I was really impressed by the new Gun Barrel's album, the bombastic 'Bombard Your Soul' and this is naturally why I wanted to know more about this band and this album. When I had the chance to do an interview with them by mail, I took it immediately and worked on this interview. Rolf Tanzius answered to my questions, with a huge amount of humour...First of all, could you introduce the band to the fans?
Hi,I`m Rolf Tanzius,the guitar player of GUN BARREL. The other ones are: Tomcat Kintgen on the bass, Toni Pinciroli on the drums and Xaver Drexler is our singer.
What was the feedback of your preceding album, 'Battle Tested'?
Battle-tested got great reviews worldwide and it was a step further for the band. We got many invitations to take part at several gigs and festivals in germany and other countries.
Gun Barrel makes its comeback this year with a power heavy rock metal bomb really well intitled 'Bombard Your Soul', which is a very surprising album kicking the ass. But what other could we await from Gun Barrel? We can still hear the influences of the heavy 80's and of Motörhead's heavy rock...However, the refrains are very "german power metal" like. And this is exactly what is differentiating you from the other teutonic bands, this original mix which gaves you a particular personality : do you agree?
Yes,we do, totally correct.We like bombast refrains and also
Metal, rock n roll and old school and this is the secret of the GUN BARREL songs, we lay our heart and soul, our love and anger, our strength in our music and we believe in the things we do! Everything and everybody 110% Gunbarrel.
How do you arrive to conciliate so many styles in a same band?
Everybody of the band has his own style. We have a new song idea and each of us is free to bring in his ideas into it.. No pressure nobody has to play a song he dislikes! So, we get this rocknrollmetal mixture.
Is there a concept hidden behind the the title of the album or is the only link between the songs this power in the music? Can you describe us the theme of each song?
We play a straight kickin ass music, we bombard the souls of our fans and other listeners Our music is alarm!
All songs have a personal note and lyrics from our new singer Xaver Drexler.. He has write his and our diary I neach song. The rock n roll life style. The road life, the family, persons we don`t like, people we love, memories and the metal maniacs. But in genarel everybody is free to imagine and feel what ever he/she wants while listening to our songs.
Amazing thing, which surprised me first, is the intro, "Begging For Awakening", which contrast strongly with the rest of the album : I thought the record was something like symphonic heavy metal, but NO, I was tricked...Who had the idea to create this sort of intro?
We gave an order to Piet Sielck. We said to him: Piet, we need the riff of Fearing the fears of my fears, we need timbals, police sirens, voices, heart beating, bombast orchestras! And Piet made out of it this great intro. We were very inspired and you can hear the intro now before every gig.
The rest is really sturdy, especially "Dear Mr. Devil", "The Fallen One", "Bombard Your Soul
" and "Bloody Pretender". There is only one quiet (at least no as violent) song, the hard FM-ish "On The Road Again"...Why don't you have followed your fellow countrymen and proposed to the fans a real ballad? I have the feeling that it's not much your thing, am I wrong?You are wrong,sorry! We plan a ballad for the next album. I think I have four or five ideas for ballads. But this is not enough you need a certain feeling and voice too. Nowadays we have the right singer for a ballad to become a flesh creep and Xaver is the right man for a GUN BARREL ballad.
I also noticed that the second intro riff line of "Dive Into The Flame", which is finding itself again during all the song before the refrains and between the verses and the bridges, by intermittence, is so close to the one that AC/DC used in "Riff Raff"...is it a kind of tribute to the brothers Young's band?
We love AC/DC but we didn't look to their riffs. It was an idea I got when I was just playing around on my guitar and I fell in love wit it. I can't stop playing it pling pling..
The guitar soli are fresh and light, almost atmospheric on this title...
Yes, correct, thanks a lot, thank you for the flowers, could I invite you to any drink? You' re my man!
What was your composing process? Who wrotes the lyrics?
First I have the riff ideas or complete songs. Yenz Leonhard and the whole band arranges later on the songs and Xaver writes the lyrics. That's the way it goes. And so we did Bombard your soul. It all over took some weeks to record it some very exciting weeks because it was the first album we recorded with our new singer.
