Let's start with your departure from Pungent Stench. Why did you? Will Collapse 7 will be your only band from now on? You've also played with Hollenthon. They are well know in Turkey, will you be playing with them?Well, first of all I decided to leave Pungent Stench because I had to much time stress and I wanted to concentrate only on my own band. We had so much delay on our debut-album and we finally had to finish, what we have started at the beginning of the 90´s. all personal feelings and great creative thoughts are gone into collapse 7, so why should I waste more time to get my own thing fullfilled. Another reason is that I don´t wanna condemn us as a usual side-project cause i´m not a friend of this. There was never any bad blood between the guys and myself, that´s why we´re still good friends which means a lot to me.
Three members of collapse 7 are also play in hollenthon. Mike is together with martin an original bandmember, werner and myself are just perform live. I never had any thoughts to quit with hollenthon too cause I really like this band and it doesn´t cost me so much time.
This is a cliche but i really would like to ask you about the bands name. Where did it come from? Does it have anything to do with the creation of the world in 7 days?not really, but it´s somehow kind of religious indeed, but let me explain you that in a minute. There are so many meanings that fits to this very special number in our case. The seventh sign, the seven planets, the seven pleagues, the seven worldwonders and many more…….
It exists almost in every religion and culture of this earth and that´s the reason why we´re so fascinated of it. We wanted a modern bamdname which is easy to remind and to explain you the word collapse isn´t nescessary. Both together is the essence of our former and forthcoming main-concept which is entitled apocalyptic death metal by ourselfes.
By the way you also can imagine that on the seveth day was created our own everlasting apocalypse………..
Are you satisfied with the result because the recording process seems to took quite a long time. From march to july in 2003. Of course we´re satisfied and even more than that, I mean the sound in my opinion is definiteley nothing but excellent and almost exacly what we had searched for. During the recording we had some time outs because of work and other engagements that we were involved. That means the most of the album is weekend work which is sometimes very hard to compensate, if you know what I mean. But we had done our best to keep the thing clear & constant all the time. I´am sure that we record the next album in a row, not just on weekends.
You've worked with Martin Schirenc. We remember him from Pungent Stench and Hollenthon. Why did you choose to work with him?Because he´s the best you can get in austria and we knew him for so long. We also play in hollenthon together, so I think it was just a natural process to work with him. Sometimes things in life get hand in hand and it simply was like this. Martin is a fuckin´great producer, he knows what he´s doing and he´s very proffessional as well. We´re proud to have worked with him!
You waited nearly a year to release the album, what was the reason for that?I think it wasn´t really a year but for us it was like ten or something. In early summer last year we had spread our stuff around and the reactions was great so far. Some labels wanted to sign us at the end they all had quit. Unfortunetley I don´t know the reason why, very funny. I don´t care anymore. Anyway, napalm was the ones who finally signed us and I think they´re gone the right way.
You define your music as "Apocalyptic Death Metal". Generally bands do not name or classify their music, usually we do that
Is it because you wanted to make our job easier or you give a name to your style so that right people's atention may be attracted? And what do you think makes your style "apocalyptic" ?To get more attention would be great but I think we don´t need to get reckonized by using a unusual genre defination. We don´t give a damn what people think about our special defination anyway. You must know that our lyrical concept like the music itself is very strong and together it stands as a pretty important unit. Our lyrix are the same important as the music and I think i am not wrong when I say that we play no usual death metal. We don´t wanna fill our booklet sites with just something that doesn´t belong to us. We love to write about different forms of the apocalypse and to us these topics comes from the very inside. In now a days it seems to be it never was so easy to write about this and get inspired almost every day……
With the production style, guitars sound not very thick as usual sound choices for death metal bands. They are more black metal sounding. did you want this kind of a sound on purpose?No, cause I think the guitar sound is for sure bombastic enough to get through as death metal. We had just the idea to record the guitars a little bit differentiated to get a great atmosphere and we did it. It means that our songs comes up even more clearer to the audience. We´re no black metal fans at all so I can´t agree with some people which claim that collapse 7 sounds a little like black metal. Sorry, but I guess it´s just nothing but a bit of bad luck. Ha ha ha!
You're from Austria, how is the austrian metal scene nowadays? How was it when you first get into this kind of music? What do you remember about those times? What was the most influential band to get to you in? Who are your "idols"?I got no time to listen or even get interested in local bands so I can´t tell you much about the whole scene here, sorry for that man. I´am sure there must be good bands out there. I only know those bands where I play or have played and they are the better known bands from here. I can tell you another good band called disastrous murmur and I think you might know them anyway.
What do you listen to these days? What was the last album you've bought?The last extreme metal album I bought myself was the last monstrosity and for me it was some kind of a big disapointment (sorry tony, my friend!). their albums before was much better. I´am still collecting pretty much 70´s rock lp´s to expand my collection from time to time. I like this music and that´s why I do play in a rock-cover band called gods of thunder!
Where did the idea of using a sample for "prophets Speech" come from? It is taken from " Pulp Fiction" right? Are you a Tarantino fan? If so what do you think about Kill Bill vol I and II also what do you think it was in the bag in Pulp Fiction(from what that yellow light coming from)? Also i would like to know which movie is your all time favourite one?One of my all time favorite movie is the terminator cause this movie has inspired me so much to create the apocalyptic concept of collapse 7. when I saw it first when I was a child I was completeley blown away and i´ve seen it more than a fifty times or something. It has this very special apocalyptic touch and for sure I love this damned weird soundtrack, which was composed by brad fiedel this motherfuckin´psycho!
It says all about our upcoming future and that mankind isn´t able to exist forever. A machine controlled sudden death without escape which becomes a neverending nightmare and this final war was started by ourselfes. For me it´s nothing but brilliant cause everything changes overnight. I love the whole trilogy which is fuckin´awesome.
Tarantino is also a good stuff. To use this intro was just a spontaneous reaction during the mastering process. It fits perfect to blessed with pain and I thought just let´s do it, we can´t go wrong. A nice little introduction!
www.collapse7.com