TEMPLE OF OMEGA - DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER Interview

DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER

For most of you this may be the first time you ever hear about this band, ( from now on referred as D.A.R). I can assure you they really know their way and they know it well. Let's see what their spokesman/bass player Volkmar had to say: By the way, this is the first DAR interview ever…and a really strange one, from these destroyers of humanity !!!

Good morning/night Volkmar. Welcome to Omega (The last of the last) feel comfortable and do an obligatory introduction of the band . How did it all start , the present and the goals of DAR ?

I would say, good evening is the best description! Thanks Godwin , I feel comfortable, I'm sitting in a luxurious leather arm chair in front of my new Pentium high power engine (Ed. Ugh, just like me in this moment !!) on the left side a big cup of coffee and on my stereo the new CD of Norwegian hunters ISVIND is running and we have an all day fog, so nothing could be better. Well let's start the D..A.R bio. Everything started in Autumn 95 , it was more or less a coincidence that the bad was founded. During the breaks of the rehearsals of DISASTER ( A local Death Metal band formed in 1985 ) , the guitar player of DISASTER Eumel and the drummer Skelleton had jammed s little bit and tried to make something new, something original. It was pure fun, really a jam session , no structures or something like that , but it had mighty movements , pure, raw hate. They felt that this musical direction couldn't be connected to DISASTER anymore, so they decided to start a new band . At that moment in time the rehearsing day for the then yet unnamed band was Wednesday. Eumel kept on talking to me so much about this band, but I couldn't believe the words he said about this band "absolutely original, never heard before". What a fool was I !! Till one day I looked in my post-box and found a letter (inviting me to participate in their next session ,should I like the tape) from Eumel , and a tape. I heard the tape and could hardly believe my ears , I jumped immediately into my car cos I didn't want to miss the session . I wanted to witness with my own eyes and ears. It was so powerful, I couldn't say a single word after they completed the 3 song session . I felt that this could be a really big thing. The guys; Eumel, Skelleton and Pest(who had joined the band 2 weeks berore0 told me that they were looking for a bass player and also for a kind of manager who could handle their mail and be their contact with the underground scene. So they asked me for an answer …. That's how I joined D.A.R . After that we rehearsed for 2 times a week , mostly 4 or 5 hours. During the weeks that followed we created 9 songs and on 25.12.96 we did pour first gig. It was pure fun, also to see the people's reaction to our name (that is a non- English name) We don't want to be compared with the Black Metal scene. We are a burning creation of hate, hate against falseness, hate against all those who harm nature, hate against all fakes. That's our goals , nothing more, nothing less. The gig was 30 minute of pure destruction and aggression. Before the gig I had talked to Eumel and we resolved for something different . During the last tunes of "Human End" I stood in the middle of the stage with a candle in my hands, it was like silence after a thunderstorm. Nobody talked, nobody screamed, nobody laughed. It felt like a funeral. Really perfect, nobody in the band has awaited this reaction 9Oh, maybe in his dreams). If we had the demo at this time we could have sold some…many people had asked for it after the gig. In May 96 the demo was finally recorded. We look into the future with really optimistic feelings.

Last June you released Firestorm, your debut release. 25 minutes of Apocalyptic metal; full of devastating atmospheres. Yet very melodic.. What have been the reactions so far?

Well the things are neither good nor bad. We've sold 3200 copies just in the first 3 months, I mailed lots of promos all around the worlds; to zines and labels , but the reactions were quite different from expectations. The declared aim of the demo is (and will be) to get e CD deal. It's so boring to release 3 or 4 demos. If a band has enough talent and originality, this will find a label. If not then you must be fair to yourself and say; "Okay, we aren't as good as we thought, and that's a fact!!". As regards myself I'll say it from now that I don't intend to waste my money in a second demo or so. Not so shortly after this demo, if we we'll not find a label we may go back to the studio and record some tracks just for ourselves, but I won't sell it. ..Though I think that as a demo band you must have patience,. You need time, till the demo is "around" the world. When I look to bands who have released good demos back in 94 or 95 (for example ABLAZE MY SORROW, MITYHOTYN or ISVIND) and got noticed just some time ago by record labels then I say that we have a chance. A big step will be that we'll be featured on a CD compilation on " Nebel und Nacht" productions.

The overall feeling of FIRESTORM is very Apocalyptic (as suggested by your name ) yet the melodic side of it provides for a bitter -sweet ending … Were these piano parts written with he rest of the song or afterwards? I don't think they were written before.!

Yes, right. The piano parts were written together with the guitar parts. Often the guitar player played a riff and Pest tried to find a fitting piano part. He is a musical genius, he always has some 5 or 6 anthems floating in his brain, everything he does is so fuckin' brilliant. You know, he plays piano for around 20 years by now.

