Steel on Bone was recently fortunate enough to conduct an interview with Gerrit of Germany's Sacred Steel. These guys really rage and have been performing metal in the traditional style with unwavering dedication, skill, and conviction for 16+ years. Check out a couple of tunes to hear for yourself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjUF8oCrRCE&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL33FB5BAD5DAFAEB8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfJAy30RqSw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZZt2eUxlTo
SoB: Thank you so much for doing the interview it is an honor!
Gerrit: Hi Ryan, this is Gerrit answering. Thank YOU for
your support, man!
What is Sacred Steel currently up to?
Well, at the moment we are rehearsing for
upcoming shows. We all have full-time jobs, families etc. but we try our best
to keep Sacred Steel active. Plus we are looking for a label to release
our new album entitled "The Bloodshed Summoning". But we´re in no hurry.
I see that on your website the history
section ends at 2006. I’m sure much
metal has transpired since then. I
believe your last release was the fantastic Carnage Victory in 2009. Is there a new album in the works, and if so,
when can we expect its release?
I really don't know who's taking care of our
online stuff. I'm too old for stuff like this, haha. Our history definitely has
not ended in 2006. We have played lots of shows since then and, as said before,
we have recorded a new album already. I can't say yet when and where the album
will be released though. We're checking the possibilities. It's obvious that
our kind of music is not the flavour of the month (nor of the year or this
decade :) ) but we´re sure that we´ll find a label
willing to do its best. We're not expecting world domination anymore, haha.
Sacred Steel was formed in 1996 (if I have
my story right). From what I can
remember, those were some serious “un-metal” years (late 1990’s). MTV really wasn’t playing music anymore, and
the bands that were big at the time were the Korn’s and Limp Bizkit’s of the
world (at least in America). What made
you guys wave the true metal flag? Was
it a reaction to the times, or was it something else?
It surely was a reaction to the times. We
all grew up in the 70's or 80's and it was extremely sad to see all our heroes
conquered and forgotten back then. Nowadays I must admit that the metal scene
is way better than in the 90´s and most of our heroes now finally get the
honour they truly deserve. Some of them even came back to play at events like,
Doom Shall Rise, Bang Your Head, Swordbrothers, Hammer Of Doom or Keep It True. So we've somehow lost the reason to exist.
Goodbye!!!!......................:)
Some early high lights of Sacred Steel’s
career included a gig with NWOBHM legends Blitzkrieg and getting signed to
Metal Blade Records. How did that come
about?
Hmm, the gig with Blitzkrieg was cool. I was so shitfaced that I slept on stage before the gig. And I puked my guts out before the gig too because of some spicy food that I've added to all the alcohol. I was an idiot back then. I haven't changed that much really…In fact there were about 40-60 people in that big club in Frankfurt and at least our gig was truly forgettable. Getting signed to Metal Blade was incredible though! We were lucky that the main man of Metal Blade Germany, Michael Trengert, was watching our first gig ever and he liked what he saw. We were raw, unpolished, over the top and pretty entertaining. Nothing like what was around at that time in Germany, maybe even worldwide. You must remember that this was way before the "true metal revival" that Hammerfall somehow brought along 1-2 years later. And they were way more polished and acceptable for the mainstream. Way more. Mhhh, this could explain their success and our commercial failure a bit :).
From there, you went on to even further
success, as evidenced by appearing at Wacken and supporting Nevermore on their
Dreaming Neon Black European tour. Do
you prefer the larger festival dates or more intimate club dates?
Clubs are more convenient for a small band
like us. Playing bigger events can also be quite funny. It's just that you face
the real fans in the clubs. There are a lot of "good time metal fans"
and common idiots on the big festivals that don't do shit to support metal at
all. They're only it it for the drinks and the fun. Fuck them all.
The band has had a great number of
successes during its 16+ year career.
What was your proudest moment with Sacred Steel?
I'm proud everyday, thinking of the fact
that we're still around! I can't think of ONE special moment where
I've felt that this is the proudest moment really. We've had memorable shows
and records that we sure can be proud of. Ups and downs that every band has to
face. The people that inspired us most where those guys that NEVER really had
success but that kept sticking to their roots and inspirations, that never
changed more than a bit and that never turned their backs on their real
supporters. No matter what. I wish I could still say that about Manowar, haha.
So who first inspired you to start
singing? What really made you want to
keep making metal music after all these years?
