An interview with Johannes Prem:
Please introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Deadlock, and how long the band has been together?
Hi, my name is Joe and I am responsible for the growls and screams in Deadlock. Tobias (drums), Sebastian (guitar) and me formed Deadlock 10 years ago. Pretty soon we recorded a 7" and started to play lots of shows, later on we found a label called Winter Recordings and recorded a MCD "I'll Wake You When Spring Awakes", a split CD with our friends from Six Reasons To Kill and a full length called "The Arrival" there. Since 2005 we are on Lifeforce Records and just signed another contract for the next 2 records after "Manifesto". We are really happy that we found a label that offers us the perfect mix of professional work, friendship and ideals.
Where is the band from and what is the metal scene like there?
We are a German vegan straight edge metal band and I think the scene in Germany is pretty good. You find lots of bands from the most different styles and there are concerts almost every weekend in the bigger cities. You find a big hardcore and also a big metal scene here and there are still interesting newcomer bands coming up which are worth listening to.
Is there any story or concept behind your next album "Manifesto"?
The new album is split up in two parts, in the first part of the CD we talk about the perversion and brutality we see in our everyday life and take a look at it from the perspective from the people that think this is normal. For example the song 'Martyr To Science' is about the pharmaceutical industry and how they wanna make us think that animal testing is important for assuring our health and that some animals are not worth living and should be proud that they get the chance to become part of something this important. Another song called 'Fire At Will' is about the hunters that are always searching for the adrenaline rush and in this story the hunter shots his own daughter because she was playing behind the trees and he was totally blinded by the will to bring home a trophy. The last two songs of the CD will show two scenaries how mankind and our world could come to their end finally. One good way by respecting all living things and strating to live a life concentrating on 'Altruism' and that is also the title of that song and one dead end road, where the extreme is put to the next level and mankind starts to search for the final execution to become godlike.
What do you know and think of Romania?
Well... Different question, to be honest I don't know too much about your country, the only thing I definitely know is that this country has not been "deadlocked" so far and this is something we should change in the year 2009! I promise I will tell you much more about my personal impressions of your country when we play our first shows there!
Who did the artwork on the new CD and how much input did you have on it?
The artwork and design for "Manifesto" was handled by Adam Wentworth at http://www.the663.com/. He already worked with great acts like Beyoncè, Coheed And Cambria or A Life Once Lost and we think he did an awesome job with that crazy masterpiece. In order to help him start with the work we told him how our personal feelings about the album are and what our new baby will deal with lyrical wise and how it would sound like.
Is MySpace the great Satan of the 21st Century?
Well, I don't think so, because Satan or God do not exist and MySpace definitely does, so maybe it is even more than that. But to be honest, I don't think that MySpace is a bad thing, it is a perfect way for young bands to promote their music in a cheap but for all that professional way. You can promote your music and also the message to such a huge audience all over the world, that's amazing. Of course it is not ok when the kids stop living a real life and just take care for their MySpace buddies, but for bands and people that have something important to say it is just an atomic tool. And I don't get money for that MySpace promotion!
What are your future plans for Deadlock?
We hope that we will have the chance to go on a bigger tour with our new album on board and play lots of festivals in summer 2009. You will definitely hear lot of things about Deadlock in 2009. And if there is a chance for sure we would love to play some shows in Romania!
What do you think of this year's presidential election? Do you like any of the candidates?
In which country? In Germany? Romania? America? Well to tell the truth I am not into politics too much because they always tell you the same somehow. When the next election is near every party is telling you that they will take care for your rights and take care of the taxes and oil prices for example and when the election is over nobody remembers what was said in the beginning. There is only one chance for total freedom and peace: Deadlock for president!
Would you ever want to do an all acoustic death metal show? You definitely can apply acoustic instruments on your songs!
I don't think that my growls and screams would sound so good in an acoustic version, but for the rest of the band I could imagine that it could be a good idea, because clean guitars and Sabine's voice are like made for each other. So why not, would be a cool concert for me, just sitting around and let the others do the work, we really should think about that! Haha!
What would you compare your music to, out of the variety of bands out there?
I guess there is no real comparison, we are a band of a very unique style. Just think of "Manifesto" there is a techno intro, it's most of the time brutal metal combined with amazing melodies and an angellike female voice, then there is a rap part, we have saxophone solo and lots of samples and so on. The band I compare Deadlock with would have to be called WuTangScooterInFlamesBorgir or something like that.
What bands have you toured with? Are there any that you would definitely want to tour with?
In the last 10 years we had concerts with so many different bands, let me just give you some of the names like Heaven Shall Burn, Caliban, Neaera, Fear My Thoughts. There are lots of bands we would love to tour with like for me personally In Flames, Soilwork, Lacuna Coil or Dimmu Borgir. But I think it is not about the bands you are on the road with, it's all about the feeling to be in the van, drive from location to location, meet lots of new people - some of them become friends - and hang out with your band mates and make bullshit 24/7.
Describe your music to an elderly church lady.
I guess I would tell her something of the following: "Deadlock for you is like falling into a time machine and fucking all day long with the boy you fell in love with for the first time". And if this would be not ok for her or if she simply should not like our music I would tell her that Deadlock is heavensent and she will have to listen to "Manifesto" all day long while hanging around in the purgatory...
When you look back on when Deadlock first started out, what do you think of you guys now?
When I look back to the early days I think that many things changed, Deadlock has become much more professional and much more like a company, we have shows all over the world and sell our CDs and merchandise products worldwide, but there are some things that still are the same, we love hanging out with each other, we love to play shows and we just have fun with Deadlock! And that's all about. When there would come a day where we would just do it for money or prestige, this would be the end of Deadlock for me I guess.
Any final words of wisdom, thoughts or comments?
Thanks for your time and interest in Deadlock, thank you girls and boys for reading this and hopefully we will meet in Romania in 2009 or later on! Check out our new baby "Manifesto" and fall in love with it like we do! See you! Take care! Veganize!
http://www.lifeforcerecords.com/
http://www.xdeadlockx.com/
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