The interview was arranged for Saturday night at 10 o' clock. As time approached, I became more and more nervous. I started feeling a knot in my stomach. Then the hour hand hit ten and suddenly the phone rang. He was very consequent. After the first few words I realized that I didn't have to do with another snob musician, but with a very pleasant person with a great sense of humor. What is left to say except for the fact that it was one of the interviews I enjoyed the most. Well, also to be honest it was very hard for me to say goodbye and end the conversation. It was a real pleasure and besides that many interesting news and ideas came up. I have nothing more to say than to suggest you to read the interview and buy their cd's, cause we are talking about a very interesting new band!!!

1.GIVE US A SHORT INFO OF THE BAND.

• It started in 1990 when I parted from the band Denton from Germany with the vocalist Peter Dirkschneider. We started a new band with some different members from the area here. It didn’t work very well and after I’d say two years we found the line up that lasted for 8 years, with Markus Becker on guitar, Pierre Fienhold on drums, myself (Marcus Bielenberg) on bass and Peter on vocals. Last years we hang around rehersal room but we hadn’t got a record contract. In 1995 we got a record contract with Cheerio  records. We made our first record “Twins ?”, which was self produced and of course in that case wasn’t very well, low budget production. In 1997 we got an offer from U.D.O. to support them on their Christmas tour together with another German band, AXXIS. So we played our first big tour in 1997. It was very great and big for us. We got a great feedback from the crowd and after that we got another offer from U.D.O. to support them in Scandinavia. It was even bigger success for us. The crowd went totally nuts. At that time UDO thought about establishing a record company on his own, now known as BREAKER records, which was established in 1998 and he decided because of the great feedback from the crowd to sign us, as his first band. We got together with Stefan Kaufmann on the first record with him in 1999. After that, the next year (2000) “ High Proof ” came.

• We thought a lot about a band name, but nothing really serious came to our minds and then we saw in the rehearsal room a shoe box and that name was on it. It comes from the name Venice from the town and we got together with a painter and he painted these masks that fit to the name. They look angry, because it’s angry music. Fits more to the music.

• Of course it’s similar to ACCEPT, because we were influenced by them, but we were also influenced by OZZY, JUDAS PRIEST, AC/DC, KISS and many more bands. ACCEPT was one of them, but I think we sound different to ACCEPT. I think our music is harder. ACCEPT’s music was typical 80’s metal. Ours is a bit modern.

• To be very honest it’s more problem than it helps. Sometimes it open doors. When people hear the name Dirkschneider they get serious and ask information about us. On the other hand music critics when they hear the name Dirkschneider they naturally think you have to be exactly the same with ACCEPT. ACCEPT is another band and I think, we don’t have to do so much with them. Of course it’s heavy metal, but many bands are. For example nobody compares HAMMERFALL with HELLOWEEN and IRON MAIDEN. It’s the same as well. But it’s only the name Dirkschneider. The people read the name and they say “Oh! Ok!” The voices are similar, but different music.

• I think it’s a great album. It has great songs and it is very well produced by Stefan Kaufmann. It’s very great pleasure to work with him, because he really knows what music is all about and we did learn music from him, because he has a huge music background, fun and the result speaks for itself.

• Well, I would say the things you see every time you walk down the street, when you go to work, if you are watching the news, it shows every day things that happen. When you think a bit about it you get stuff to write. Sometimes it can be just one second in life that you can write a song about, a look.

• We have just finished writing songs. We’ve got, I think, 20 songs now that we can choose from, but they are very raw sessions. We have to work on it, rhythms, parts… and we also have to work on the vocal lines and choir. As far as I know, it will be ready in summer 2002.

• Not any longer. We belong to UDO’s label, BREAKER. BREAKER records now belongs to SPV.  They (the label) don’t working with NUCLEAR BLAST or RADIATION. We came through all contracts and now UDO’s working together with SPV. We are definitely not satisfied with the promotion NUCLEAR BLAST did.

• The music industry, to be honest, really sucks, because without any money you can reach nothing. When you look at up to date bands like LIMP BITZKIT or LINKOLNPARK, there’s a big record industry behind them. It’s good music, but it’s not by the musicians that present it. They are very skillful producers and management behind them. That’s very sad. It’s all about money. Nothing else. As a really band you get nearly no chance to get anywhere. There are many record companies that bring out new bands and give them a low budget for production and everybody who listens to that, things that heavy metal must be very bad.

• Personally I’d say Clock Work orange.
• Oh…, I don’t know if you know that, but we have a new guitar player. Markus Becker is no longer in the band anymore. The new guitarist is Rolf Mongus, a fantastic guitar player. He released 2 months ago a new solo album. He is a great guitar player and he is our guitar player! We’ve done all our new songs with him.

• Haha… I don’t know. I’ve never imagined doing anything else. I couldn’t imagine a life without music. It could be very boring.

• I would say from the album “Twins?” the song “They’re back” and from “High Proof”, I’d choose “Minute Man”.

• It’s hard to say. I think that the problem could be solved in Israel, because I think that’s the main problem. If it’s solved there it can be an understanding between Christians and Muslims.

• Hmm… To kick Adolf’s  ass. Ha ha!

• Well, keep metal alive! Come to our concert and see what heavy metal can be!!!