1. Hi! It probably can’t begin else, till ask on Your recent appearance on festival Apocalyptic form of death. Well, how do You liked in Czech Republic and what adventures You have bring from Your appearance? It is a pity of that soon playing time, due to it I didn’t catch You... :/
Hello Fastred! Well, first of all, thanks a lot for you praise. It has been really an adventure to play in the Czech Rupublic and we enjoyed it really much. The only negative thing was, as you already said, our soon and SHORT stage time. When we entered the stage to get ready, some guy came to me and said that from now on we would have „Minus-time“ I couldn´t believe this. We travelled nearly 6 hours and then we can only play for 20 minutes. We were all so pissed as you can imagine. So we didn´t play our Intro and shortend our playlist. We also dind´t hang up our backdrop. It was really a pity. But besides it has been a nice event and we met a lot of interesting people around. Thanks a lot to all the fans we had in front of the stage. Even we just played 20-25 minutes.
2. By the reading Helfahrt’s web sites I happen on fact, that release of new album approaches! Tell us on what can hearers delight, what is new since the first demo, how are You content with novelty, etc. ... :)
We have recently finished the recordings for our new album entitled „Sturmgewalt“ . The album will be released in August via Northfire and Twilight Productions. The listener can expect a huge increase in our technical and composing abilities. We try to mix up different types of Pagan and Folk Metal influencens. Also some Black Metal stuff is to be found on „Sturmgewalt“. Also we use a lot of untypical instruments such as different types of Mouthharps and flutes. I think that everybody who likes Pagan Metal or Bands like (old) Ulver, Kampfar, Helheim will also like our music, thus we are quite influenced by these bands aswell.
3. New material will go out under the Northfire Records, if I‘m not mistake...? How do You reach cooperation? Are You beholden by agreement only for this material?
When we started with Helfahrt last year it wasn´t really an aim for us to reach a contract with a record label. We just wanted to create our „own“ music, you know. But when we released our first Demo „Aufbruch“ we got several offers from labels in whole Europe. As we realised that we would´t have enough money to record a full-length album, we decided to sign a contract with one of the labels. Therefore we picked Northfire Records & Mailorder because we saw them as very reliable and correct people as they really are. We signed now jsut for one Album but we have an option for another year of cooperation with them. Time will show us our final decision.
4. I would look to a history too... When and under what conditions You reached to rise of Helfahrt? Rise – 1999, first demo – 2005, what happened in this six-years gap? Were You always sure in what style and way You want aim as band?
In the end of the old century I decided to built up a solo-project because I was dissilusioned by the music my comrades and friends listened to. I just didn´t want to play Thrash or Power metal stuff in my own band. So I started to record my own stuff – but it was only for myself. When I was in the right mood I listened to my own compositions when going to sleep or doing some work. You can say that I created my own „easy listening-music“,hahaha! It was never an aim to release this recordings. Beneath this fact I alos could´nt find the right musicians to share my music with. Six years later I found them and the band could be formed. The waiting for this moment has been worth it and I am more than happy with this decision!
5. First demo – Aufbruch – was released in autumn of 2005 on own costs, what was the responses (without doubt some come out also now), what this demo give and take You and will You continue in same language and text steps? Where did you record this demo?
We recorded the Demo at the Home-Studio of a friend of us. His name is Bone Prexl and he is a really ambitioned jazz musician. It was a very positive thing to work together with somebody who doesn´t listen to Metal at all. He did such a good work and I am still very grateful to had chance to work together with him. It was´nt our intention to release the Demo but when the first responses where all positive, we were very surprised about this and released it. We dind´t expect this at all but it did good to us. ;-)
We will continue for sure in this lyrical themes and steps. They play an importand role for Helfahrt and til now we don´t see any reasons to change them.
6. You use in Yours music also Jewish instruments. Are You lead by some specific to this, or You simply have pleasure in this?
Hahahaaa....oh no – you must have misunderstood something. „Jewsharp“ is just the name of the instrument. It has nothing to do with jewish culture or music. It is a very very old instument and its roots go back to the early ages of mankind. It has been played by cultures all over the world. A synonym for jewsharp is „Mouthharp“
7. So how at Helfahrt proceed process of assembling compositions? I ask purposely, because it will not be simple :).
Bu it is ;-) - Most of the compositions are coming from me or our guitar-player Basti. When we both have ideas we meet toghether and arrange the parts. Then we present them to the rest of the band and they bring in their ideas. That´s the whole story.
8. Will You prepare some promo photos for new album? You sure would be good „models“ for some professional photographer :).
Oh...thanks a lot. Ehhmmm....now I am confused...what was the question? Ahhh...yes, we will shoot some photos in the next weeks. But we all didn´t find the time yet. But we definitely need promo pictures.
9. Excepting Dominik You all have some side bands, strive you devote each one same batch of time or Helfahrt is that priority for You?
I think that I speak for us all that Helfahrt has its priority for us all. Thetwins are playing in their own „solo-project“ Nebelmythen. Raw Black Metal. Really good! Just visit they website. I think www.NEBELMYTHEN.de For me it has become quite difficult because I also play at Sycronomica. Even if I am more or less a session member in this band – it uses a lot of my time which I would need for Helfahrt. This is because of our recent signing at Armageddon Music. Very stressful!