You also seem to love 80's bands a lot. At times your music really reminds me some old KREATOR and SODOM parts. Do you respect today's bands or the 80's bands most on an overall basis? Personally, I feel that nowadays quantity has taken over quality. Most people will hopefully know what I mean…O.K. there are a good bunch of praise worthy bands nowadays, but if we have to be honest and admit that most material out these days is BULL SHIT ! (Ed. This is one of the bands I respect)

Thanks for the compliment, I totally agree with you.!! Where are the times where 2 or 3 good records were released in a month ?!? Today in a week lots of CD's are released, mostly nothing but crap, But these are 90's ; faster, louder, higher but definitively NOT BETTER!!! But this is not only a problem of our scene, that's a global pattern in the western world . I really wish we could have the again the good old times, but we have to realize this is a fuckin' dream. Most people are too bored to see this fact. But I don't care about them. I don't have any time to waste with materialistic scum. One day the punished nature will strike back . THE WORLD DOWNFALL WILL COME.

Well . when I first opened your promo pack I looked at the demo cover and said "Il-Ustra !!!" But the cover doesn't give a clue to the demo's musical content. It's a really nice cover with a really nice girl on it, but it misguides you … Did you choose that particular cover on purpose?

Oh man , the photo , you aren't the first to ask about it. Not so deep as you think. I will tell you the story . We looked for original cover, no cliché, no Satan, gore, porno shit. Just a picture with a meaning. And you will see, it's easy to follow my steps ( our steps, I chose the photo with Eumel !!! ). The English translation to our band name is "The Apocalyptic Riders" . What do you think of when say "riding" ? First, of course, sitting on a horse, but ….Also a girl can ….(it makes a lot of fun, don't you agree!!???) the demo title FIRESTORM is the r4esult of the fact that the nice beauty smokes!!! A real "Firestorm"!!! the aim was., that everybody who looked at the cover automatically is interested in the demo. We aren't faceless, and so in one direction also popular, I have heard 2 people talking "Do you know D.A.R. ? That's the band with the naked girl on the cover!! Oh yes. I remember!!" Nothing more to say!!!!

As a final note you thank CHOPIN and HäNDEL for inspiration, was this a note by Pest or a general note of appreciation to these geniuses from all the Apocalyptic Riders?

It was Pest's idea, 'cause he has "stolen" some great melodies from these great composers. The first part of the piano track FIRESTORM is from HÄNDEL, but Pest has changed it a little bit , and the last part is all his. And the final piano part of HUMAN END is of course the well known "Funeral March" from CHOPIN (unchanged!!!). So it was a must hailing these musicians.

What do you enjoy doing other than music ?

I enjoy history and culture. I'm really interested in my own history, but also the history of other different cultures is worth knowing. In general I must say that music occupies a big part of my life, cause in my eyes music is the highest form of art. I also enjoy the world of cooking and eating . I'm a fanatic cook and surely the most chaotic cook in the whole world. I destroy every kitchen because of my very unconventional style of cooking. Every time I'm preparing a meal, I am the Chaos Lord. But the meals are great every time , everyone says it; my friends, my mother, my girlfriend, my grandma…And when my grandma says "This was good!" it's like getting an OSCAR, she must be the creator of cooking. I still have much to learn from her. But don't think I cook so often ; maybe 5 or 6 times a month. My favourites are spaghetti, baked curry chicken with rice, pork with mushrooms…….I'd like to learn how to cook candies….I'm also into weapons and military , and intensively into the world of sexuality.

At the beginning of the interview I joyfully introduced this band as the destroyers of humanity. What is your opinion on this matter ?(Wars etc.)

As I said in a previous answer, mankind will not survive the next 100 years. Really, I feel the Apocalypse will come, not the Apocalypse most people imagine. The name of the Apocalyptic Riders will be storm , lightning, water and fire !!! At the moment we are dancing on the top of a knife, and nobody realizes that nature shows no mercy. The revenge of nature will be terrible!!! In the next 10 years we may witness to 400 Km / Hour storms. Do you know how a city would look after such a storm?? Nowadays, the top speed of typhoons and hurricanes are 240 Km / Hour, and the cities are totally destroyed. After a 400 KM / H no life would be spared. And whoever did not die between flying cars, trees and houses, would maybe die under a 100 m wave!!! No cool imagination !!! But the generation X of today does not care; using phrases like "I live now, not tomorrow !" Right, then tomorrow you will die! Like all other life on this planet . Who ignores again and again these warning signals of nature shouldn't live any longer ! But maybe the extra-terrestrials will bomb the earth in a thousand pieces !

By the way, who of the Apocalyptic riders are you? Famine, war , conquest or death ? Match the remaining three….

Nice Game. Here we go.

