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After I had already conducted an interview with Mille more than five years ago in the run-up to the release of "Gods of violence", the new strong "Hate über alles" album, which this time managed to land at number 2 in the German album charts, offered itself as a good reason to repeat the matter. Since then, a lot has happened in Germany, Europe and globally, just think of the Corona pandemic, the increasingly apparent climate change, the war in Ukraine and also the, at least in the social networks seemingly clearer division of society. I talked about these and other topics with the band leader, who now lives in Berlin.
Hey, Mille nice that this now works with an interview for the second time already. Back then, more than five years ago, the interview took place in the run-up to the release of "Gods of violence". Do you still have exact memories of the creative processes and the recordings of the past albums or have you also found yourself misattributing places, people and situations in retrospect?
My memory works fine, but I don't think about the past very often and I'm already thinking about my next projects.
The last albums were released in a five-year cycle. Is that also due to the size of the band and the live activities, or did it just take so long until you were satisfied with the material?
That has indeed to do with the numerous tours. I'm constantly writing songs, but it always takes a while for the material to mature. Nevertheless, I hope that the next Kreator album will come faster.
I always write out of a feeling and you can't plan that with the best will in the world. The songs emerge and grow during rehearsals together and the process this time led us into all the sonic escapades you described.
To come back to the album title: Especially the current political, social and ecological events and conditions are virtually predestined to be thematically processed and set to music by a band like Kreator. At the moment, one crisis and danger follows the next: climate, Corona, Ukraine. Whereby to come to the topic hate and missing social discourse: Was society perhaps just as much or just as little divided in the past, only that Corona and precisely the Internet and the social media bring out and make visible everything that one would not have noticed in the past? The neighbor's stupid remarks might end up (anonymized) on Facebook today, whereas in the past they would have remained within one's own four walls?
Exactly! The internet and social media bring out the best and the worst in people. Especially the pandemic, presented an unprecedented, very uncertain situation for all of us. Many were looking for simple answers to complicated questions. Sometimes I thought it would be better to completely disconnect from the digital world, which is what I've been doing a lot lately.
How do you personally feel about social media? Sometimes I think, with all the stuff you're bombarded with when you pick up your smartphone, you can only think the apocalypse is near. Every stabbing or rape from any corner of the country or even the world is delivered almost in real time. In the past, there was the daily news and the local newspaper, where 90% of these messages did not even appear.
It's both - a curse and a blessing. We have to learn to filter and select. Communication is changing and there is clearly too much information. We get access to the most grotesque opinions, theories and interpretations. Much of it is completely superfluous and can sadden our souls.
I think that nobody wants climate change and its consequences. However, many also don't want to do without certain things that promote climate change. Global problems are also difficult to solve at the local level. As long as mankind does not see itself as a global community, it will hardly be possible to implement rules that effectively counteract climate change.
I have now read that you live in Berlin? How did it come about, what were the reasons? You are still drawn to Essen from time to time. What interests me: How do you perceive Berlin, what are the differences to Essen, both in terms of the city and the mentality of the people?
I have lived with one foot in Berlin since the 80s. The city is unique and inspiring worldwide. Essen is more of a quiet retreat for me.
Kreator have become more and more present in recent years, also in terms of media coverage beyond the classic metal trade press. In the meantime, Wacken has also made it into the daily news. Are you happy that people and media representatives outside of the metal scene are approaching you and the band, or that you are being noticed in other circles as a result? On the other hand, did you ever have the feeling that you or Kreator were respected or even courted only because of your status, but the same people would be rather disgusted by an completely unknown underground thrash band?
I can't judge that with the best will in the world. I only know that the people I talk to "outside the metal scene" are mostly very sympathetic to the music and the protagonists and ask extremely interesting questions.
Are there people who came to metal in the first place through Kreator, because they noticed you, for example, through the chart positions? Are you aware of such or similar anecdotes?
There certainly are. However, it is not measurable and it is not known to me.
A few days ago the Dutch Thanatos disbanded, with the statement basically everything has been said and done and anything further would ultimately just be a variation of what has already been said. After all these years and now (counting the new one) 15 albums, how do you and the band still keep the motivation high? Sure it's your job, but that alone doesn't make anyone sound as fresh and hungry and aggressive. Are there also always different aspects that interest you while creating a new record? Especially commercially you have achieved everything a hard metal band can achieve. How important are new band members to keep a band fresh and creative?
Music is not a job, but a passion. If I earned my money with other things, I would just keep writing songs for myself. It was also never about "achieving something" commercially, because none of us has ever perceived music as a competition.
The video for "Midnight Sun" is influenced by the film "Midsommar". Are there other, maybe more unknown (horror) movies you can recommend? Are you a big movie lover or are there series you like?
I am a big horror fan, indeed. At the moment I can recommend "Lamb", by Valdimar Jóhannsson. I also like to watch series. I thought "Trainwreck" was quite good.
Finally, a more personal question: In an interview with metal.de you said that you have to think about your music in case you are not around anymore. And in general you have reached an age where you realize that you won't live forever anymore. Now I ask so, just as Kreator became bigger and bigger, there was or is also the aspect that many artists, no matter whether musician, visual artist or writer call as a drive, namely the one to leave something to posterity and to achieve a piece of immortality, so to speak? On the album there is also a song called "Become Immortal", although this is also backward-looking, a kind of retrospective, so to speak... Because however people will consume music in the future, Kreator will certainly still be heard by people for at least a few decades after you are no longer around. Is that thought satisfying or comforting in some ways?
Whew! I don't worry about something like that, because I don't think I'll care if people will still be listening to Kreator after I leave this body. Anyway, it's very nice that during our lifetime we can give people fun with our music.
The last words belong to you!
Thank you for the interview!
