Hi guys, to start the interview with a traditional question: introduce yourselves to the people that are not (yet) familiar with Hearse! Who are you and why do you play (this kind of) metal?
Max: I'd say we're just three losers that should know better than starting yet another silly metal band with no future. But I guess we're just too stupid to really realize that. Guess that metal has always really appealed to us. For myself I begun listening to hardrock back in the middle 70's and I was pretty determined already at the age of 5 that I would spend a lot of time playing heavy music!
I recently reviewed your new album, I liked it a lot but I'm not familiar with the previous one. In what points is the new album is different (and better?) than the first?
Max: I guess that this one turned out much more the way we wanted it to. To be honest I'm not that satisfied with the first one when I look back at it now. Still think that some of the songs are really cool, but the sound of it all isn't really what we wanted. And it somehow lacks that energy I think we managed to capture on the new one! I also think the songs are really a lot better on the new one. And we had a pretty natural, organic and rough production just as I wanted. So I'm definitely a lot more satisfied with this new one!
Out of curiosity: why did you pick the name Hearse (and Armaggeddon, mon amour)? Any personal feelings involved?
Max: I've actually used the name "Hearse" for different projects way back in time. The when we were about to name this band both me and Johan suggested ìHearseî as an option. It's taken from a song by an old English band called Rudimentary Peni. Great band and great song!
About Armageddon Mon Amour it's taken from the book / movie Hiroshima Mon Amour. Johan just changed the words a bit there!
On Armaggedon, Mon Amour I was most stunned by (and I quote myself) "the range of styles there's to be found in their music. I hear heavy, death, melody, groove, rock'n'roll,... characteristics". This leads me to the question: who writes the music in the band, and name me some of your main influences!?
Max: Me and the guitarplayer Mattias come up with the song ideas. I find it rather difficult though to point at bands that have influenced us, because I don't get influenced intentionally nowadays. But I'd take a wild guess at The Cult, Motörhead, Entombed, Conflict, King Diamond, Poison Idea and Uriah Heep.
Did the album live up to your own expectations? Happy with the result?
Max: Yep, it turned out pretty much the way we wanted to. Of course there's always things you'd like to do differently looking back at it now. But in the whole I'm definitely very satisfied with it!
How about the other reactions from media and fans then? I'm guessing most of them were rather positive?
Yep, we've had some really good response on the album, especially in the States, which was a bit nonexpected. Haven't seen that much reviews from Europe yet to be honest. Swedish mag Close-Up hated us as usual and the reviewer couldn't understand how the hell we could choose a Kim Wilde song to cover. I have no whatsoever problem with the fact that everybody can't love our album, but sometimes I feel that narrowminded fucking idiot shouldn't write about music at all! Then there's always some reviews like for example this one from the Dutch mag Shadows of disgust: "The songs are boring and lack structure, the production is worse then the average promo and the cliché solo parts also fail to hit the spot."
This guy wasn't that bloody impressed, he he!
So how are things for the future? Is everyone feeling 100% comfortable with the current style of music, or will Hearse grow more experimental, or the contrary: will it grow more into a fixed genre?
Max: I think that this is the Hearse style. We might change in some direction, but that's nothing we'll decide. Then it'll just happen. We never really plan anything. This is just the music that comes out when you put us three together in a band!
Hearse is quite a young band, yet from the start it has drawn the
attention (and contract) of a huge label (Hammerheart recs). Were you surprised by this?
Max: Well, to start with I wouldn't say that Hammerheart was a huge label. It was actually a pretty small label, but still managed to do one hell of a job and spread their records. Guess I was a bit surprised, but Hammerheart turned out to be a label that don't go for trends and they must have known that we ain't that kinda band that sell one hell of a lot of albums. I mean, we don't sound like any of the big bands, we don't dress in leather and wear the latest black t-shirts with unreadable logos and we don't play those ugly BC Rich guitars with strange formations. Don't get me wrong now. I don't have anything whatsoever against those kinda bands, it's just not what we're into. And we don't worship the devil either, so there goes another round of possible album buyers. So Hammerheart have been really supportive and I'm extremely thankful that they wanted us on their label! And now after the reformation into Karmageddon Media it's become even better!
With a headstart like that, how do you see the band's future and what are you aiming at? Is this mostly for fun and music, or when the chance presents itself, grow big and famous?
Max: I've never really had the intention of getting famous. I wouldn't mind making a living out of the music though, but on the other hand then we'd have to change a lot of the concept and that won't happen so... As long as we have a good time playing we'll continue. The day I wake up and feel that playing music is a pain in the ass, then i'll begin playing tennis or whatever instead!
Alright, let's end this here... The last word is up to you here! Thanks and good luck for the years to come!
Thanx a lot for your support! I really appreciate it! Check out the new album folks. It's pretty cool really! And make sure to visit one of our shows halfway September in the Benelux when we play with Dismember and Callenish Circle a.o. (Belgium date = 18.09 in Biebob).
Live well and be happy! /Max
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