10. Only such an insertion: What it is have a twins in a band?
Ha, it´s awesome and veeeery funny. Often I still can´t say who is who, hahaha! Especially on the phone.
11. You have atypical and very beautiful logo, who made it? Who cares You about booklets?
Michael Bayer (www.Ravenarts.de) is responsible for our logo-artwork. He is the drummer of Sycronomica and also paints a lot. Very talented bastard I would say ;-) Responsible for our booklet is Helge Stang – the singer of the band Equilibrium. Some may know him I suppose.
12. What music recently hears a members of Helfahrt?
I would say we all have a quite similar taste of music. We all listen to Black and Pagan Metal but also to other interesting stuff which mustn´t be Metal music. If I speak for myself, I can tell you that I also listen to some types of Funk or Soul music. Michael Miller or Wolfgang Schmidt for example. They both are just awesome musicians and I pay them my greatest respect.
13. Is image important component for Helfahrt? You have that Yours, no painting even pullers, which however would clash with Your production...
Well, not really! We do what we want and whenever we like to – beneath some sort of image looking or so. I am sure that i will speak for us all when I say that we have taken distance to the whole scene and it´s ignorant people. We all have been involved in this scene for many years and we know how to „behave“ – but we won´t let us limitate in our work and music if you know what I mean. So we aren´t afraid of other influences in our music even if it is bad for our „image“ My personal view of this is to create music that you personnally prefer to play and you like. Should there be people who share my views of making music and prefer to listen to it, good! If not: I don´t care either!
14. I dare say You are a big fan of literature, probably I don’t make a mistake, what You read preferably, when You have time and taste?
I think that our guitar player Basti is reading most. I suppose right now he reads something from Satre. I am very interested in old history, especially the pre-christian Europe as well as the times of the Emperum Romanum and the time of the migration of the germanic tribes. Recently I read „Storm over Europe – the great migration“ Very interesting! The rest of the bandmembers read also a lot – but I can´t tell what sort of literature they prefer most.
15. Prove You say how You ate noticed by hearers in Germany? Do You think, that popularity have growing tendence?
The biggest medium nowadays is for sure the WWW. You got so many possibilitys because of it and also our contact has been made through the web. But you still need a few important connections because there is also such a huge competition. Mix these two components and give them a little bit PR and you can rule the world,haha! Popularity has of course a growing tendence, and that´s of course the guilt of the WWW.
16. Germany is without question beautiful country, regrettably with somewhat cramped history... I will not ask You on history, I will ask how You look up nowadays Germany?
Germany ever had a problem with patriotism – even before WWII! A very famous poet wrote one time: „That is the problem this people ever had – to not respect their own history – and to look on others envy“ But I am sure that the FiFAWM helped us to reach a better understanding about the past and to become a little more self confident on the worlds opinion about Germany. I even dare to say that now most of the people here have unleashed their minds form the monster WWII! And that´s a very important thing for us all which I welcome very much.
17. If You have that power, will You want return to times, which You sing about and which You no doubt look up? Celebrating You even some ancestral feasts?
Of course not! Never! These times weren´t nice and full of myths or heroes as so many think. It was cold and you had nothing to eat! To survive you had to plunder other tribes because you had´nt the techniques to do proper agricultural farming. The soil couldn´t be used more than two times and you had to search for new land. We see this problem in whole ancient Europe. Wars weren´t fought because of territorial longings but because of the search for homeland and to avoid starvation. Another thing is that you hardly reached the age of 40. Even if you would have reached this „high“ age – your teeth would have fallen out due to a lack of Vitamine C (Skorbut). I sing about those themes because they are very interesting to me but I would never want to return to this times and I am very happy about the fact that I just have to put on the heating if it´s cold outside or to open the fridge when I am hungry ;-)
18. You visited Czech Republic due to concert, but was here someone of You for other purpose? If You are interested of memories, you will sure find a pleasure... What some local bands, do You know?
It has been the first time for us to travel as a band to CZ. Your landscape is very nice and I know that you have a huge potential in history. Prague must be a wonderful city and I plan to visit it one time. I know not many bands from CZ but Trollech and Hypnos are just awesome!
19. I would thanks to Helfahrt for provided interwiev, I wish you much of success with novelty and maybe sometimes goodbye under stage!
Thanks a lot to give us the chance to be interviewed for your magazine and we thank all the people who saw us on AFOD and supported us. Visit our website on www.Helfahrt.com and post your opinion on our guestbook. Will Mjöllnir guide us with it´s light in darkness, may Wodens knowledge be ours. Tyr will protect us and the sisters Freya and Freyr will let grow up our children with pride. Together with Ullr we will go to Asgardr, to the lands of Vidar and Valis. Balder and Forseti may settle all troubles, Bragis songs will sweaten our golden wine before the horn of Heimdall will sound to divide us…
Hope to see you soon my friend!
P.S.: On Apocalyptic form of death, in late night hours, some guys walking and singing some German folk songs, don’t You know something about it? :))))) Hello! Sorry for that, yeah! We thought we could make some sort of „good night“ singing and sung a very old song which is called : We set sails to Madagskar Sorry for waking you all up,hehe!
Here is a translation for it:
We set sails to Madagaskar – and had the plague on board. In the kettles the water was fouly and every day some went aboard. Ahoi comrades, Ahoi!
