::
INTERVIEW TO MICHAEL HOFMANN FROM ASSASSIN - versione
italiana
Well,
Assassin has returned to a new album called “The club”, why do you have
choose to reform the band?
To be honest, we tried this reunion several times before but you know,
to make a real band it takes more than just the will to play. Many things
had to be “in the right place” to make this thing happen. Robert is living
in China for some years, so this was one of the first steps to climb.
Then there was the bassplayer, who didn´t want to play in a thrashgroup
again and so on and on…
Now we have a thrilling line-up with excellent aggressive musicians.
I have listen the new album, but it's very different from your
old records, “The Upcoming Terror” and “Interstellar Experience”, what
kind of influences do you have got in the song-writing and in the music
for “The club”?
That´s quite funny. I just read a review, telling that “The Club” sounds
like a mixture of “Upcoming Terror” and “Interstellar Expierience”. I
think there is no difference. The new album is Assassin 2005 and not Assassin
1985. We always had slow songs (Assassin), psychedelic elements (Interstellar
Expierience – the song) , groovy riffing (Junkfood, Abstract War) mixed
with total thrash.
The
album was released through "Agd records", i suppose that the label is
the label of the band itself? Was it created only to produce and promote
Assassin records, or there are future plans for other bands?
Today it is just for the production/promotion of Assassin but who knows..
I already produced some nice bands that could fit to the AGD. For example
there is this band “Catapulta” from Brazil. This group is a hammer. They
mix brasilian folk with Metal and Thrash elements. It might sound strange
to you but this mixture is totally aggressive. This would be a nice production.
We played in your country one month ago (Rovereto 18.06.2005) with some
very nice italian bands. Riven for example. They kick ass!
Why have you chosen to use a photo for the cover album and not
to u???? ?se a painted cover like the previous albums?
Somebody had the idea, everybody liked it and so here we are, buddy, right
in your face. The picture is so damned good and shows what Assassin is
in 2005.
I were particularly surprised about the lyrics of the song "Bushwackers",
why do you have spoken about "hooligans" in this song? Is there a politician
meaning?
This song is about two mobs crushing each other. Have you ever seen the
streets empty because there are 2 gangs beating the shit out of the opposite.
Robert took this scene and made his lyric. Nice one…
I have seen "Assassin" live on stage at Wacken Open Air, and at
that time in the line-up there was Atomic Steif on drums , well-known
for his work on Sodom/sacred Chao and violent force albums.. What are
the reason for the departure of Atomic Steif from the band?
He didn´t fit to Assassin musically. Our real drummer was and, now again,
is Frank Nellen who playes more powerful and innovative.l
Listening to the new album, there are a lot of differences about
the earliest realeases, there are some riffs that remain me to old stuff
of Suicidal Tendencies,G.B.H....and something about the new production
on Tankard albums, do you agree with me?
I do not. To me it is pure Assassin-Psycho-Terror like it was before.
No commercial. No compromise.
What are the most important bands from the past that have influenced
Assassin? And about the new bands? There is something exciting bands for
you or not?
As I am listening to many different styles of music because of my job
as engineer/producer so I know a lot of good bands out there. I like this
actual cd of the Dissociatives for exsample but this does not very much
influence the music of Assassin.
Assassin are one of the most important German Thrash bands, that
for me ruled the'80, with Deathrow, Destruction, Kreator, Sodom, sdi and
so on...are you still in contact with these bands?
Sure we are. I met Milo a few month ago but Deathrow has no reunion plans,
yet. M???? ?aybe I can convince him to bury out the rest of his band.
Robert is a good friend of Mille so there are some meetings with Kreator
and I am still in contact with Tom Angelripper.
How many concerts Assassin have played from the reunion? I know
only Wacken Open Air, Christmas metal Night (with Ravage and Darth) in
Iserlohn, and the recent show in Rovereto (Metal Party)?
We also played two shows in Germany after Rovereto and there are more
plans to make more concerts. I think we will come back to Italy to play
more shows still this year and there are some talkings about a tour in
South-America. In 2006 there are some festivals for us to come.
How Italian people have received Assassin? Was “the public” good?
How was Italy for you?
The Rovereto show was great even if they were some problems with the voltage
which lead to a one hour break. The organisation “metalparty.it” did a
very good job and there were about 1000 people at the show. Other thing
was, that we don´t have a distributor of the new CD “The Club” for Italy
so the people didn´t know the new songs but everytime we played the old
stuff, the people went crazy. I love to play in Italy. You have the world´s
best food, nice terrain and friendly people. My wife is half italian and
we are spending much time with the grandmother of her in a little village
in the near of Padova and her Aunt in Meran.
Any future plans?
Shows, Shows, Shows and a new CD in 2006.
ok, that's all, thank you for all and good luck for Assassin.
Thank you for support.
Ermanno
<<< back 
Scheda
di adesione
© RAW & WILD 2000 / 2008 - P. IVA 03312160710
MSN: rawandwild@hotmail.it