The first thing which people can see of an album is its cover. Yours is really striking the eyes. It remains a bit of these of some S.O.D. albums. Who has drawn it? Do you think it represents in a good way your new album?
The idea came from Dirk Illing. His first work for GUN BARREL. He had the idea after he knew the album title.
We think it`s a very good idea and a very good work between ugly, dirty and heavy. This face bombards your soul, too, hehe ..We think you should recognize which a kind of music in it when you see the cover.
Another thing which strikes, after having put the album in his cd player is the clarity, the brightness, of the sound. Piet Sielck produced the album. How have you meet him and why this choice?
We met Piet before we recorded the Battle-tested album. Piet heard our first album Power-Dive and told us that he would like to produce Gunbarrel. He has ideas for our sound and also our label LMP said Make the album with Piet.
We are very satiesfied with his work and so we started again with him and Yenz Leonhard. We think that Bombard your soul has a heavier sound like the albums before. Piet is a metal producer and Yenz a rock'n-roller. So we made the right choice, we think.
Now I have some more personal questions. What is your musical background and your music taste?
Oh,I like all kind of music, I have to write a book to let you know all my favourites, also the other guys of the band.
But we have some groups like Thunderhead, Motorhead - the classixs we all together love.
We all played in differ
ent bands here in Cologne. But all without a deal. Except Xaver with his band STS8 Mission.
Toni played in a band called Wicked and Dreamhunter,
Tom played in a band called Underdog and played in bands called Special guests and Thunderstruck.
Who are the musicians or bands which gave you the will to play music?
For me it were The Rolling Stones and Black Sabbath.
What are the albums, released in 2005, that you'd gave in your playlist? The ones who stroke you forever (since last 50 years)?
My playlist for 2005:
In flames Soundtrack to your escape
Hellfueled Born to rock
Backyard Babies Tinitus (live)
Dimmur Borgir Stormblast
And a lot of more
The ones who stroke me forever:
Rolling Stones Sticky fingers
Free Heartbreaker
In Flames Colony
Thin Lizzy Live and dangerous
Black Sabbath Black Sabbath
Hawkwind In search of space
Ozzy Diary of a madman
Deep Purple In Rock
Black Widow Come to the sabbath
Demon Night of the demon
Backyard Babies Total 13
The Hellacopters Suppershity to the max
Uriah Heep Sweet freedom
Bad Company Running with the pack
At the gates Slaughter of souls
How do you train your instrument? Can you give the fans who are musicians some advices about how to be perfect musicians and how to train well to be ready before a gig?
I play every day for myself at home. I never had a teacher. So I had to find my own style and technic. We train together some days before a gig and also two times a week to get things done you know: A man has got to do what a man has got to do
What is your view about the german scene? European? Worldwide?
We try to get a support tour for europe and our dream is to play worldwide because we want to meet billions of women but you must not tell our wives and girlfriends ok? Just kinding around no to be honest: we are a live-band and love to be in front of our fans. We are just travelling around in germany and promoting our album. People in Europe start to get hold of us and we took part in some international festivals like Wacken. Actual now I think we won't have a chance in America but we have good reviews from argentina.
What is for you the Spirit of Metal?
The first Black Sabbath album. The first step into the heavy life.
Do you have some side-project?
No!! Gunbarrel is on top, my one and only, and I am more than 1000% tuned to it.. We are all absolutely only Gunbarrel.
Do you have already booked some tourdates? In France?
We have to wait because we just have a new booker since these days. We hope to play everywhere, also in France!!! Keep an eye upon our homepage there you will see more.
Do you have a last thing to say to the fans?
Yes, of course:
Hi Spirit of metal readers:
We are GUN BARREL from Cologne, Germany and we salute you and try to bombard your soul next near. We wish you to a heavy christmas and also a great rocking and rollin 2006. Shake your bones and take care!
GUN BARREL
Thank you, Rolf-Gun Barrel
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interview réalisée par MetalAngel
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