom fans, it's sitting in a time-machine going back to the 80's, very old songs. But now we have finished and we are working with Bernemann and Bobby original members for the new album, we've got a couple of songs together. We try to release it next year in January maybe February.


11) Do you already have a name for this album?
No. Not yet.


12) Will you have any guest on it ?
No no, what we're looking for is a producer, the last Sodom album was produced by Andy Brings our ex-guitarist. What we're gonna do now is going to rehearsal room making the songs, trying to get them finished and then trying to find a good studio and a good producer.It could be definately the best Sodom album album ever!


13) I suppose you plan to go on tour afterwards, after the release of the album
We start touring, we have a couple of shows like Wacken and festival shows in the summer. And what we're going to plan is also a US tour for 6 or 4 weeks from January. We wanna play live you know, so you have to go on tour, to make a new album, a DVD, it's a very concentrated work you know. For me it's a full time job, Sodom is a band that never stops you know. There is constantly the stage, we never stop doing music and writing songs, I'll always be doing shows and songs and I will never stop doing it. I live from the music it's my job but i's also for me a kind of passion, I could never stop doing music or being in the music scene, it's my life


14) What is your best memory when you look back in time?
My best memory was in 1989 when Agent Orange came out, this album was very succesful and it was growing up in the german medias and our record company told me 'Hey Tom you can stop working and just do music' And from this time when you live from the music, you get enough money to live from it, that was my best memory, when I signed this contract. I can tell I got 1000 marks from the record company every month, I can quit my job 'in the common' and just do music, it was just like a dream come true. And from this time on the band was constantly professional in the music business. I could give all my energy to the music.


15) I heard about Dezperadoz, could you tell us a few words about it?
It was a band with the guitarist of Onkel Tom my second project. I'm really interested in the Western books, historical persons like Jessie James, Billy The Kid... I talked to Alex there is no metal band doing western metal, Alex is a very good songwriter, if you listen to the songs it's wild west. On the first album I had the vocals in this band but I didn't have time to have 3 bands, so on the second album Alex is the singer/guitar and leader. I want to give 100% to each of these 3 bands, but 3 bands was too much. The idea was great and I really enjoyed the music.


16) It sounds pretty different from what you play in Sodom, do you listen some kind of country music?
I like Johnny Cash, I'm not a country fan. But to mix western scene with heavy metal music there was something new. It's really heavy metal music but arranged in a different style, there is a difference between a heavy metal and western metal. I was very proud to be the singer of the first album, I wrote the lyrics. We don't have so much success, we played in Wacken, With Full Force, we played 5 songs it's not that much. I think people don't understand the meaning behind Dezperadoz, if you listen to the first album you know what I mean. But for me it's one step in my career, my history and I'm very proud to be a small part of it.


17) What is for you the true Spirit of Metal,
Spirit of Metal? I think Sodom is a band who always try to keep the spirit of metal, and to keep the spirit of the 80's. In the 80's when metal was growing up, the metal scene was like a familly, it was a kind of a revolution to do this music. It's getting more commercial, it's getting big. When I want to buy a beer I have to pay 3 euros, it's 6 marks you know (laughs)!!! I think the spirit is gone a little bit...but old school bands like Sodom, Destruction, Kreator try to keep this spirit (laughs) ! I think these bands keep the metal alive you know, that is my opinion, the music we do comes from the heart. It's not dictated by a record company, and the fans support the band, I would like to say to all the fans in front of the stage that support for about 25 years THIS is the the spirit of metal.


18) Thank you for your time Tom, any last words?
These are my last words (smile).