PEST represents death , look at his photo! He is the personification of death. He is a dark individual, he has deadly eyes , and when he plays in his long black coat he is really fearsome.

EUMEL represents war, cause he is a strong warrior. His body is strong enough to destroy every army on this world, with his sword he will destroy all enemies.

SKELLETON represents famine cause he is our lightweight in the band. He weighs less than 50 Kg . So he musts know exactly how it feels like dying of starvation.

VOLKMAR (Myself) I stand for conquest, because I'm the youngest and the fastest sportsman in the band, I will have conquered the world when the others are still sleeping.

Ask yourself a question that you perhaps wanted me to ask you and I didn't!!

What was the first record and the last record you have bought? The first was HELLOWEEN' s "Keeper of the Seven Keys part 1" and the last was the new BLOOD DUSTER CD (Australian Grind Barbarians)

Last year(1996) you also embarked in a East Europe self financed tour. Can you tell us what happened? And tell us about the present.

Since I couldn't attend because of military service I'll narrate you EUMEL's version of what happened: "This was surely the most chaotic tour in the world. It was self organized, the promoters were unprofessional (but we already knew this). But it was pure fun. The 2 gigs in Czechia and Slovakia were really great, the fans were really fanatic. The Hungarian gigs were all canceled because of problems with the concert hall. Hungary has really a great underground scene and the bands are fuckin' professional. But then Romania, nobody can imagine the situation in this country. This country is so poor, the people are so poor !! They don't even have no modern streets, ( no asphalt, more or less paths) But all Romanians are very deep into Christianity (cause of Dracula , Transylvania and all these things!!) They feared Dracula, No Joke !!! The things that happened there are unbelievable. As we (10 Metal guys) walked down the street wearing black, 'evil' T-shirts (the typical metal outfit), some people have changed side of the street, others made the sign of the Cross, others closed doors and windows…unbelievable!!! Some people screamed "Dragona" (which means "Devil"). The weirdest story happened to my friend (who happens to have lots of piercing) who walked down the street to buy cigarettes, and the old man he went to buy from started screaming "Cannibal !!"…..Then, the gig was unbelievable. We have played in a disco (ca. 400 people) . Before we started playing the D J aired some dance shit.. the audience's age varied from 15-75 . I couldn't imagine we had to play there . Then, lights were shut, fog everywhere, candles, red light, PEST played a 5 minutes intro. SKELLETON and myself were standing behind the stage (we were kind of afraid to go onstage ) then at PEST's sign we went on stage . In the first 10 lines there were only GIRLS ; screaming, I felt like Robby of Take That !! My god, they are really sick. After the show, it was really an escape out of the place. I know it's hard to believe ." We haven't played any more shows since , cause the gigs in Austria nad Germany were canceled. About the present; we can't presently do anything since EUMEL is in New Zealand till March and PEST has a lot of examinations to do . But we have nevertheless 2 new songs ready . Killers !!! The name of one of them is "Crystal Age" and it's our top song at present. Powerful rhythms, sweet melodies and piano parts (that will make you shed tears) . I hope everybody can remember this song till March. As regards myself, I'll be working in my 2 other bands (both unnamed)one is brutal Death-Grind (like early Grave, Necrony) and also my other band is quite interesting (Extreme Doom like Esoteric ,Thergothon). I will see if there is enough time for a project of myself, Pest and some violinists in our area . Time, Time, you know!!! (Ed. "Minutes and seconds are passing us by…." ). Of course I will also work on thje next issue of Cothurnus Mag. But I have no exact dates, anytime in 97.

Can you tell us a joke?

Here's my joke of the day. Little Richard goes in his parents' bedroom. He can see how father and mother are fucking. He closed the door, walked down the staircase and fucks his grandma !! His father came and asked him "What are you doing?" L.R replied "If you fuck my mother, I fuck your mother !!!!"

Volkmar, it's been a really nice talk . I'd like to thank you and all at D.A.R. and wish you all the best, brother. Last words are yours.

Godwin, this was a great interview. I'm a little nit tired, cause I'm sitting more than 5 hours here in front of my computer, but it was worth. Thanks again for this interview and for the support. And to all readers. If you wanna hear a really extreme demo with top sound then buy "Firestorm" The price is 10 DM(Germany) and 7$(Worldwide). You can also get Cothurnus Mag. From me. There are copies of number 1 (Amon Amarth, Behemoth, Naglfar, Damnation, Thergothon, Carpathian Fullmoon, etc.) and number 2 (Pungent Stench, Oxyplegatz, Cardinal Sin, Falkenbach, Opeth etc.) left. Each 80 A4 pages, high quality layout and printing quality. Price ; 6$ each (10$ both). I'm waiting for your post (No IRC = No Reply!!!!) Good night!