The first guys that inspired me to sing were some shitty German singers in the early 70´s. That was all that was on the local radio back then. I woke up when I first heard Queen in 1974. Then I've discovered Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Blondie and Smokie. After that metal really started for me by discovering Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Kiss, Saxon, Motörhead, The Plasmatics etc. I wanted to play metal since I've seen Iron Maiden´s "Run To The Hills" video in 1982 with Bruce wearing those big spikey gloves!! I was spellbound. I started as a guitarist but then was forced to sing because nobody else wanted to try it.
I see that you draw inspiration from groups
such as Judas Priest and Manowar; some truly legendary bands.
We sure are influenced by Judas Priest "metal-periods", not by e.g. "Turbo", haha. I HATE "Turbo". And I always have despised
Priest for jumping from one trend to the next. They should have never strayed
from the great formula they developed on "British Steel", "Defenders Of The
Faith" or "Sad Wings Of Destiny". Manowar were my fave band until they
released that heap of false metal shit called "Fucking Our Fans", mhhh, sorry,
I meant "Fighting The World". Since then I´ve tried to stay loyal to them
nevertheless but they still try to do everything that makes me hate them more.
Recording X-Mas songs, tons of cheesy intros and fake metal songs doesn´t
compete with their glorious past. Well, old love never rusts so I´ll try to
also listen to their newest abomination without crying my eyes out.
Are
you inspired by any metal bands that are a bit more contemporary? Do you feel influenced by music that’s
outside the heavy metal spectrum?
Mike Scalzi from Slough Feg has spoken
highly of you guys. How was your
experience touring and partying with Slough Feg?
Mike did even do my dishes back then! He´s
the best when it comes to the handling and cleaning of knifes, forks and even
plates!! He´s a washing genius!! Totally underrated. Touring with Slough Feg is the best and we
hope to play with them this year again. There's nothing better than to watch
one of your favourite bands performing every evening. Hugs and kisses to Slough
Feg!!
It looks like Sacred Steel never had the
chance to tour North America. Is that
something the band would like to do? I
can imagine how that would be quite the logistical challenge.
We've had the possibility to do an US tour
once but, yeah, the logistical challenge killed that idea in the end. We´re too
old and too much entangled in our jobs to do EVERY tour really. We can only do
what our jobs and families (and money) allow. We've never earned money with our
band and we don´t mourn that fact (even though I REALLY COULD USE SOME
ADDITIONAL MONEY!!!- BEING BROKE SUCKS ASS!!!).
If there should be some generous person out there who is willing to
bring us to the US and pay for everything. Sure, we´ll gladly do it!!!!
Is raging with Sacred Steel your full-time
gig or does everyone have “normal” jobs too?
Sacred Steel is a hobby. We all have jobs and we
all need to put money into Sacred Steel. But it´s something that we still love
to do.
Is that tough to balance or do you find it
workable?
The older we get the tougher it gets to
even find a date where we all can rehearse. But we somehow manage to get along with
it quite OK.
Beginning with Slaughter Prophecy, the
music got even heavier and began incorporating elements of death metal, especially
the guttural growling. Do you see the
band pushing the envelope even farther in the future by incorporating more
elements of extreme metal into the Sacred Steel sound? Is this something we’ll find on the album
currently in the works?
Mhh, there are some harsh parts on the new
record but I wouldn´t say that it´s closer to death metal than previous stuff
we've done on e.g. "Slaughter Prophecy". The Polish winter was quite depressing
(we've recorded the album in February in Poland…) and maybe that´s why I've
screamed a bit more this time. I honestly
only try to give each song the vocal treatment it deserves and that fits
best…IN MY OPINION :) . When we've
started to incorporate harsher vocals it was also some raised middle finger to
all the other bands that became more commercial. We never wanted to be like all
these bands that play music for their girlfriends. We play music for mostly
male metal nerds. Beautiful women somehow don´t like our
sound AND our looks.
What are Sacred Steel’s future plans? Any touring or festival dates lined up?
We will try to somehow get our album
released. And we'll play smaller gigs at whatever weekend where we'll all find
some free space and time.
Again, thank you so much for doing the
interview. Is there anything else you’d
like to add?
Thanks, Ryan, for your support!!!! This
keeps us alive, too!!!
All my metal best on behalf of Sacred
Steel. Stay heavy, mate!!!!!!
Cheers & beers,
Gerrit
Sacred Steel is:
Gerrit - Vocals
Jonas - Guitar
Jens - Guitar
Kai - Bass
Mathias - Drums
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